Following her passion for film making, teacher assistant Miss. Kate Barton helps students all day at school, only got home to follow her true passion.

“I’m spending the year writing my own film,” Barton said. “So, when I am not at work, that’s what I am doing.”

Barton may walk the hallways as any other teacher trying to help students, but she is more than just a teacher. She is an actress and a filmmaker as well. Attempting to get some experience in the field, she got involved in an Independent film called “Belleville” that premiered on September 5th in 13 theaters across 4 states. Although it is an independent film lacking big name actors, “Belleville” is still successful by universal standards for films similar to it because most of them don’t break into major chains such as Wehrenberg as “Belleville” did.

“I am a former film student so when I heard about the opportunity, I wanted to join as a crew member and learn more about production,” Barton said. “At the first production meeting I went to, they were still looking for [the part of Jana] so I did a test read with the lead actor and I got the part.”

Barton has always had an interest in film. She began college as a film student at the University of Texas at Austin before realizing that it was not practical due to the money she would be spending. She decided that she needed to change career path but, although she got a degree in communications at Fontbonne University, her passion for film never dissipated.

“I was always still very into film so I tried to learn more about film making by working on student films and the way I would do that was by auditioning as an actress,” Barton said. “I thought by doing student films I could learn more about film.”

Barton is working on 2 more films with the same people that produced “Belleville”. Balancing all of these separate projects along with her job at school is no easy task, but she sees the bright side in her situation.

“I am pretty fortunate because I am a teachers assistant so, unlike other teachers, when I get home at the end of the day my work is done,” Barton said. “I have a 20 month old son at home so that is a little difficult to balance but writing films and doing these extra projects is fun for me so I don’t view that as work.”

Barton realizes the importance of following her passion and will not let anything get in her way of realizing her dream of breaking into the film business.