Jessica Bendinger

Jessica Bendinger is an acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter who launched onto the scene with her original script for the hit hip hop cheerleading comedy, Bring it On. Never shying away from challenges and new opportunities, Bendinger has also added the title of producer, director, and most recently, novelist to her repertoire. A self described "creative seeker," Bendinger relies on her enthusiasm and curiosity when choosing the next frontier she would like to explore. Bendinger is slated to release her first and highly-anticipated novel, The Seven Rays on November 24, 2009 with Simon & Schuster. The story follows 17 year-old, Beth Michaels, who uncovers elements of the supernatural on her journey of self discovery. The words: "You are more than you think you are" mysteriously present themselves to Beth and ultimately drive her quest. The novel reaches well beyond the interest of young adults, appealing to all as it explores the universal question--"Are we making the most of our lives?" "It's a fun, paranormal, metaphysical, coming-of-age adventure based on the hope in all of us that we are more than we think we are. And perhaps our lives have a greater destiny than we anticipated," says Bendinger. A former journalist for Spin Magazine and MTV News, Bendinger covered the hip-hop movement while at Columbia University. On her first assignment with Spin Magazine, Bendinger interviewed Chuck D and Flava Flav, members of one of the greatest hip-hop groups, Public Enemy. Her interview with Salt n' Pepa appears on the liner notes of their second album, A Salt With A Deadly Pepa. Bendinger's love of music was fostered at an early age as she grew up in the "margins of the music business" where her mother was a renowned Dixieland jazz trombonist and her father wrote commercial jingles. It was her love of hip-hop and ESPN cheerleading competitions that propelled her into the idea of Bring it On. Bring it On was rejected 27 times by various Hollywood studios, but Bendinger's conviction ultimately drove the remarkable success of the film, which debuted at number one at the box office for two straight weeks, and grossed a combined $300 million in theaters and DVD sales. Following the success of Bring it On, Bendinger went on to write for Season Four of the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning HBO series, Sex in the City, and for films such as The Truth About Charlie with Thandie Newton and Mark Wahlberg; First Daughter starring Katie Holmes; and Aquamarine starring Emma Roberts. Bendinger produced The Wedding Date starring Debra Messing, Amy Adams and Dermot Mulroney. In 2006, once again seeking her own creative opportunities, Bendinger next went on to write and direct the hit comedy Stick It, starring Jeff Bridges and Missy Peregrym. Exemplifying Bendinger's connection with the youth demographic, Stick It was the #1 movie download on iTunes for 7 weeks in a row, during the film's home video release. A former model who worked for the legendary designer Stephen Sprouse and appeared on the runway in "Slaves Of New York," Bendinger was named by Glamour Magazine as one of Hollywood's "Most Powerful Women Under 40". Yet for all her success, she is always mindful to avoid complacency. "I'm a seeker. I'm always interested in what's new, what's exciting, and what's fulfilling for me. And that allows me to keep ahead of the curve as a creative explorer," says Bendinger. Jessica Bendinger currently resides in Los Angeles with her two dogs, where she is writing her next feature film and working on the sequel to The Seven Rays.

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