Alliance of Women Filmmakers

LAWIFF Will Close with AFI's Directing Workshop For Women Showcase

Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival Will Close With AFI's DWW Showcase March 31st 8:00PM Laemmle's Sunset 5 8000 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90041   The Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival opened last week with a benefit gala for Susan G. Komen LA County and will close with AFI's Directing Workshop for Women Showcase. Ticket sales from closing night will be donated to AFI's DWW program.  The showcase will be followed by a closing night party at the Libertine on Sunset.   AFI's DWW Program Line Up   Career Virgin Directed by: Angie Comer Katie must face the difficulties of being a teenage girl and the subsequent sudden-death face-off against her hormones The d-monster Directed by: Kinga Suto Inga, a young country bumpkin, moves to the city to become a screenwriter, only to discover she must first survive the internship. The Death of Toys Directed by: Lisa Gold A ten year-old boy wants to give up his toys, but his work-numbed mother needs the spark of their playtime more than he does. Her insistence that he keep the toys will take both of them to unexpected places.

Little Black Dress Directed by: Deborah Correa

A high-powered fashion director must confront her relationship regrets when she discovers that her little sister is getting married.

Megafauna Directed by: Kaz Phillips

Feeling set adrift in her own marriage. Anna corners her estranged husband, Milo in a conversation about the nature of love and commitment, but end up getting far more truth than she bargained for.

The Muskrat Boy of Griffith Park Directed by: Emmy Grinwis

The story of an unconventional friendship between a lonely young woman with a flare for the fantastical and a scruffy, peculiar boy.

Overdrawn Directed by: Sylvia Sether

Attempting to get through another mediocre day as a single, unsatisfied, broke, bank teller, Emma is pushed to the edge and compelled to re-chart the course of her life

Some boys don't leave Directed by Maggie Kiley

When 'The Boy' is forced to come to terms with the fact that 'The Girl' no longer wants him around, he soon finds that sometimes the greatest distance traveled is the one within ourselves.

Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival Documentary Shorts Progams March 29th 8:30PM  Laemmle's Sunset 5 8000 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90041   Purchase Tickets

 

Girls Rock! Chicago

Directed By: Sarah Moshman

Written By:  Sarah Moshman

A short rockumentary about an all-girl rock and roll camp in Chicago. For one week in the summer, girls ages 8-16 embark on a musical journey, learning guitar, bass and drums, writing their own songs, and performing at a large venue while building self-esteem along the way.

 

Obligation to Endure

Directed By: Julie Fergus

Written By:  Julie Fergus

As the George W. Bush administration gasped its final breaths, it
attempted to shut down the EPA's library system, the world's foremost
source of environmental information. In this age of climate change,
natural disasters, and terrorism, how could this be possible? What
were the real reasons behind the closures?

 

A  Four-Wheeled Fascination: The Evolution of Roller Derby

Directed By: Mary LaVenture

Written By:  Mary LaVenture

A Four-Wheeled Fascination chronicles the evolution of roller derby on a global and local scale. Since its creation by Leo Seltzer in the 1930s, the sport's rules and players have changed. From the original banked track to the current flat track leagues, roller derby has seen its fair share of struggles and success, transforming, resurging and melding into its current state.

 

Red Dust

Directed By: Karin Mak

Written By: Karin Mak

Poisoned by the carcinogen cadmium in the battery factories where they worked, Ren and her comrades engage in a desperate struggle for justice. Red Dust captures rural and urban poverty and the risks involved in speaking up in China. In the face of daunting obstacles that affect their work, health and future, the women persevere.

  

Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000

Directed By:  Dorie Clark

Written By:  Dorie Clark

This short documentary chronicles the life of unlikely activist Marion Stoddart, who lived next to one of America’s most polluted rivers. The film documents her transformation from housewife and mother to environmental leader.

