Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelese Belmont
Hi Chelese , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story took a very unexpected turn in 2023. Prior to that time, I was happily working as an actress, filmmaker, and college counselor. I was developing independent film work with my partner through our production company, Beleeve Entertainment, and I was a fellow in the Stowe Story Labs inaugural New Mexico | New Voices Fellowship, where I was working on a feature screenplay about a directionless 19-year-old and a woman diagnosed with cancer who needed her help. We had moved to Albuquerque during the pandemic, and I was auditioning, writing, and doing my thing. Then my entire world upside down.
I had no family history and no genetic markers, but at 39, I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes in my armpit, clavicle, and near my heart. To say that the world stopped is the only way I can describe it. I put my creative pursuits on hold, shaved my head, started 6 months of chemo, flew to Stanford for a second opinion , and endured the fight of my life (during which time I continued working with students and started making notes on my experience with the hope that I would be able to do something useful with them once I was healthy).
After I finished chemo in New Mexico, I returned to California for the rest of my treatment at Stanford, and after surgery, I was declared cancer-free in October of 2023! Upon completing 28 proton radiation sessions in early 2024 in San Diego, we moved back to Los Angeles, and I have been working on rebuilding my life as a cancer survivor. That has included resuming auditioning, continuing to develop screenplays and short stories, and developing a podcast concept based on my experience with cancer, which I’m working to launch later this year.
I have also connected with cancer organizations, including the Butterfly Strong Foundation that Malibu Dana launched in 2024, The Tower Cancer Center/Dr. Susan Love Fund, The TNBC Foundation, The American Cancer Society, and TNBC Thrivers. To date, since my diagnosis, I have personally fundraised over $3600 for cancer research, and I will continue advocating for cancer research funding for the rest of my life, since I am here today because research helped create the treatments that saved my life.
Cancer was the hardest thing I have ever gone through, but it gave me a deep sense of gratitude, centered me in the present moment, and revealed a new source of motivation that fuels me every day. It also showed me how loved I am, how strong I can be, and how important it is to maintain a positive attitude when things get overwhelmingly hard.
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?
During the course of my diagnosis and treatment, we moved 4 times, which was such a challenge. At one point, I had stuff in New Mexico, Gilroy (where my family lives), San Diego, and Los Angeles, as I was shuttled around between doctors and treatments. Also, for most of 2023, it felt like life was just work and cancer – I would meet with students and staff on Zoom, then melt into the couch, exhausted from chemo. I tried to never let on that I was going through anything, and thank goodness for the 25-dollar wig and fake-tattoo eyebrows I bought on Amazon that were a close enough proximation that my students didn’t seem to notice my physical changes.
Treatment also zapped my creativity, and I couldn’t even read a book, let alone write or plan creative work during that time. Now, since finishing treatment, though, I have felt an incredible surge of creativity and have returned to several of the projects that I was working on at the time of diagnosis. I feel a strong sense of not wanting to waste time now that I have been given what feels like a renewed chance to live life fully. And I have discovered the incredible, resilient community of cancer survivors who have inspired me to want to start a podcast that features them!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have an MFA in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School and have spent the last 13 years (since 2012) working on independent projects with my life/work partner, Shannan Leigh Reeve, through our production company, Beleeve Entertainment. We have made feature-length and short film projects that are available on Vimeo and Amazon, and now that I am healthy again, we are currently developing several new projects, including a series of short films and a podcast. We are also developing a couple of feature film concepts as well.
I’m most proud of the work that Beleve has done to develop a strong network of talented, collaborative artists who we truly enjoy working with time and again. I know that if/when we have a project ready to film, we can pick up the phone, and our people will say yes if they’re available. We work hard to make our sets positive places where every artist can do their work and feel heard/respected. We have learned so much by “doing” in the past 13 years, and as we have developed our own skill sets, our network of amazing artists has grown, too.
Now, we are seeking new ways to continue building audience, develop work that speaks to the current moment, and create sustainable creative pipelines for ourselves and others. Being indie creators is challenging right now, as resources and opportunities have become scarcer in a post-COVID/post-strike landscape, but we remain optimistic that there are innovative ways to connect with audiences, and that’s what we’re spending time on currently. I have had several creators approach us about ways we can connect via social media and direct-to-audience pipelines, and I’m excited about various ideas that my collaborators have been developing about artistic collectives. The current moment seems to demand that we think of new ways of creating and connecting with audiences, and I am interested in pursuing innovative approaches alongside other indie creators.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think a commitment to creating is vital. I am always looking for stories to tell, and I love talking with other creators about their projects and spitballing ideas as they’re developing. I did this recently with a writer friend who is working on a cool new series concept, and we discussed what he’s aiming for and how to approach it. I LOVE the collaborative nature of creative work.
I also think that being a bit scrappy is important. With limited resources, you have to get creative on how to execute things at times, and that problem-solving is part of the fun of a project for me.
Finally, listening is vital, learning from past projects to discern what works and what could be improved is imperative, and a mutual investment in others’ success alongside your own makes it all much more enjoyable – it gives you more wins to celebrate!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.CheleseBelmont.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CheleseBelmont
- Other: https://www.BeleeveEntertainment.com
Image Credits
Headshot by Mark Daugherty of The Actors Collective Los Angeles.
