Baltimore Women's Film Festival

Thank you to the Maryland Film Office!

2009-10-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

We wanted to thank some of this year's sponsors, including the Maryland Film Office. Thank you for all of your support for The Baltimore Women's Film Festival. We appreciate your assistance.

Here is some information about the office:

Maryland offers a rich array of landscapes from which to choose - from the mountains in the west across the rolling hills and farmlands of central Maryland to the beautiful waterfront and sandy beaches of the Eastern Shore. Architecture that spans the centuries from colonial to modern and illustrates a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds can be found throughout the state.

Maryland has a deep crew base experienced in every guild and trade. Over 650 IATSE members, over 3000 SAG members, and film sensitive teamsters all make Maryland the place you're shooting for.

They have a bulletin board of Maryland Film events, calls for entry, and opportunities at http://www.marylandfilm.org/bulletin.html

Visit the site at: http://www.marylandfilm.org/index.html

New Baltimore Event: Gary Null Screening and Reception at The Baltimore Women's Film Festival

2009-10-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday October 24th between 3:30pm-4:30pm, the Baltimore Women's Film Festival will be holding a reception, sponsored by Lebanese Taverna, 719 S. President Street. This reception is free to all attendees of Baltimore Women's Film Festival screening "Autism: Made in the USA" at 1:30pm. Tickets to the film screening are $10.

The reception will include complimentary appetizers and cash bar with happy hour prices. The Director of the film Dr. Gary Null is a multi award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author, he has written over 70 books on nutrition, self-empowerment and public health issues. Advance film festival ticket purchase required to attend the Lebanese Taverna reception.

Buy tickets for the screening here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/81097

For more information about "Autism: Made in the USA" visit http://www.autismmadeintheusa.com/

Baltimore Women's Film Festival

2009-09-15T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Baltimore Women's Film Festival's 2009 event is coming up October 23-25, 2009. The festival schedule can be found at http://www.bwfilmfestival.com. We have an amazing selection of shorts, features, documentaries and animations this year! It is a very exciting line-up. The festival will take place at Landmark's Harbor East Theatre.

Tickets are now on sale at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/9824.

Leslie Hope will be bringing artwork from Cambodian children from the film!

2008-10-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

What I See When I Close My Eyes is a documentary film that will be presented Sunday Oct 26th as part of the short documentaries from around the world series at The Baltimore Women's Film Festival.

Description: In 1975, under the leadership of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge seized control of Cambodia and unleashed a reign of terror that killed two million people through starvation, torture, and execution. Every single Cambodian who survived was directly affected by that terrible war and at its end, tens of thousands ended up in refugee camps. The children of those children of the war are now struggling to find a place in the devastated remains of a country where the average yearly income is under $300. In Phnom Penh alone, there are over 20,000 children, some as young as three who are fending for themselves and have made the streets their home. FRIENDS assists the street living and working children of Cambodia by offering them life skills, vocational training, nutritional meals, counseling, outreach, and perhaps for the first time in their lives a safe place to call home.

WHAT I SEE WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES follows the kids of Mith Samlanh/FRIENDS as they tell their stories unflinchingly and simply . The film consists almost entirely of the children talking about themselves, their lives, their hopes and their dreams. Their visions range from the heart-breakingly simple dream of Choun Vatay who thinks she's ten and wants soap, to Piseth's vision of helping drug addicts kick their habit and get a job 'just like me'. The film also tracks the creation of life-sized self-portraits that the children painted in response the question, 'What do you see when you close your eyes?'

The Director Leslie Hope will be in attendance, she will also be bringing some of the life-sized self-portraits that the children painted!