 

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Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival Student Shorts Progams March 28th 4:00pm -11:00pm Laemmle's Sunset 5 8000 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood, CA 90041

Student Shorts Program 4 Monday March 28 4:00pm Message Received Directed By: Karolyn Szot Written By: Karolyn Szot This beautiful portrayal of young love in today's tech-savvy generation shows us how to live our life in "contxt".  Inspired by true events, this love story comes to an end far too soon. After the Headlines Directed By: Aaliyah Miller Written By:  Aaliyah Miller When the brutal murder of Clara's daughter captures local headlines, Clara becomes withdrawn and  overwhelmed with regret and pain over terminating her parental rights. A life of isolation is Clara's only refuge. Life with her Alexis wasn't easy, but living without her is to painful to bear. Emma and Reid Directed By: Talia Alberts Written By:  Talia Alberts Emma, a college junior, comes home for spring break and visits her ex-boyfriend, Reid, whose mother recently passed away. Emma and Reid try to find new ways to relate to each other since they haven't spoken in over a year. As Emma struggles to comfort Reid, she soon discovers that her efforts may be misguided. Take Her Picture Directed By: Ching-Ya Wang Written By: Ching-Ya Wang Chinese immigrant Ling wanders around Los Angeles to escape the pain of her past. Through a simple cigarette, Ling meets photographer Allen. Together they turn a chance meeting into a fatalistic romance in which two people come together despite barriers of culture and language. Prom Date Directed By: Jessica Schoen Written By: Jessica Schoen In this musical comedy about asking people to prom, Evan Jacobs wants nothing more than to ask his dream girl, Deanna. Will he be brave enough to go through with his plan? This is a story about unrequited love, friendship, dreams and getting what you want, no matter what. Student Shorts Program 3 Monday March 28 6:00pm Looking In Directed By: Hsing-Yi Tseng Written By: Brett Allen Smith & David Spence After the tragic loss of his girlfriend, Kyle grows envious of the loving relationship between his friends James and Sarah. When Kyle's friends fail to show him the sympathy he seeks, Kyle's grief turns to malice. When the pain he inflicts begins to turn on him, he is forced to reexamine the true meaning of happiness. Still Directed By: Felicia Heykoop Written By:  Kyle Gilbertson An intimate look into the life of Jamie and Dessie Glass after the delivery of their stillborn daughter. Stricken by grief, they can't find comfort in each other or even their personal privacy. Still explores the deep heartache that affects parents of stillborns while exploring the power of love amidst disaster. Little Spoon Directed By: Lauren Fash Written By:  Catherine Ames After breaking the heart of her college roommate, Dillyn is forced to move in with her brother and his seven-year-old son, Jigsaw. In an attempt to give up spooning, Dillyn finds her addiction may have some benefit after all, only this time, she's the "'big spoon". Real-Life Mallory Directed By: R.L. Maynard Written By: R.L. Maynard When given devastating news, Mallory's personal journey to make sense of it begins and ends with clarity. Accepting her life-changing decision, Mallory must overcome her friends' denial, anger, bargaining and depression, all brought to the table at a goodbye dinner.   Student Shorts Program 2 Monday March 28 8:00pm Between Bars Directed By: Traci Hays Written By: Traci Hays A repeat offender, Darren, is given the opportunity to wipe his record clean, only to be surrounded by a corrupt co-worker Gabe. When the money from the company's safe disappears accusations are made, forcing him to confront injustice and risk his freedom in hope of saving a friendship.  Gringo Loco Directed By: Renee Baltsen Written By: Hillary Layman Carlos Soto, the boss of a local day-laborer site, has found a balance between work and family life. This balance is challenged however, when a man named Thomas (the gringo) tries to work alongside Carlos and his men. Faced with reverse racism,Carlos must take a deeper look inside the man he has become to the man he thought he was. The Broken Heart of Gnocchi Bolognese Directed By: Katherine Vondy Written By:  Katherine Vondy Gnocchi Bolognese has never known her father, the chef whose signature dish she was named after. With her 25th birthday around the corner, Gnocchi decides it's time to act on her infatuation - but the pursuit of romance leads her down a tragicomic road to the origins of her unusual name.   The Way of Justice Directed By: Emily Peck Written By: Emily Peck Sheriff Tom Larue is a man of the law, but when his own son turns up murdered, Tom's world of order erupts into chaos. Tom embarks on a course of retribution. Yet in this southern town where moral standards mask dark secrets, truth is not easily brought to light. Desperate for answers, Tom begins to compromise his most sacred principles and soon comes face to face with his own worst enemy...himself.    Student Shorts Program 1 Monday March 28 9:45pm Sosefina Directed By: Tresa Ponnor Written By: Tresa Ponnor Embarrassed by her shabby home and trying to impress some snobbish schoolgirls,  Sosefina finds an empty house for sale and moves in. But the boy she wants to impress likes her for who she is and not who she is pretending to be. Cake Directed By: Jenna Spesard Written By:  Jenna Spesard Eleven-year-old Edgar lives a sad and boring life. Every day he performs the same routine in his secluded house in the woods, which includes carving people out of wax and playing with a small mouse. Everything changes one day when he stumbles upon an enormous chocolate cake in the woods. One bite brings him the companion he's always wanted. What will happen when the cake is all gone? Be Good to Eddie Lee Directed By: Kaileigh Brielle Written By:  Kaileigh Brielle It is the first day of summer and Christi eagerly awaits an adventure with her best friend Jim. To their surprise, they are followed by Christi's neighbor, a little boy with Down Syndrome named Eddie Lee. When forced to choose between her best friend and what she knows is right, Christi learns a valuable lesson in friendship and acceptance. Little Big Kid Directed By: Kathleen Jayme Written By: Kathleen Jayme Eighty-year-old Matthew Little experiences a brief, magical return to childhood when he meets eight-year-old Johnny at a lemonade stand. Lily Directed By: Susana Casares Domingo Written By:  Susana Casares Domingo Lily is eleven years old and her body is changing. On a hot summer day her mother drags her to the pool of her apartment complex in a new bikini. All of Lily's worries are realized. Unfortunately, Lily has more to fear than just puberty and boys.

