Happy Thanksgiving! Thankful for Spontaneous Sharing in The Underground.

I am filled with joyful and warm memories from The Underground as we approach Thanksgiving through this wet and snowy day. Without fail, each time I venture out to one of my busking gigs, I meet someone who fills me with inspiration and happiness. Asking them "What Inspires You?" is often on the tail of a spontaneous and inspirational interaction that we have just shared. Such was the case with Rose, a traveler I spotted in LIRR station with a mandolin case. It turned out she was up for a little jam session and broke out her mandolin for me as a crowd formed around us. It's hard to be a part of the spontaneous action and film the action, but no matter the frame, the composition is all there. Check her out below in a playlist of similar moments. I am so very thankful for moments like these and I carry you all in my heart as we remember to be grateful on Thanksgiving. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

NYC Subway Girl

Gallery of clips co-edited by Ian James MacRae Jackson 

See more inspirations from my Inspiration Project and Video Gallery.  I have 100's of clips featuring the amazing people I meet.

Best Documentary Web Series Chain Film Fest

It's a lovely honor to have The Inspiration Project win in the Best Documentary Web Series category at the 2014 Chain Film Festival.

Pictured from Left to Right:

1-Evan Bass The Eve-Audience Award, 

2-Miranda Noelle Wilson The Eve-Best Actress,

3-Danny Thykaer Backgammon-Best International feature, Kenneth Skoubølling Backgammon-Cinematography

4-Festival director Kirk Gostkowski and Christopher Wilson-You Have His Eyes-Best documentary

5-Festival intern Ian

6-Evan Bass The Eve-Audience Award, Cathy Grier The Inspiration Project-Best Documentary Web Series, Valerie Corrales Patrol-Best Director + Cinematography short, Rich Devaney Patrol-Best Director, Danny Thykaer Backgammon-Best International feature, Kenneth Skoubølling Backgammon-Cinematography, Miranda Noelle Wilson The Eve-Best Actress, Emanuele Michetti Frammenti (Scraps)-Best International short

 

Thursday final screening Inspiration Project

Thursday August 14th 9pm is the final screening of my 2 films Inspiration Project and Music Under NY auditions 2013, selected as part of the Chain Film Festival in Long Island City NY. Get Directions

diyf_chain2014_footer.jpg

Thursday night, August 14, at 9 PM, will be the second of two screenings of my Documentary Short film, The Inspiration Project, and Web Series selection, Music Under NY Auditions 2013.

Please join me in celebrating the Inspiration Project. The Official Selection versions are up on my website and I'd love you to rate them on the Chain Film Festival website, even if you can't attend in person, and I invite you to share with your friends and families.

link to rate Music Under NY Auditions 2013 web series (you can also write a review)

link to rate The Inspiration Project short documentary (you can also write a review)

Hope to see you there

Picked from hundreds of submissions from all over the world, The Chain NYC Film Festival is presenting 108 films. From short documentaries to full length narratives and web series; encompassing work from filmmakers in Australia, Belgium, France, UK as well as our own Long Island City; an innovative and diverse set of topics is curated in thematic groups, featuring both indie actors on the brink of stardom as well as actors such as Academy Award Nominee Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Louis Lombardi (The Sopranos), Nicholas Brendon (Xander from Buffy), and the debut lead performance of 2014 Miss Golden Globes, Sosie Bacon (Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick’s daughter).
 
Films will be presented on a rotating schedule from August 4 through August 17.Tickets are $10 for all performances. For more information please visit www.chainfilmfestival.com.

The Inspiration Project: Official Selection at Chain Film Festival

I am really excited to share that my The Inspiration Project series episode Music Under New York auditions 2013, and my short film The Inspiration Project are both official selections in the Chain NYC Film Festival. Check out my screenings:

Aug 4th, 8pm and August 14th, 9pm

Chain NYC Film Fest - 21-28 45 Rd Long Island City, NY 11101 Get Directions

Special thanks to all those who have stepped in front of my camera to answer, "What's your Inspiration?" I look forward to sharing your moving and uplifting answers with these two film selections. 

image by Nousha Salimi

image by Nousha Salimi

For those who can't make the screenings, I will post the edited Film Festival Selections after the first screening date and you can rate the films on the festival website even if you can't make it to the theater. 

Thanks for all your love and support and see you in the subways. 

Picked from hundreds of submissions from all over the world, The Chain NYC Film Festival is presenting 108 films. From short documentaries to full length narratives and web series; encompassing work from filmmakers in Australia, Belgium, France, UK as well as our own Long Island City; an innovative and diverse set of topics is curated in thematic groups, featuring both indie actors on the brink of stardom as well as actors such as Academy Award Nominee Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Louis Lombardi (The Sopranos), Nicholas Brendon (Xander from Buffy), and the debut lead performance of 2014 Miss Golden Globes, Sosie Bacon (Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick’s daughter).
 
Films will be presented on a rotating schedule from August 4 through August 17.Tickets are $10 for all performances. For more information please visitwww.chainfilmfestival.com.

Spring NYCSubwayGirl Newsletter

The Neighbors Exhibition Nears its Final Days at the New Museum 

Continues to Encourage Community, Connection, and to Fuel The Inspiration Project

 

Hello, I have two more scheduled performances during the final weeks of Polish sculptor  Pawel Althamer’s New Museum exhibition (located at 235 Bowery south of Houston St). The Neighbors exhibit has featured over 50 street musicians and buskers since its opening in early February. 

I'm scheduled to perform as a part of this collaborative exhibition this Sunday April 6, from 11a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and again on Saturday April 12, from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The exhibit ends April 20, 2014.

The inclusion of street performers in the lobby of the New Museum has not only brought many musicians in out of the cold NYC winter, but it has been a place to capture inspired people. 

I have used this performance space to film many new clips for my Inspiration Project. These clips not only showcase inspirations but also the spirit of community that is at the core of the exhibition. 

If you know of any blogs or sites you think that might be interested in posting The Inspiration Project please pass on the link. You can also grab the RSS feed.

The Inspiration Project Comes to Life as a Motivational Workshop

I want to share with you a new direction for NYCSubwayGirl and my Inspiration Project. After hundreds of hours of footage and clips from the underground, I have developed a workshop that uses the "Power of a Question" to create genuine human connections. The results have been really exciting for me.

Contact me if you are interested in knowing more about how to bring the Inspiration project to your conference, event or gathering. 

 

here's a clip featuring gHSTS n gUITARS.

 

Happy Spring,

Cathy

NYCSubwayGirl