Life & Work with Monika Ekiert of Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monika Ekiert.

Hi Monika, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in post-communist Poland, where the past was still present, but my life truly began the day I moved to Paris. Paris shaped me. I spent more than twenty years there- learning how to live between cultures without ever fully belonging to just one. France became my second home, and in time, I became a French citizen.

I studied Economics at Sorbonne University and later earned a highly selective Master’s degree in International Commerce and International Relations. The path was demanding, sometimes unforgiving, but it became my way of answering a quiet question I had carried for years. I came from a modest home, without connections or privilege, and I learned that possibility is not something you wait for-it is something you dare to reach for.

I always carried the wish to be an actress, but I thought it was a dream reserved for an elite I could never join. So I kept it silent until one day, I chose to listen to it and I decided to take the entrance exam for Cours Florent, one of the most prestigious acting schools in Paris. And I was accepted on the very first round.

That was the moment I understood something essential: I had to believe in myself first. Because if I don’t believe in myself, no one else ever will.
That moment changed everything. It was the first time I truly chose myself.

That decision became a turning point. During the years when I studied acting I also became involved in humanitarian work in Paris, helping over six thousand Polish homeless people living on the streets. I stayed committed to that organization for years, and it gave my life a deeper sense of purpose. It reinforced one of my strongest beliefs: We are meant to be where we are, especially when we choose to follow our intuition and step outside our comfort zone.

One day, I felt a very powerful pull toward the United States – a feeling I couldn’t ignore. I followed it step by step, until I received my first Extraordinary Talent visa and arrived in Los Angeles. I came simply, like many dreamers do with a suitcase, a head full of ideas. I arrived as an actress, hoping to share my European soul and multicultural sensitivity on American screens.
I came with a trust that I was in the right place, and a deep belief that Polish and European stories, told with honesty and heart, truly belong here.

That belief found its expression when I became Festival Director of the Polish Film Festival North America – Hollywood. What once lived only within me suddenly filled theaters. We opened at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, and we closed in a place soaked in history: the Hollywood Museum, in the historic Max Factor building. Working with Donelle Dadigan, the founder and president of the museum, motivated me in ways I had never been motivated before. She is a guardian of Hollywood’s soul – its glamour, its scars, its magic. Being part of that world, even briefly, left a mark on me. The Max Factor building is more than a location. Max Factor was Polish. His journey from Europe to Hollywood feels achingly familiar. Like him, I crossed an ocean with little more than vision and courage.
Today, I am preparing a documentary about his life – not just to tell history, but to honor the invisible thread connecting Poland and Hollywood, then and now.

While I came to Los Angeles to act, I stayed to tell its stories.
And somewhere along the way, the dream became a bridge – between cultures, between past and present, between who I was and who I am becoming.
But I never wanted it to be “just one event.” I wanted it to grow into something lasting: a real platform and a cultural bridge. That’s why, together with other creative women, we created the HOLLYWOOD CENTER FOR POLISH AND EUROPEAN ART AND CULTURE, with a mission to help Polish and European talent shine on American screens and to promote art and cultural exchange.

At the same time, I’m currently co-producing my first feature film titled “LIGHTS, CAMERA.” Logline: ‘Dream big. Film small. Cry later’. I’m also starring in it alongside Eric Roberts, Diane Renee and other wonderful actors. We are still in production, and while filming paused briefly due to scheduling conflicts, we are returning to set in March. Anyone interested in joining the production, supporting the film, or exploring casting opportunities can find more details on IMDb https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt39174845?s=d6ce0a9e-8fb2-b1c3-2e12-2b7a96e1159f&site_preference=normal
and there may still be ways to get involved.

I come from a background where nothing was guaranteed and that’s exactly why I’m here to create opportunity and make sure the voices and stories that shaped me can shine in the place that inspires the world: Hollywood.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but I truly believe the difficult parts are what shaped me into who I am today.

I grew up in a post-communist Poland, in a reality where life was hard. Sometimes bread with salt was the main dish, and bread with sugar felt like dessert. We wore clothes from donation centers, and help from others was part of survival.

