MARIA MENOZZI’s creative endeavors span a variety of mediums. She is a professional stand-up comedian performing in comedy clubs across the country. She writes original comedy songs.  Maria is an award-winning playwright for her children’s play, "The Poet Who Wouldn’t Be King," published by Players Press and being produced in various playhouses across the country. She continues to perform theatrically in Los Angeles in local and regional theater and improv and is currently writing her own one person play based on her experiences growing up in an Italian blue-collar family in Detroit entitled "Genius From a Blue Collar Neighborhood" which will be staged sometime in 2007. 
 
Maria turned her talents to filmmaking in 2001 after appearing in a number of student films and indies. Her silent comedy shorts "A Pain In The Basket" and "My Left Feet" both under the collection, "The Adventures of Zoey, Parts I and II," first premiered at a monthly screening in 2002 with the L.A. Short Film Festival and in 2004 were Comedy Short Film Winners at the Telluride IndieFest. The "Zoey" character was created by Maria in homage to Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd and the home movies she enjoyed while growing up in Detroit. As an extension of her improv training and performing and her stand up comedy, Maria wanted to challenge herself to tell a joke "filmically" using her physical as well as visual comedy skills.  The popularity of the two Zoey shorts have prompted interest in more episodes coming up in the near future. 
 
Maria made her directorial debut on a dramatic short film she also wrote and produced entitled, "Mrs. Merriam’s Moment."  "Merriam" premiered at the West Valley Indie Fest in 2005 in California. "Mrs. Merriam’s Moment" is inspired by Maria’s own experiences interviewing for jobs and working in law firms.  It makes a subtle, but pointed statement about one woman’s stand for respect. 
 
Maria is currently in preproduction on her next short film, a romantic comedy called "The Husband Audition."   Maria’s sitcom pilot, "Secretaries’ Day" will have another performance reading in Spring 2007.  She is also working on a number of other short films and pilots as well as another children's play about three shepherds on Christmas day tentatively entitled, "The Three Wise Guys" and her one-act play, "The Interview." 
 
If you are interested in viewing any of the short films or reading scripts, please e-mail or call Maria.  We are always interested in financing of any kind for our projects and/or persons interested in working production. 
 
 
www.ZoeyFilms.com 
www.MariaMenozzi.com 
zoey811@yahoo.com 
(818) 623-7018