LESLIE HOPE has worked in the film industry for over 25 years. She wrote and directed her first short film THE LUNCHEON in 1985 and then began her foray into producing with the play TAKING OFF at The Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles. In 1989 she founded The Wilton Project with Charlie Stratton. As Artistic Directors of The Wilton Project, they garnered major critical recognition for their production and development of new plays and re-examination of the classics, including Neal Bell's THERESE RAQUIN, Jose Rivera's EACH DAY DIES WITH SLEEP and a new adaptation of THE DYBBUK. During her time at The Wilton Project, Leslie produced and directed several shows, wrote her play LOUDMOUTH, and directed her second short film, SIREN MOON. She recently completed her first movie for television, A VERY MERRY DAUGHTER OF THE BRIDE.

As an actress, she has starred in over 35 features and several television series.

This is a powerful and inspiring story- Definitely check this film out Sunday night and we will have some Q&A with Leslie Hope about her film. Screening information is here

The Baltimore Women’s Film Festival Opens with Two Sets of Short Films, a Live Music Showcase, and Katka Konecna’s “Victoriana.”

2008-10-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

The Baltimore Women's Film Festival will kick off its Opening Night this year (Thurs, October 23rd) with two short film sets at the Landmark-Harbor East Theatre, 645 S. President Street, Baltimore City, followed by a free, live music showcase, taking place one block away at The James Joyce Pub & Restaurant (616 S. President St., Baltimore, MD, 21202).

Occurring simultaneously to the nearby live music performance, the Landmark-Harbor East will host a screening of the psychological drama 'Victoriana' beginning at 10 p.m.

One-half of all ticket-sale proceeds will be donated to The Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center for breast cancer research, outreach, and support.

The first of the evening film sets, ‘Parents & Children,’ will run from 5:30-8 p.m., followed by 'Stories of Love, Intimacy and Romance,' from 8-9:30 p.m. Local Baltimore filmmakers will be in attendance. Tickets to the film screenings may be purchased at the festival website for $10 per person.

Immediately after the shorts will be the live music showcase, taking place at The James Joyce Pub & Restaurant (616 S. President St.). It will run from 9:30 p.m. to 12 midnight. The live music showcase is free and no reservations are necessary to attend. It will feature performances by three amazing, Baltimore-based singer/ songwriters: Sleepy Records-recording artist Acacia Sears, ellen cherry, and Dionne all of whose lyrics, compositions, and voices have generated growing excitement and critical acclaim here at home and beyond. Their performances will run during and after the film screenings that evening.

Acacia Sears will launch the showcase at 9:30 p.m. A Baltimore-native, Acacia (pronounced uh-CAY-sha) has used her intensely personal lyrics and unique music to conquer audiences up and down the East Coast. Her style, an original mix of the sensitivity of Joni Mitchell combined with the edge of Liz Phair, has made her stand in distinct contrast to the forlorn songstresses and the “grrrl” rockers that seem to occupy much of the mainstream scene. Her debut album, Dialtones (Sleepy Records), already has the national media clamoring about Acacia. Anna Masters of Lip Magazine called her “evocative.” Curve Magazine calls her sound “melodic” and “hypnotic.” Ann Corrington of The Feminist Review likened her to modern-day poets Ani DiFranco and Ben Gibbard. … And with live television performances and plays on AAA radio, Acacia’s fan base grows by the day. Samples of Acacia's music can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/acaciasearsmusic.

ellen cherry will take the stage at 10:15 p.m. An artist 'incapable of stopping the process of creation,' ellen cherry has recorded and released original music continuously since 1997. Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Pop Music Critic for The Baltimore Sun, describes cherry's music as 'a cross between Cowboy Junkies and Liz Phair.' Will Doig from DC's Metro Weekly calls it '...more relevant than many of the major-label bands you've heard this year... a welcome reminder that indie-rock continues to be a spirit in an industry that often attempts to make it a genre.’ To view, hear and see ellen cherry's lyrics, downloads and photos, visit www.ellencherry.com . Additional ellen cherry videos (including a video diary) are viewable at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ellencherrymusic.

