Bite-sized blog post: Alice Guy-Blaché

benatural alice guy blache dvd. 4

One of the first narrative films, La Fée aux Choux, was shot by a secretary for Léon Gaumont, ALICE GUY-BLACHÉ (1873-1968), who asked to use the company camera (a device considered used for observational purposes or as Gaumont referred to it, “simply a toy”) on weekends to do some shooting.

Guy-Blaché became a fixture of what would become the Gaumont Film Company and moved with her husband to head up their division in America. Later they would form their own studio in New Jersey Solax Studios which she would helm.

More to add to this “bite-sized blog” – please send us a comment!


Where to watch her films:

FANDOR

YOU TUBE

AMAZON (PRIME-STREAMING)

AMAZON (DVDs for PURCHASE)

Read more about her:

BOOKS
Alice Guy Blaché: Lost Visionary of the Cinema by Alison McMahan
The Memoirs of Alice Guy Blaché by Roberta and Simone Blaché
ONLINE
Alice Guy cinema pioneer
Be Natural – a movie being made about Alice
Biography
Blog
National Women’s History Museum
Women’s Film Pioneer Project
Wikipedia

FILMOGRAPHY (from imdb):

 1920Vampire
 1920Tarnished Reputations (as Alice Blaché)
 1917Behind the Mask (as Alice Blaché)
 1917When You and I Were Young (as Alice Guy Blaché)
 1917House of Cards (as Alice Guy Blaché)
 1917A Man and the Woman (as Alice Blaché)
 1917The Empress (as Alice Guy Blaché)
 1916The Ocean Waif (Short) (uncredited)
 1915My Madonna (as Alice Blaché)
 1915The Song of the Wage Slave (as Alice Blaché)
 1915The Vampire (as Alice Blaché)
 1915The Heart of a Painted Woman (as Alice Guy-Blaché)
 1914The Tigress (unconfirmed)
 1914The Lure
 1914The Woman of Mystery (as Alice Blaché)
 1914The Monster and the Girl (as Alice Blaché)
 1914The Dream Woman (as Alice Blaché)
 1914Beneath the Czar (as Alice Blaché)
 1913Shadows of the Moulin Rouge (as Alice Blaché)
 1913The Rogues of Paris (as Alice Blaché)
 1913The Little Hunchback (Short)
 1913A Terrible Night (Short)
 1913Matrimony’s Speed Limit (Short) (uncredited)
 1913/IA House Divided (Short) (uncredited)
 1913Dick Whittington and his Cat (unconfirmed)
 1913Burstup Holmes (Short)
 1912The Finger Prints (Short)
 1912Hearts Unknown (Short)
 1912/IThe Face at the Window (Short)
 1912Making an American Citizen (Short) (uncredited)
 1912A Fool and His Money (Short)
 1912Canned Harmony (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912Treasures on the Wing (Short)
 1912Playing Trumps (Short)
 1912Phantom Paradise (Short)
 1912The Blood Stain (Short)
 1912Fra Diavolo (Short)
 1912Micky’s Pal (Short) (uncredited)
 1912In the Year 2000 (Short)
 1912Souls in the Shadow (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912The Wooing of Alice (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912The Detective’s Dog (Short)
 1912Child of the Tenements (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912Falling Leaves (Short) (unconfirmed, uncredited)
 1912The Animated Bathtub (Short)
 1912Blighted Lives (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912God Disposes (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912Hubby Does the Washing (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912A Terrible Lesson (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912Mrs. Cranston’s Jewels (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1912/IMignon (Short)
 1912His Musical Soul (Short)
 1911Five O’Clock Tea (unconfirmed)
 1911Road Leads Home (unconfirmed)
 1911The Cure (unconfirmed)
 1911The Little Rangers (unconfirmed)
 1911His Mother’s Hymn (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1911Cupid and the Comet (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1911Rose of the Circus (Short)
 1911A Midnight Visitor (Short)
