Simon Bell is an LA-based writer/director who started his filmmaking career using a Canon HV-20 consumer handycam to make no-budget music videos for his 2-piece indie rock band The Killbirds for which he is singer, guitarist and songwriter. In recent years, Simon has been both a quarter and semi-finalist in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting and his comedic short films have won several awards in both the US and Australia including being shortlisted three years running at the world’s largest short film festival, Tropfest. His film “Wanker” has received over 45,000 online views and has toured the US as part of the Laugh Out Loud Film Festival. Most recently, after running a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, he co-created the TV sitcom pilot The Manny (along with stand-up comedian Monty Franklin), which features Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigalow, Saturday Night Live) and Diedrich Bader (Napolean Dynamite, Office Space). The presentation pilot recently won the "Excellence in a TV Pilot" Award at the Accolade Global Film Competition and will screen as an Official Selection at the Die Hard Laughing Film Festival and the Dances With Films festival at the TLC Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

 

Simon has performed stand-up comedy at venues such as The Improv (NYC) and Standup New York. His music has featured in various US network and cable TV shows including Switched At Birth and Gossip Girl. Simon has studied filmmaking at Melbourne University (Australia) and trained in improv comedy at LA’s iO West Improv theatre. He has previously held roles as an Investment Banker for JPMorgan (NYC), a Business Development Executive for MTV (NYC) and MySpace Music (LA) as well as serving as Executive Director of the LA-based film industry guild, Australians In Film. Simon holds an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City and is a dual American-Australian citizen. These experiences have given Simon a broad understanding of social media, pop culture, viral content and commercial realities. Simon is represented by Tim Wittenberg at Wet Dog Entertainment (US) and legally by Kevin P. Miller, Esquire (US).