South Sacramento childhood inspires actress Danielle Truitt's "Mona"

Sacramento actress Danielle Truitt is returning to her hometown to shoot a new short film inspired by her childhood in South Sacramento.

Truitt, who grew up in the Valley Hi neighborhood in the 1990s, is the writer and director of "Mona," a short film about what it was like to grow up in the area.

"This is my childhood home," said Truitt, writer and director of "Mona." "I have a lot of fond memories."

For the past two decades, Truitt has worked as a singer, dancer and actress in Hollywood and New York, starring on stage and in TV series like "Law & Order: Organized Crime."

Some of her childhood neighbors still live in the neighborhood, but often only see her on TV.

"I love that show and I love you in it," one neighbor said.

Truitt has now moved back to Sacramento and is preparing to shoot "Mona" in her old neighborhood. The film includes scenes drawn from her childhood, including one of her favorite activities as a kid: roller-skating.

"We would be dancing," Truitt said. "It feels awesome, I can still skate."

Truitt said the plot centers on a group of teenage friends and the challenges of growing up. She said much of the story is based on her own life.

"About 95% of this story is me it's all about things that happened to me," Truitt said.

She is now casting actors for the production, which is scheduled to begin shooting in August in South Sacramento.

"I would love to cast people from Sacramento, especially South Sacramento because I believe there's a certain vibe that we carry," Truitt said.

Truitt has even written a part for herself.

"I get to play my mom in the film," Truitt said.

The project may draw comparisons to another Sacramento-raised actress who wrote and directed a movie about her hometown: Greta Gerwig, whose film "Lady Bird" went on to win best picture at the Golden Globes.

Truitt said she sees value in artists returning to the places that shaped them.

"I just think it's beautiful when artists can come back to where they're from and create art," Truitt said.

Truitt said the film should be completed by the end of the year, just in time for next year's festival circuit. If it is a hit, she is already planning to spin it off into a TV series.