 1911Put Out (Short)
 1911Out of the Arctic (Short)
 1911A Costly Pledge (Short)
 1911Love’s Test (Short)
 1911Corinne in Dollyland (Short)
 1911Mixed Pets (Short)
 1911Ring of Love (Short)
 1911His Best Friend (Short)
 1911The Nightcap (Short)
 1910Mrs. Richard Dare (Short)
 1910The Pawnshop (Short)
 1910Two Suits (Short)
 1910One Touch of Nature (Short)
 1910Her Father’s Sin (Short)
 1910A Widow and Her Child (Short)
 1910A Fateful Gift (Short)
 1910A Child’s Sacrifice (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1907Course à la saucisse (Short)
 1907Fanfan la Tulipe (Short)
 1907Le ballon dirigeable ‘Le patrie’ (Documentary short)
 1907Madam’s Fancies (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1907The Glue (Short)
 1907The Rolling Bed (Short)
 1907Reformation (Short)
 1906Conscience de prêtre (Short)
 1906Course de taureaux à Nîmes (Short) (co-director)
 1906Effets de mer (Short)
 1906L’honneur du corse (Short)
 1906La chaussette (Short)
 1906La fée printemps (Short)
 1906La messe de minuit (Short)
 1906La pègre de Paris (Short)
 1906La régiment moderne (Short)
 1906La vie du marin (Short)
 1906Le fantassin Guignard (Short)
 1906Les Druides (Short)
 1906Le songe du pêcheur (Short)
 1906Mireille (Short) (co-director)
 1906Pauvre pompier (Short)
 1906Un cas de divorce (Short)
 1906Une histoire roulante (Short)
 1906Voyage en Espagne (Short)
 1906The Drunken Mattress (Short)
 1906La crinoline (Short)
 1906La femme collante (Short)
 1906La voiture cellulaire (Short)
 1906Sealed Lips (Short)
 1906La femme du masque (Short)
 1906Le cochon de lait (Short)
 1906Questions indiscrètes (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1906The Stepmother (Short) (unconfirmed)
 1905À la cabane bambou (Short)
 1905Au poulailler! (Short)
 1905C’est une ingénue (Short)
 1905Cake-walk nègre (Short)
 1905Chez le dentiste (Short)
 1905Cucurbitacée (Short)
 1905Espagne (Documentary short)
 1905Être légume (Short)
 1905Five O’Clock Tea (Short)
 1905La mattchiche (Short)
 1905La paimpolaise (Short)
 1905La polka des trottins (Short)
 1905La statue (Short)
 1905Le képi (Short)
 1905Le lorgnon accusateur (Short)
 1905Le pantalon coupé (Short)
 1905Le pavé (Short)
 1905Le petit Grégoire (Short)
 1905Le petit panier (Short)
 1905Le plateau (Short)
 1905Le rire du nègre (Short)
 1905Les maçons (Short)
 1905Le tango (Short)
 1905Lilas blanc (Short)
 1905Peintre et ivrogne (Short)
 1905Roméo pris au piège (Short)
 1905Saharet, boléro (Short)
 1905Si ça t’va (Short)
 1905Viens, poupoule (Short)
 1905Villa dévalisée (Short)
 1905Esmeralda (Short)
 1905Allumeur-Marche (Short)
 1905Les p’tits pois (Short)
 1905My Quay’s Hole (Short)
 1905V’la le rétameur (Short)
 1905Valsons
 1904Après la fête (Short)
 1904Cambrioleur et agent (Short)
 1904Cible humaine (Short)
 1904Clown en sac (Short)
 1904Concours de bébés (Short)
 1904Culture Intensive (Short)
 1904Duel tragique (Short)
 1904Électrocutée (Short)
 1904Erreur de poivrot (Short)
 1904Gage d’amour (Short)
 1904L’oiseau envolé (Short)
 1904La leçon de pipeau (Short)
 1904La rêve du chasseur (Short)
 1904Le jour du terme (Short)
 1904Le monolutteur (Short)
 1904Les deux rivaux (Short)
 1904Lui (Short)
 1904Magie noire (Short)
 1904Mauvais coeur puni (Short)
 1904Militaire et nourrice (Short)
 1904Paris la nuit (Short)
 1904Rafle de chiens (Short)
 1904Scènes directoire (Short)
 1904The Enchanted Bean (Short)
 1904Transformations (Short)
 1904Vieilles estampes (Short)
 1904Pierrot, Murderer (Short)
 1903Jocko musicien (Short)
 1903La mouche (Short)
 1903La poule fantaisiste (Short)
 1903La valise enchantée (Short)
 1903Le fiancé ensorcelé (Short)
 1903Le liqueur du couvent (Short)
 1903Les braconniers (Short)
 1903Le voleur sacrilège (Short)