Dionne, the showcase’s final singer/ songwriter, will perform from 11:15 p.m. – 12 midnight. Dionne has been a fixture at certain local spoken word venues since 2002. Dionne has found her 'voice' in music and is ready to spark a 'revolution of the mind, body, and soul' with poignant, heartfelt messages. Dionne's versatility, style, and sound have been compared to artists as diverse as Meshell, Lauryn Hill, India Arie, and Tracy Chapman. Working with some of Baltimore's best producers, Dionne is currently hard at work completing her much-anticipated album. Featured in a recent Baltimore City Paper interview by Petula Caesar, Dionne is definitely an exciting, rising Baltimore star to watch. Visit www.myspace.com/raspysoul and www.dionnesphere.com for more information about this artist.

The one full-length feature film of the evening, the psychological drama 'Victoriana,' will be screened at 10 p.m. at the Landmark-Harbor East Theatre simultaneously to the live music performance. 'Victoriana’ is a film about a young creative writer pursuing her dreams in NYC who falls into harsh realities, and a downward spiral. This is to be its world premiere, and the film’s, director, writer, and producer, Katka Konecna, will be flying in to Baltimore from The Czech Republic to attend the screening and discuss her film.

Local Filmmakers at The Baltimore Women's Film Festival showcase Diverse and Hard Hitting Issues

2008-09-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

Local Filmmakers at The Baltimore Women's Film Festival

The Baltimore Women's Film Festival this year features works which truly showcase diversity and hard hitting issues brought to light by talented and bold female filmmakers. The festival will showcase a wide variety of filmmakers currently based in the Baltimore/DC area, as well as filmmakers originally from Baltimore. These filmmakers will be at the event to represent their work, answer questions from the audience and support the second year of The Baltimore Women's Film Festival. Films by local filmmakers include documentaries, comedies, and short dramas. Additionally, local short experimental filmmakers Brandy Baker and Vivian Wong both have their shorts featured in The Baltimore Women's Film Festival experimental film showcase.

Opening Night Screenings Featuring Local Filmmakers

Filmmakers whose dramatic short films are in the festival include Baltimore Native Arlette Thomas-Fletcher whose film "Assault in Brooklyn" will be screening Thursday October 23rd, opening night at The Baltimore Women's Film Festival. Thomas-Fletcher recently won a Prestigious Telly Award and an Accolade Award for her work on this short dramatic film about domestic violence and a young Polish woman who is attempting to escape from an abusive marriage and a partner who has vowed to never let her go.“Assault In Brooklyn is an amazing story that I always wanted to tell. With so much domestic violence in the world I wanted to not just touch on the issue but to show a victim who even when pushed to her lowest, can find a glimmer of light...” says Producer, Arlette Thomas-Fletcher, Also in this opening night sequence is Peter Mullett's short dramatic film "Parting Ways" about a couple in the midst of a divorce exploring remaining issues in their relationship. Mullett's film, shot completely in Baltimore, features a powerful performance by Philippa Berrington-Blew. In reference to his film, the director states "everyone who worked on it with me have been friends and colleagues in the film community in Baltimore for a decade, maybe two."

"Alma" directed by Yuri Makino is also a selection for this year's Baltimore Women's Film Festival. Alma is about a young Latina coming of age in Arizona and to appeal to a wide audience through its universal theme about the bitter sweetness of growing up. Producer Vicky Westover states "being a second generation Mexican American when the values between the old and new generations clash. With the public’s growing interest in U.S.-Mexico immigration issues, this project is more timely than ever." Executive Producer Westover is a native of Washington D.C. and lived in Baltimore for over 20 years. Westover is a graduate of the Maryland Institute and the former director of the Baltimore Film Forum, Baltimore International Film Festival, and Baltimore Independent Film and Video Competition.

Dramady Screenings at the Festival

Maryland native Nicole Emmanuel will also be in attendance representing her film "Morning Glory." Her film is about an eccentric gospel singer racing to sing in Sunday service encounters hurtles that force her to chose between helping those in need or saving her holy reputation. Nicole Emmanuel is currently studying film at the prestigious Florida State University Film School.

