Biography
Christopher Monger has earned awards for directing theatre, feature films, and screenwriting. He has directed eight feature films and written over thirty screenplays.
Born in Ffynnon Taf, Wales, he began making films while studying painting at the Chelsea School of Art in London. His graduation short, a humorous depiction of 8th-century Chinese poet Han Shan titled "Cold Mountain," was the opening film at the inaugural British Festival of Independent Film in 1974.
After graduating, he returned to Wales and became a founding member of the Chapter Film Workshop, a full production facility that enabled local talent to create films. Within its first five years, the workshop produced eight feature films and over fifty shorts.
Monger created his first no-budget features there, including the controversial "Voice Over" (1981), which was featured at festivals and distributed worldwide.
Simultaneously, he worked as a film and video artist for the avant-garde theatre company Moving Being, touring regularly throughout Western Europe.
Following the success of "Voice Over," he relocated to Los Angeles to collaborate with producer Ed Pressman, known for 'Badlands.'
His produced works include: "The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain" for Miramax Films, starring Hugh Grant, Colm Meaney, and Tara Fitzgerald; "Waiting For The Light," featuring Shirley MacLaine and Teri Garr; "Crime Pays" for Film Four International, starring Ronnie Williams and Veronica Quilligan; and "Voice Over" starring Ian McNeice.
He also wrote the highly popular and record-breaking television film "Seeing Red" for Granada and WGBH, earning a Christopher Award; and wrote and directed "Girl From Rio," which won at the Hollywood Film Festival.
Currently, he is adapting Jonathan Harr's "The Lost Painting" for Miramax Films. Alongside his film career, he continues to paint and is a member of the PHARMAKA group of painters in Los Angeles.
Most recently, he directed and edited "Special Thanks to Roy London" (2005), a documentary produced by his partner Karen Montgomery.
He remains an active painter and a member of the Los Angeles group PHARMAKA, which operates a gallery in Downtown L.A.