 1903Lutteurs américains (Short)
 1903Modelage express (Short)
 1903Ne bougeons plus (Short)
 1903Nos bons étudiants (Short)
 1903Potage indigeste (Short)
 1903Service précipité (Short)
 1902A Peculiar Cabinet (Short)
 1902Danse excentrique (Short)
 1902Danse fantaisiste (Short)
 1902Danse mauresque (Short)
 1902En faction (Short)
 1902Farces de cuisinière (Short)
 1902Fruits de saison (Short)
 1902L’équilibriste (Short)
 1902La cour des miracles (Short)
 1902La dent recalcitrante (Short)
 1902La fiole enchantée (Short)
 1902La gavotte (Short)
 1902La gigue (Short)
 1902La première gamelle (Short)
 1902Le lion savant (Short)
 1902Le pommier (Short)
 1902Les chiens savants (Documentary short)
 1902Les clowns (Short)
 1902Les malabares, acrobats (Documentary short)
 1902Quadrille réaliste (Short)
 1902Trompé mais content (Short)
 1901Charmant froufrou (Short)
 1901Danses basques (Short)
 1901Folies masquées (Short)
 1901Frivolité (Short)
 1901Hussards et grisettes (Short)
 1901Lavatory moderne (Short)
 1901Lecture quotidienne (Short)
 1901Les vagues (Short)
 1901Pas de colombine (Short)
 1901Scène d’amour (Short)
 1901Scène d’ivresse (Short)
 1901Vendetta (Short)
 1900Au bal de Flore (Short)
 1900Avenue de l’opéra (Short)
 1900Badinage (Short)
 1900Ballet japonais (Short)
 1900Chez le photographe (Short)
 1900Dance de l’ivresse (Short)
 1900Danse des saisons (Short)
 1900Danse du papillon (Documentary short)
 1900Danse du voile (Short)
 1900Danses (Short)
 1900Danse serpentine (Documentary short)
 1900Dans les coulisses (Short)
 1900Gavotte directoire (Short)
 1900Guillaume Tell (Short)
 1900L’angélus (Short)
 1900L’arléquine (Short)
 1900L’écossaise (Short)
 1900L’Habanera (Short)
 1900La concierge (Short)
 1900La danse du ventre (Short)
 1900La paysanne (Short)
 1900La petite magicienne (Short)
 1900La poupée noire (Short)
 1900La reine des jouets (Short)
 1900La source (Short)
 1900La tarentelle (Short)
 1900Le bébé (Short)
 1900Leçon de danse (Short)
 1900Le lapin (Short)
 1900Le marchand de coco (Short)
 1900Le matelot (Short)
 1900Le Polichinelle (Short)
 1900Little Tich and His Funny Feet (Short) (as Alice Guy Blaché)
 1900Mort d’Adonis (Short)
 1900Pas de grâce (Short)
 1900Pas des éventails (Short)
 1900Pas du poignard (Short)
 1900Pas Japonais (Short)
 1900Retour des champs (Documentary short)
 1900Suite de la danse (Short)
 1900Sydney’s joujoux (Short)
 1900Une rage de dents (Short)
 1900Valse directoire (Short)
 1900Valse lente (Short)
 1900Vénus et Adonis (Short)
 1899Au cabaret (Short)
 1899Courte échelle (Short)
 1899Erreur judiciaire (Short)
 1899L’aveugle (Short)
 1899La bonne absinthe (Short)
 1899/ILa descente de croix (Short)
 1899La mauvaise soupe (Short)
 1899/ILa résurrection (Short)
 1899Le chiffonnier (Short)
 1899/ILe crucifiement (Short)
 1899Le tondeur de chiens (Short)
 1899Le tonnelier (Short)
 1899Monnaie de lapin (Short)
 1899Transformations (Short)
 1899Un lunch (Short)
 1899Entrée Et Sortie De La Mine (Documentary short)
 1898Jésus devant Pilate (Short)
 1898Je vous y prrrrends! (Short)
 1898La cène (Short)
 1898La flagellation (Short)
 1898La fuite en Égypte (Short)
 1898Le chemin de croix (Short)
 1898Leçons de boxe (Short)
 1898Les farces de Jocko (Short)
 1898Scène d’escamotage (Short)
 1897Au réfectoire (Short)
 1897Ballet libella (Documentary short)
 1897Chez le magnétiseur (Short)
 1897Coucher d’Yvette (Short)
 1897Danse fleur de lotus (Documentary short)
 1897En classe (Short)
 1897Idylle (Short)
 1897Idylle interrompue (Short)
 1897L’arroseur arrosé (Short)
 1897L’aveugle (Short)
 1897Leçon de danse (Short)
 1897Le planton du colonel (Short)
 1897Les cambrioleurs (Short)
 1897Une nuit agitée (Short)
 1897France et Russie (Short)
 1896La fée aux choux (Short)