It inspired me to give back. When the war in Ukraine began, I was at the Polish / Ukraine borders from the second day, working with the NGO Norwegian Refugee Council, helping war refugees move safely, then assisting them with housing, security, and eventually access to work. That experience shaped me profoundly. It taught me to value human life on a deeper level, and to never take peace, safety, or opportunity for granted.

Seeing refugees leave Ukraine without anything but bare essentials confirmed my ideas about material things, because I know they can disappear overnight. What truly stays is what you create and that’s why art matters so much to me. But art does not have to come only from tragic experiences, either. I actually love comedy, and the first feature film I am producing now is a comedy.

So, yes, there have been many ups and downs: moving countries, starting over, proving myself, navigating complicated projects, and building something from nothing. But I’m grateful for every struggle because each one made me strong. And it also makes me deeply grateful to be in the United States today. I believe in the American Dream… not in a naïve way, but in the sense that here I feel free to create, express myself, and build something meaningful.

Life is never a straight line. There are always highs and lows. But that’s exactly what it is, it’s called life.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
“I came to Hollywood with nothing but vision – and turned survival into storytelling, building a bridge between Europe and America.” I’m an actress, producer, and humanitarian, and I’m also the founder and head of the nonprofit Hollywood Center for Polish and European Art and Culture. I’m the Festival Director of the Polish Film Festival North America Hollywood, where we brought powerful Polish cinema to U.S. audiences and created cultural events in iconic Hollywood spaces. A big part of my work is building bridges creating real dialogue between Europe and the United States through film.

Our mission is simple: to help Polish and European stories shine on American screens and to highlight the extraordinary impact European artists and visionaries have had on Hollywood’s cultural history.

I’m also developing a documentary series about the Polish visionaries who helped shape Hollywood. Our first episode focuses on Max Factor (Maksymilian Factorowicz) a Polish-born pioneer whose innovations defined classic Hollywood glamour. This won’t be a traditional documentary. We’re building a modern, cinematic series that makes history feel alive and inspires people today to follow their dreams. Max Factor was originally from my region in Poland, and his journey is unbelievable: he came from nothing and built an empire. That story of reinvention and courage is exactly what we want to share with the world.

I live between worlds – Europe and Hollywood – and that perspective shapes everything I do. I’ve learned how to turn struggle into creation. And I don’t build projects for visibility alone I build cultural moments with meaning that inspire people and last.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We’re currently filming ‘Lights, Camera’ a dark comedy – previously mentioned in this article -that explores the realities of ultra-low-budget filmmaking We’re on a short production break due to scheduling and will reshoot in late February / early March.
This project highlights what it really takes to create independent films with limited resources – creativity, chaos, resilience, and teamwork – and we believe this behind-the-scenes reality deserves to be shared.

We are also building a Hollywood documentary series, and we’re inviting collaborators to join us in shaping this creative vision.

✅ How you can support or collaborate:

Become a supporter / donor to help bring the project to completion
Partner with us as a sponsor or brand collaborator
Join the team as a creative contributor (producers, cinematographers, designers, composers, etc.)

Support our nonprofit mission, HOLLYWOOD CENTER FOR POLISH AND EUROPEAN ART AND CULTURE, dedicated to arts, film education, and cultural storytelling. Everything is currently a work in progress – and that’s exactly why this is the perfect moment to join. This is the stage where support has the biggest impact, and where true collaborators become part of the foundation.

If you feel connected to independent cinema, creativity, and storytelling, we would love to hear from you.

📩 Reach out to collaborate or support:
ekiert.monika@gmail.com
or Darkparkstudios@gmail.com

Pricing:

• Film & Documentary Partnerships / Investors / Co-Producer Credits: We welcome sponsors, strategic partners, and investors to support our feature film (in production) and our upcoming documentary series on Polish visionaries who shaped Hollywood. Opportunities may include IMDb credit, screen credit (where applicable), and behind-the-scenes access from set life and premieres to red carpet events, press moments, festival appearances, and industry networking. We’re happy to share partnership tiers upon request and every contribution brings supporters into the Hollywood journey, from behind-the-scenes on set to premieres, festivals, and unforgettable red carpet moments.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hollywoodeuropeancenter.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polishfilmfestivalhollywood/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582388626243#
• Other: https://hollywoodpolishculture.org/