In the Comedic Shorts Sequence is the Maryland Premiere of "Hold On" directed by Doug Olear (The Wire) and Jackie Julio, actress and filmmaker originally from the Baltimore area. The film also features Dominic West (300, Chicago) The film is a quirky comedy about Rose,
a spirited, quadriplegic, physicist who goes to extreme measures in her quest for romance. The film was shot at the Cloisters Museum in Baltimore County.

Sunday International Documentary Shorts Sequence

View Sunday doc schedule here

A number of the short documentary films at the festival were made by area filmmakers including "Crossing Lines," a film about an Indian American woman's struggle to stay connected to India after the loss of her father, and "My Dead Husband's Land," the story of an HIV-positive widow, Betty Tom, and her fight against discrimination in Kenya. About her short documentary, Director Jayaswi states "'Crossing Lines' is a personal essay documentary, exploring the life of a woman, Indira Somani. The film attempts to understand and sensitize audiences across the globe about the life of one Indian-American woman and how she tries to stay connected to her Indian culture, despite the loss of her father – a great cultural influence in her life."

"My Dead Husband’s Land" deals with the local Luo culture in Kenya which prevents women from inheriting and owning their deceased husbands’ land and properties. But the women of Orongo are emerging victorious in a battle against practices they consider oppressive and cruel. They’re using the AIDS epidemic to revolutionize their culture, in a fashion as yet unprecedented in Africa. This remarkable fight against discrimination has led to every widow at Orongo - whether HIV-positive or not - now having the right to refuse to be inherited. The film was Directed by Mia Malan who is the Senior Resident Health Journalism Advisor of Internews Network in Washington DC. Prior to this she was the Resident Journalism Advisor for Internews Network’s Local Voices project in Nairobi, Kenya. Mia Malan states "Stories that speak of African dignity and hope and people who inspire others to make a difference in the midst of the utmost desperation are rarely told. When I moved to Kenya four years ago from my home country, South Africa, I certainly didn’t expect to come across an inspiring HIV story. But then I was introduced to Betty Tom of Orongo Village on the shores of Lake Victoria."

Crafty Docs and Swap

2008-08-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

Sun September 14
The Baltimore Women's Film Festival & Charm City Craft Mafia present
"Crafty Docs & Swap"

Don't miss this fascinating fall collection of films created by women! Feature doc Fresh Women follows the lives of six female artists in San Francisco struggling to balance work life, art life, and family life. The shorts Knitting Lesson, Grandma Goth, and Bella Bella round out the bill with portraits of spirited, crafty women. Q & A with filmmaker Mary Dalton (Knitting Lesson) follows. Plus craft supplies swap!: Trade your leftover materials and network with Baltimore’s craftiest! Noon. $10, $8 mbrs, stus, or w/ craft swap supplies to trade. Details of films to be screened at our website on this page

Also check out Charm City Craft Mafia's fantastic website here

Creative Alliance at The Patterson
3134 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224
Info and tix: www.creativealliance.org, 410-276-1651

Welcome to the 2008 Baltimore Women's Film Festival

2008-08-06T14:37:00.001-07:00

The Baltimore Women's Film Festival is dedicated and focused on seeking out and promoting cinema created by and for women. This non-profit festival is held during breast cancer awareness month. 50% of all ticket sale proceeds are donated to breast cancer research and the outreach/survivorship program for Johns Hopkins breast cancer patients.

The festival is open to films directed, written, shot, animated, produced or edited by a woman. The festival also screens movies which focus on themes that are highly relevant to women and films with outstanding performances by an actress or actresses. Not only does the festival seek to encourage female filmmakers, but also it seeks to get women press coverage and awards that will in turn advance their careers. In 2007, the festival received a truly remarkable level of press coverage ranging from numerous detailed newspaper articles and film reviews, and radio and tv interviews for participating filmmakers.