Kim Waltrip is a Producer, Director and President of Wonderstar Productions.
Career
Kim Waltrip is a Producer and Director. Her projects include the revolutionary trio of films "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" Him, Her and Them, starring Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Viola Davis and William Hurt. The films "Him" and "Her" Premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and "Them" was in competition in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Other projects include, "Hit & Run" starring Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell and Bradley Cooper, "Back in the Day" starring Michael Rosenbaum, Morena Baccarin, Harland Williams and Nick Swardson. Her newest film, "Walk to Vegas" based on the true story about Hollywood big shots who will bet on anything premiered at the 2019 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Other notable films include "A Very Mary Christmas" starring Elliott Gould, Cloris Leachman, Linda Gray, Gene Simmons, Della Reese, Fred Willard, Cybil Shepherd, Lainie Kazan and Olesya Rulin, "Adopt a Sailor," starring Bebe Neuwirth, Peter Coyote and Ethan Peck, "An Evergreen Christmas," featuring the legendary Robert Loggia, "I Didn't Come Here to Die," "A Thousand Cuts," the PBS special "Diahann Carroll, The Lady, The Music, The Legend," and many more, plus a variety of commercials and music videos with plenty of projects in development.
Personal life
Kim is on the board of Palm Springs Women in Film and Television, and she is on the advisory board of the CJE House, an Artist Residence for Veterans, College of the Desert's Film School and Palm Springs Speaks, a speakers series. She is a current member of Greenlight Women which is an alliance of accomplished creative and business professionals, 40 and over, whose mission is to champion women and promote diverse perspectives in media. She is the producer of Palm Springs Women in Film's speaker series and she is on the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce's nominating committee for the Walk of Stars. She has served as a juror for the Palm Springs International Short Fest, the California Independent Film Festival, the Red Rock Film Festival, the International Youth Silent Film Festival and is co-founder of the Feartastic Film Festival. She has moderated panels at Palm Springs Comic Con, featuring writers Andrew Neiderman, Charles Evered and Valhalla Entertainment's Marina Dompke. In March 2019, she received the "Most Valuable Patron" award by the Garden State Film Festival. Kim's career began in New York City as a model for the Wilhelmina Agency, in 1976. She traveled the world and has lived in Paris, Milan, Cannes, Munich and Zurich. In 1998 after the death of her friend Sonny Bono, Kim moved to Palm Springs where she began work as the District Director for Congresswoman Mary Bono. There she helped establish the "Mary Bono Walk for Children's Charities," the "First Annual 44th Congressional District Mock Congress," the "Congressional Art Competition" was the liaison for the "Triangular Adoption" program which required detail discipline and a commitment to go to sea with the U.S. Navy in celebration of Assault Helicopter Warship's duties. She also established, directed and produced the Semper Fi Memorial Honor Detail "Again They Serve" which took the top award in all services of the military and established the "Congressional Recognition for Service to the Country" certificate that is given to the families of fallen military members. Kim was honored with the "Aide de Camp" award by the Semper Fi Memorial Honor Detail, the "Woman of Distinction" in the Arts by American Pen Women. and the "Appreciation Award" from the Semper Fi Memorial Honor Detail again in 2011. She has been awarded the "Congressional Recognition for Service to the Community," the "Desert Visionary Award" by the Women's Leaders Forum, the "Woman of Distinction" Award by the California State Assembly, District 42, the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award by Palm Springs Life Magazine in 2013. She has served on the Board of the Olive Crest Homes for Abused and Neglected Children's Foundation, who honored her with the "Angel of the Year Award." She is a former Board Member of Palm Springs Women in Film and Television and was honored with the "Desert Diva Award" at the Broken Glass Awards in 2012. Kim has served on the advisory board of CBS Local 2, the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, was a board member of the Tour de Palm Springs, Indian Wells Rotary. She was awarded the "Paul Harris Fellow" from Rotary International and she has organized numerous charitable events, tournaments and galas, including the Concert for Katrina and the Hurricane Sandy Relief Benefit for the Red Cross. She was the Co-Chair for the Shelter From the Storm Gala 2014 and the chair of the American Cancer Society's Desert Spirit Gala for 2016.