 

Bite-sized blog post: Lois Weber

Lois Weber behind the camera

Universal Studios had nine women directors on their studio lot in the nineteen teens including one of the most highly paid and successful directors (male or female) of the time, LOIS WEBER (1879-1939).

She directed social dramas with an insight to the realities suffered by women. Where Are My Children?, an early feature film directed by Weber, tackled the controversial subject of birth control.

More to add to this “bite-sized blog” – please send us a comment!


Where to watch her films:

FANDOR

YOU TUBE

AMAZON (PRIME-STREAMING)

AMAZON (DVDs for PURCHASE)

Read more about her:

BOOKS
Early Women Directors by Anthony Slide. New York: De Capo Press, 1984.
Lois Weber: The Director Who Lost Her Way in History by Anthony Slide. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1996.
ONLINE
Ms. Magazine – Forgotten Women of Film History: Lois Weber
National Women’s History Museum
Women’s Film Pioneer Project
Wikipedia

FILMOGRAPHY (from imdb):

 1927 Topsy and Eva (uncredited)
 1921 The Blot
 1919 Forbidden
 1919 Home
 1919 Mary Regan
 1917 The Boyhood He Forgot (Short)
 1916 The Gilded Life (Short)
 1916 The Rock of Riches (Short)
 1916 Under the Spell (Short)
 1916 Idle Wives (Short)
 1916 Shoes
 1916 Where Are My Children? (uncredited)
 1916 The Dance of Love (Short)
 1916 The Flirt (Short)
 1916 Discontent (Short)
 1915 Jewel (uncredited)
 1915 Scandal
 1915 Betty in Search of a Thrill (co-director)
 1915 Sunshine Molly (Short)
 1915 Hypocrites (uncredited)
 1914 Helping Mother (Short)
 1914 The Traitor (Short)
 1914 Daisies (Short)
 1914 Behind the Veil (Short)
 1914 Plain Mary (Short)
 1914 Lost by a Hair (Short)
 1914 The Pursuit of Hate (Short)
 1914 Closed Gates (Short)
 1914 The Stone in the Road (Short)
 1914 Avenged (Short)
 1914 The Triumph of Mind (Short)
 1914 An Episode (Short)
 1914 On Suspicion (Short)
 1914 The Man Who Slept (Short)
 1914 The Baby’s Doll (Short)
 1914 In the Days of His Youth (Short)
 1914 The Spider and Her Web (Short)
 1914 A Modern Fairy Tale (Short)
 1914 The Weaker Sister (Short)
 1914 Woman’s Burden (Short)
 1914 An Old Locket (Short)
 1914 The Coward Hater (Short)
 1914 The Leper’s Coat (Short)
 1914 A Fool and His Money (Short)
 1913 The Wife’s Deceit (Short)
 1913 The Jew’s Christmas (Short)
 1913 The Mask (Short)
 1913 James Lee’s Wife (Short)
 1913 The Blood Brotherhood (Short)
 1913 The Haunted Bride (Short)
 1913 Two Thieves and a Cross (Short)
 1913 The Clue (Short)
 1913 The Thumb Print (Short)
 1913 Memories (Short)
 1913 Shadows of Life (Short)
 1913 His Brand (Short)
 1913 Never Again (Short)
 1913 The Light Woman (Short)
 1913 Just in Time (Short)
 1913 Civilized and Savage (Short)
 1913 The Fallen Angel (Short)
 1913 How Men Propose (Short) (uncredited)
 1913 Through Strife (Short)
 1913 Suspense (Short)
 1913 The Pretender (Short)
 1913 The King Can Do No Wrong (Short)
 1913 The Trifler (Short)
 1913 The Cap of Destiny (Short)
 1913 The Poverty of Riches (Short)
 1913 The Rosary (Short)
 1913 The Dragon’s Breath (Short)
 1913 A Book of Verses (Short)
 1913 Until Death (Short)
 1913 Bobby’s Baby (Short)
 1913 The Peacemaker (Short)
 1913 An Empty Box (Short)
 1913 Troubled Waters (Short)
 1913 In the Blood (Short)
 1913 Two Thieves (Short)
 1913 His Sister (Short)
 1912 Leaves in the Storm (Short)
 1912 Faraway Fields (Short)
 1912 A Japanese Idyll (Short)
 1912 An Old Fashioned Girl (Short)
 1912 The Greater Christian (Short)
 1912 The Lash of Fate (Short)
 1912 The Greater Love (Short)
 1912 The Power of Thought (Short)
 1912 The Price of Peace (Short)
 1912 Eyes That See Not (Short)
 1912 The Final Pardon (Short)
 1912 The Bargain (Short)
 1912 Fine Feathers (Short)
 1912 Angels Unaware (Short)
 1911 The Martyr (Short)
 1911 A Breach of Faith (Short)
 1911 Fate (Short)
 1911 On the Brink (Short)
 1911 The Realization (Short)
 1911 The Heiress (Short)
 1911 A Heroine of ’76 (Short)