Finding Jenus Directed by Alison Mason

Screens Sunday March 26 9:00pm

Laemmles Sunset 5

8000 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood 90046

Edie chain smokes, bites her fingernails and smashes her foot down on the gas pedal always escaping her past. Jean sits at the kitchen table for hours. She can almost smell the Christmas tree, the faint sound of her son's laughter and her husband's footsteps coming up the walk. And then the memory is gone. Jean wanders in search of something familiar and finds it when Edie blows into town. When their lives intersect, the past finds them both and forces the women to face their truth.

Finding Jenua is about love, loss and finding your place in the world. A drama with mystery that's told in an unconventional way, unraveling like a memory and tying us back together with the simple beauty of human connection.

 This film is followed by a conversation with writer director Alison Mason

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Get Real Wise Women Speak Directed by Joni Steele Kimberlin

Get Real! Wise Women Speak Directed by Joni Steele Kimberlin

Screens Sunday March 27 7:00pm

Laemmles Sunset 5

8000 Sunset Blvd West Hollywood CA 90046

 

Get Real! Wise Women Speak features extraordinary women, including Jane Fonda, Nikki Giovanni, Della Reese, Marianne Williamson, Susan L. Taylor, Jody Williams and others, who are using their time and talent to benefit the world.  Nobel laureates, indigenous elders artists, grandmothers, scientists, activists, and educators speak about their journey to the wise woman years and the inner fire that propels them to make the most of their wisdom and experience.


The film creates a vivid mosaic, weaving together ancient archetypes, modern-day stories, vibrant interviews, impressionistic re-enactments, elegant graphics and an original score of Celtic and world-influenced music.

Film followed by conversation with writer director Joni Steele Kimberlin