In My Queue
Julie Chalhoub, Class of 1984
Film has always been Julie Chalhoub鈥檚 true love. A native of Laurel, Maryland, she majored in mass communication at 撸先生.
鈥淲hen I took Intro to TV we had to do a directing project,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淲hen it
was done, our instructor at the time told me that I was going to be a good director.
I call that my Holly Hunter [from 鈥楤roadcast News鈥橾 moment.鈥� Her instructor was right.
After graduating she worked at Channel 45 in Baltimore before moving to Florida to
ditch cold winters. There she did work in Cape Canaveral that included broadcasting
rocket launches around the world. After a stint at Spectrum Cable, she started her
own production company.
Chaloub serves on the board of the Sunscreen and the Dunedin film festivals in the Tampa Bay area, where she lives, and recently worked as an editor on the documentary 鈥淪urviving Pulse: Life After a Mass Shooting,鈥� about the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.
鈥淚 really enjoyed working on that knowing that it was going to help these people have their stories told,鈥� she says. 鈥淔ilms move me and inspire me. They can bring enjoyment, excitement, sadness and spark memories.鈥�
In the 1980s...
Chalhoub can still remember the first time she went to see a movie by herself. 鈥淚t was mostly an empty theater, and I was watching 鈥楴ightmare on Elm Street.鈥� That was so cool. I love to escape to the movies and escape through the movies.鈥� These are some of her favorites from the decade she spent mostly in Baltimore.
鈥淭he Breakfast Club鈥�
Always a misfit, this film just worked. Everyone breaking down their walls to unite, even if into unlikely pairings.
"Hairspray"
Turns out that my first boss has a credit in the film. I love John Waters and am so glad his Baltimore-based film made the mainstream.
鈥淒irty Dancing鈥�
Such an important message, yet super sexy and relatable. Every girl wanted to be Jennifer Grey. Still love the quotes, 鈥淣obody puts Baby in a corner,鈥� and, 鈥淚 carried a watermelon.鈥�
鈥淭op Gun鈥�
At least I didn鈥檛 get a ticket driving home from the Senator Theater. I had the need, the need for speed after watching that one.
In 2023...
For more than two decades Chalhoub has worked at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. Here are some movies she saw premiere there.
鈥沦补濒迟产耻谤苍鈥�&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;
What a thriller. I went for the ride and was wowed by the choice of aspect ratio, directing, hand-drawn opening credits and the character development. Sometimes disturbing, but true to genre, thrilling.
鈥淭耻别蝉诲补测鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
I鈥檝e seen this several times. Excellent choice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the mom. The big reveal (ruined by trailers) of the animated co-star character, Death, left me thinking, 鈥榃hat the?鈥�
鈥凌耻蝉迟颈苍鈥�
Excellent acting by Colman Domingo, someone I鈥檇 never heard of prior to this film who is breaking out after the age of 40. I thought he deserved the Oscar.
鈥淧ublic Defender鈥�
This is a 40-minute documentary about a public defender in D.C. who is representing January 6th rioters. It鈥檚 a very timely film with a mission to help educate people.