 

Women Producing & Directing in Hollywood: Meg LeFauve, Linda Goldstein-Knowlton & Kristin Hahn

TV Diversity

It has been a while since I conducted what was my first round table interview with these incredible women. I learned so much in the process – about women working in Hollywood, how to conduct an interview with more than one subject (having more than one camera is really important in this circumstance) and so much more.

Dana Hayes who has recently joined the 2nd Sex & 7th Art team did an incredible job editing together a short video of the nuggets of knowledge they shared.

There was so much in this interview and she managed to give it focus and tie it into what has happened since – the #HireTheseWomen campaign and the new media attention focused on the subject of the lack of female directors.

And now the EEOC is looking into things… will the game change?

Abigail Zealey Bess & Weird Sisters: My Lesson in Networking

I met Abigail through a friend (Bryant Martin who since introducing me to Abigail I have had the pleasure of directing in two short films, one of which he produced). I sat down with her for much longer than either of us anticipated and had a wonderful interview with her. Subsequently she introduced me to Susanna Styron with whom I also had an incredible interview. Oh the power of networking. I have never been very good at it but this project has taught me how it can work and be a positive not a selfish force. It seems only appropriate that this should be my first short interview edited by someone other than me. JC Scruggs took on the footage and wove it into this lovely little video. Enjoy!

Lauren Tracy & The Making of a Director

I first found out about Lauren Tracy when I was purchasing a wireless microphone before I had interviewed a single subject for my thesis and documentary on female filmmakers. Chatting with Kevin my sales rep at Pro-Sound (a great place in New York City for sound equipment purchase and rental by the way) he asked what I was working on and I told him about my project on female filmmakers. He went on to tell me that he worked with a woman who had started a company with her Dad to promote women directors (X-Factor Filmmakers). He gave me the information about the company and I went home and immediately emailed her.

lauren-with-cole

Moments later she replied to my email and we set up an interview for my first trip to Los Angeles. I watched her shorts online and read her blog and couldn’t wait to meet her. Her enthusiasm is contagious. She was my first interview. She connected me with others and kept in touch as I met many more women, some of her generation just starting out and others who had started when very few women directed their own stories in film. Stay tuned for more on all of those stories.

LaurenOnWriting-Thumbnail8

Lauren has taken the fight for female filmmakers into her own hands with X-Factor Films and is working on developing her own feature Sweet Desert Palm, as well Tansylvania – a webseries about a female vampire gang in The Valley, and Sheila Scorned written and directed by Mara Tasker.

