Natalie Shirinian
- Director
- Actress
- Writer
Natalie Shirinian is an award winning director, actress, screenwriter, and the founder of the Los Angeles based production company NES FILMS. She takes an intimate and dramatic approach to her storytelling through narrative, documentary and conceptual films.
Natalie has been featured in Vogue, InStyle's "Badass Women" issue, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, T magazine, AnOther Magazine, and was Interview Magazine's, "People of Interview."
Born and raised in Los Angeles California, Natalie is the daughter of Egyptian Armenian parents. The desire to act has been innate in Natalie from a young age, and at the age of 15 she entered the field professionally appearing in popular television shows, film, and commercials. An interaction with Steve Martin on the set of the movie Shop Girl inspired Natalie to one day want to direct. This moment happened with her directorial debut of her documentary film, Interior Motives. The film captured the connection between fashion and design through the perspectives of industry leaders like Michele Lamy, Maria Cornejo, and Tommy Hilfiger, amongst other influencers and icons. On the festival circuit the film has won, Best Short Documentary at the 2019 Berlin Short Film Festival, and at the 2018 IFS Los Angeles Film Festival.
The need to tell her personal story was a driving force behind Natalie's first narrative film Hello Mother (Parev Mama), inspired by her own life in which Natalie wrote, directed, and starred in. Hello Mother, follows a first-generation Armenian American, queer, 30 year old woman, living in Los Angeles, faced with the repercussions of her traditional Armenian mother when coming home late after a night out with her girlfriend, Rita. Her short film explores the challenges of what it is like being caught between the traditions of an Armenian family, and living her truth as a gay woman. Hello Mother won Best Short Film at the Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay competition in June of 2021, the Audience Award at the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, and Best Short Film at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Storytella. The film was recently selected to participate in the prestigious virtual edition of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A contributor to multiple publications, Natalie has written for such outlets as PAPER, HuffPost, and since 2017 has been a contributor to Vogue. With her wife Elizabeth, the two collaborate on film, and have been the face of multiple LGBTQ+ campaigns, including David Yurman's Valentine's Day couples campaign, Garance Doré's New York PRIDE campaign, Matches Fashion, and a Milan travel diary for Coveteur.
Natalie is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Women in Film, American Cinematheque, Sundance Institute, and has been a guest lecturer at FIT, and RISD.
Natalie has been featured in Vogue, InStyle's "Badass Women" issue, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, T magazine, AnOther Magazine, and was Interview Magazine's, "People of Interview."
Born and raised in Los Angeles California, Natalie is the daughter of Egyptian Armenian parents. The desire to act has been innate in Natalie from a young age, and at the age of 15 she entered the field professionally appearing in popular television shows, film, and commercials. An interaction with Steve Martin on the set of the movie Shop Girl inspired Natalie to one day want to direct. This moment happened with her directorial debut of her documentary film, Interior Motives. The film captured the connection between fashion and design through the perspectives of industry leaders like Michele Lamy, Maria Cornejo, and Tommy Hilfiger, amongst other influencers and icons. On the festival circuit the film has won, Best Short Documentary at the 2019 Berlin Short Film Festival, and at the 2018 IFS Los Angeles Film Festival.
The need to tell her personal story was a driving force behind Natalie's first narrative film Hello Mother (Parev Mama), inspired by her own life in which Natalie wrote, directed, and starred in. Hello Mother, follows a first-generation Armenian American, queer, 30 year old woman, living in Los Angeles, faced with the repercussions of her traditional Armenian mother when coming home late after a night out with her girlfriend, Rita. Her short film explores the challenges of what it is like being caught between the traditions of an Armenian family, and living her truth as a gay woman. Hello Mother won Best Short Film at the Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay competition in June of 2021, the Audience Award at the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, and Best Short Film at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Storytella. The film was recently selected to participate in the prestigious virtual edition of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A contributor to multiple publications, Natalie has written for such outlets as PAPER, HuffPost, and since 2017 has been a contributor to Vogue. With her wife Elizabeth, the two collaborate on film, and have been the face of multiple LGBTQ+ campaigns, including David Yurman's Valentine's Day couples campaign, Garance Doré's New York PRIDE campaign, Matches Fashion, and a Milan travel diary for Coveteur.
Natalie is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Women in Film, American Cinematheque, Sundance Institute, and has been a guest lecturer at FIT, and RISD.
