Monahan Bags Telly Award for Documentary Tribute to Brother

by Chuck Bingaman

      Chris Monahan of Walpole recently earned a Telly Award as the producer of  “Jay: The Story of Katie Couric’s Late Husband”, a documentary tribute to his deceased brother for whom The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health is named at the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Medical College of Cornell University.  See www.monahancenter.org.

       Monahan, who left a 20-year career as an equity trader in Darien, Connecticut to move to Walpole five years ago, has been reinventing himself as a documentary film producer since coming here.  And, in fact, this award was only the latest in several he has garnered for non-broadcast videos.

        Telly Awards are given annually for achievements in film and video production. See www.tellyawards.com.

        Originally produced in collaboration with Eric Ewers, “Jay” tells the story of Chris’s big brother Jay, a New York City criminal defense lawyer who was married to television personality Katie Couric and who died in 1998 at age 42 of colorectal cancer.  In addition to his practice, Jay had gained national prominence as am MSNBC television commentator on legal cases including the O.J. Simpson trial and many others.

        “Katie’s been so devoted to spreading the word about the dangers of colon cancer and ways of preventing it,” Monahan noted.  “His doctor, Mark Pochapin, suggested the creation of a center in Jay’s name for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these deadly diseases.  And it opened in 2004. So a lot of good has come from Jay’s death.”

         But, after several years of the Center’s operation, Chris saw that there was little of Jay’s presence in the Center, something he could fix.  Hence the 42-minute documentary on Jay and his life, emphasizing the magnetic personality that attracted clients, persuaded juries, enchanted Katie Couric and informed TV viewers from coast to coast.  Now the documentary is shown on a daily basis to patients and visitors to the Monahan Center in its reception room.

        Monahan, 50, recently set up Barnett Hill Productions, his own company, to produce what he calls “milestone videos”, non-broadcast productions designed to highlight events, achievements, and personalities.  His clients include families that wish to memorialize beloved members, companies that need to celebrate achievements and accomplishments, and colleges and prep schools that need top-quality video for student recruitment and alumni communications purposes.  “There is a world of non-broadcast video opportunities out there, and we are focused on being one of the top quality producers.  We edit all of our productions down to their emotional core, add evocative music people can relate to, and seek a dynamic, long-term impact.  For information visit Monahan’s web site at www.barnetthillproductions.com.” 

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