 

RELEVANT LINKS:
Check out the Award Winning (for the Sweet Desert Palm Design) Cambridge Design Group
Videos by Lauren Tracy on Vimeo

Nadia Munla – Making Movies about women with women

Want to celebrate women making movies. Check out Hannah has a Ho-Phase. Nadia Munla with screenwriting partner Jamie Jensen directed the female-driven movie Hannah Has a Ho-Phase  and made the movie with an all-female crew. I met Nadia after contacting USC about my female filmmakers project – and got the opportunity to shoot the interview above, edited by Dana Hayes.

HOPHASE POSTER May 30

Nadia and Jamie shopped around the script for Hannah in the traditional fashion and struggled with the consistent note, “It’s really funny. Like a female Hangover – but where is the male perspective?” …. So, Hollywood … here is the female perspective for a change!

Hannah production shot

Check out Nadia’s movie Hannah has a Ho-Phase on hulu – http://www.hulu.com/watch/527807
and the movie’s website – http://ho-phase.com/

 

Celebrating women fighting for women in labor this labor day

Cobble book cover

I recently finished reading Dorothy Sue Cobble’s The Other Women’s Movement, all about women working to fight for workers’ rights while simultaneously fighting for women’s rights in the United States. An eye-opener, so many women were instrumental in fighting exploitation in the workplace for all workers (Esther Peterson, Kitty Ellickson, among others), including African American women who fought against gender and racial discrimination as well as rights for the working class. (Addie Wyatt, Maida Springer-Kemp, among others).

001 ATWT pic 1

As a member of unions who have helped make sure that there are basic safety and decent working conditions in place, I know what a difference collective action can make. SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity may be complex bureaucratic institutions but my work as an actor would have been much less pleasant or perhaps not even possible without them.

Not to mention the work that currently helps me to pay the bills (high end catering) which would not have been possible without those women who fought in that arena. As Cobble notes, “Waitresses historically had respected men’s claims to certain strata of food service jobs – those involving liquor service or formal dinner service, for example,” and it was only a select few who fought to change the status quo. As much as I may not be a fan of French service I am glad I am paid to do it! It helped me to pay for my filmmaking degree after all.

Lexi Alexander

Lexi Alexander

Maria Giese

Maria Giese

Which brings me to my appreciation for those women currently working to fight for female filmmakers in the DGA – Maria Giese and Lexi Alexander have both spoken out about the plight of women directors despite any potential backlash toward their own work as directors. The first time I saw Lexi in a panel and she spoke of the #HireTheseWomen campaign and solving the problem, not just talking about it, I was inspired. She introduced me to Maria who has been instrumental in helping me with my project on female filmmakers.

Today I listened to a replay of a Diane Rehm podcast about women in Hollywood. In it, Nicole Kidman described sitting at a table with Meryl Streep and other women in the industry including an agent who pointed out that what is needed is a girls club to counter the Hollywood boys club –  where actresses can insist on working with female directors – and, in turn, female producers hire those directors. The ACLU is working on it. Women with a certain amount of power are not only talking about it but also doing things to change things (Helen Mirren, Selma Hayek, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman). Perhaps all of this talk is leading somewhere… perhaps things may be different in labor in the days to come. It was a fight for the 40-hour work week, for safety regulations and for women in the airline industry to not get fired if they had children, got married or exceeded the ripe age of 30.

This Labor Day I want to thank all those who fought before and those who continue to fight today for women’s rights and basic rights for all.

Sometimes the best feminists are men…

I have to give a shout out to two of the men who helped make the Directed by Women – Short and Fun in NYC event happen. Eric Rice who made the program, Facebook banner image and helped coordinate – and Jesse Deganis Librera who shot our Q&A for us.

So there’s the negative aspect of the title of this blog post which is that, as much as I would like to think it’s not true, women can often undermine each other. But that’s a blog post in and of itself.

Group photo

And events like the Directed by Women series provide a wonderful counterpoint to that story. I have had nothing but incredible interactions with the talented women who took part in the screening series – and am inspired by Barbara Ann O’Leary’s endeavor and all of the women and men she has gathered to make this all happen.

So now for a few of the men in the equation…

Michael Nazarewycz with the MOT Film Society has put together a screening series to celebrate – check it out – https://www.westownmovies.com/women/

Eric Rice who helped us put on the Directed by Women – Short and Fun in NYC event has a project where he watches movies by female filmmakers and puts them out there on the twittersphere with #shecandowhatyoucando. Take part in this celebration by checking out the hastag via twitter and watch some of those movies. He has some features but many are shorts (some from established directors, some up and coming or lesser known gems). A great way to celebrate works Directed by Women.

Short and Fun in NYC – celebrating women directing movies from all over the world

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Thanks to Barbara Ann O’Leary and her Directed by Women global celebration last night I curated an evening of short films directed by women – 20 of them with Leah Abrams (a longtime friend and colleague from my San Francisco theatre days) and Custom Made Theatre Company who kindly switched up their monthly play reading series to give us the opportunity to show some movies at Ryan’s Daughter on the Upper East Side.

The turnout was great and despite a few sound glitches (oh the importance and intricacy of sound) everyone seemed to have a good time and I was reminded of why I do this whole theatre/film thing. There is something really great about getting together with people and sharing stories. I really loved all of these films and being able to share them with an audience was fantastic.

watching movies watching the films

Online access is great and the advent of social media and different platforms have indeed, as director Joyce Wu pointed out last night, democratized the process to a large degree (monetizing is another issue but getting work out there for women and all indie filmmakers is incredibly doable) – but for me it doesn’t take the place of gathering and sharing the experience with others.

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The films from far off lands (all over the United States, Argentina and Kazakhstan) filled the room with the laughter and moved the audience – and being able to engage with the filmmakers who were able to attend was an incredible bonus. Many of us found we had connections outside of this small screening emphasizing what a small world this global community can actually be. At the same time I met new people and was exposed to new talent and new stories which invigorated me and keeps me going on this bizarre roller coaster of life.

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Thanks to Film Freeway we gathered over 440 submissions from all over the world.

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Of course I am particularly grateful for the experience of last night where I got to enjoy these films with an audience and meet and engage with the filmmakers – but it doesn’t have to stop there.  I plan to keep up with the work of these talented women and for those who weren’t able to attend check out the list below for our lineup and links to the directors’ work and websites.

  1. A DATE – written and directed by Olga Korotko
    The date goes wrong, when the guy starts to have some stomach problems… (5:00)
  2. UMBRELLA GIRL – written and directed by Monika Norcross-Cerminara
    Living in the middle of nowhere is not ideal. That does not matter to Ella, especially on rainy days. All she has to do is wait for the rain to stop, and then it’s time to play. (2:10)
  3. AMBIENCE – written by Mackenzie McBride and directed by Trish Dalton
    Ambience is a dark comedy centered around Anna, a single, over-worked teacher living in New York. (7:00)
  4. BICYCLE – written and directed by Valerie Dozier
    A young cyclist’s world turns upside down when his beloved bicycle goes missing. (3:19)
  5. UNREST – written and directed by Shannon R. Giedieviells
    A young woman suffers from terrifying reoccurring nightmares of a man she feels is after her. (4:26)
  6. CATNIP – written and directed by Deborah Napier
    A businesswoman makes a choice that turns out to be not what she expected. (0:30)
  7. SINCERELY, US – written and directed by Laura Birek
    Jen was already having a tough time. But when burglars break into her apartment and steal her dog, she’ll do anything to get her best friend back — even if it means messing with the space-time continuum. (6:13)
  8. PAPER CUT – written and directed by Kanchalee Wijakpaisarn
    An anxious writer tries to finish his manuscript but no matter how hard he tries, he can’t overcome his worst nightmares. (5:04)
  9. FUNNY WORDS – written and directed by Ananya Sundararajan
    Chad’s having one of those magical days full of deep conversations and profound realizations. Oh no, wait, he’s just really really high. (1:51)
  10. SCISSOR MAN – written and directed by Sara Caldwell
    Two young girls are left alone in a motel room and conjure up their worst fear – the notorious Scissor Man who cuts off the fingers of naughty children. But is he real, or just a figment of their imagination? (7:48)
  11. TIGER – written and directed by Connie Chung
    Utilizing projections, “Tiger” is an experimental short film that explores the battles and life stages of a young Chinese girl after witnessing her mother’s suicide. As she grows up, we journey with her through depression, immigration to America, and love – or lack thereof. (8:52)
  12. ANXEYETY – written and directed by Arden Barlow
    Six individuals from various cultural backgrounds, gender identities, ages, professions, and levels of social anxiety/disorders are interviewed about their relationships with eye contact. (5:02)
  13. COFFEE SHOP CONVERSATIONS – written and directed by Kimberly DiPersia
    A comedic series of vignettes in a coffee shop, capturing moments in the lives of patrons and employees. (1:57)
  14. 21 STEPS TO GET OVER YOUR EX – written and directed by Julieta Steinberg
    They say Tragedy + Distance = Comedy. This film tells my past tragedy stuff, with a touch of humor. (10:00)
  15. DROP IT – written and directed by Tania Romero
    A dog wants popcorn, and he will do what it takes to get it. (1:00)
  16. THE DONOR – written and directed by Natasha Soto
    A nervous male patient heads to his local clinic to make his first “deposit”, but with his imagination running wild will he able to deliver? (2:37)
  17. THIS IS JACKIE – written and directed by Anna Sampers
    This video tells the story of Jackie and a couple other people she knows. It is told in four parts. (3:00)
  18. THE ASSISTANT AND HER LOVELY MAGICIAN – written by Joyce Wu and directed by Chris Serveld, Joyce Wu, and Eric Yoon
    A romantic comedy about a young woman who must go in search of her magician boyfriend when he disappears into thin air… literally. (4:55)
  19. CANNED – written and directed by Ivan Joy, Tanya Zaman, Nathaniel Hatton
    A street artist paints a beautiful mural of a woman on the wall, and is suddenly chased by police… through the favela’s of Rio de Janeiro. (3:03)
  20. NEED FOR SPEED (DATING) – written by Allyson Morgan, directed by Mary Nighy
    Polly and Nate have the perfect relationship – except she’s packed up and moved to London and yearns for something (or someone) new. In this modern twist on a romantic comedy, Polly learns that what she’s searching for may not be so easy to find. (6:49)

Julie Dash & The LA Rebellion

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When I knew I was going to interview Julie Dash I was incredibly nervous. I had written two papers on her at the Graduate Center and was a big fan of Daughters of the Dust when I was an undergraduate at UCLA. So needless to say I was thrilled at the possibility of speaking with her about her work. My nerves soon dissipated because she was so incredibly kind and charming.

Julie Dash made history in 1991 when she became the first African American woman with a theatrical release of  a feature film with Daughters of the Dust. Before that, as a student at UCLA, she was part of a cinema movement now known as the “LA Rebellion.” The Outlaws, as they called themselves, included filmmakers such as Charles Burnett, Larry Clark, Haile Geima, Aile Sharon Larkin, and Barbara McCullough. When I was a student at UCLA I remember being exposed to the films of Charles Burnett and Larry Clark – but it wasn’t until much later that I became aware that Julie Dash was also a part of the group. Through Women Make Movies I was able to acquire a copy of her short film Illusions – and learn even more about the wonderful talents of Julie Dash.

Watch this short video of Julie Dash speaking to me about the LA Rebellion and the opportunities presented by the digital revolution (edited by me and camera by Robert Reber):
https://vimeo.com/62809119

 

For more on Julie Dash:
http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/la-rebellion/julie-dash
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/dashJulie.php (includes a full filmography and books by and about Julie Dash)
http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/makers/fm128.shtml
http://sensesofcinema.com/2009/feature-articles/illusions-julie-dash/

For more on the LA Rebellion:
http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/la-rebellion/story-la-rebellion
http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/blogs/la-rebellion
http://magazine.ucla.edu/features/rise-again-the-la-rebellion/
Spirits of Rebellion – a documentary in progress on the LA Rebellion by Zeinabu Irene Davis
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/preview_spirits_of_rebellion_-_a_documentary_film_about_the_l.a._rebellion 

 SPECIAL THANK YOUS
Kelvin Garvanne and Nanci Isaacs for introducing me to Julie Dash
Dan Watanabe for introducing me to his student Robert Reber who worked the camera during this interview (most interviews I haven’t had the luxury of having someone run camera so needless to say I was very grateful)