>> HIGHLIGHTS

++ Refusenik directed by Laura Bialis, our Movie of
the Month, opens this weekend in N.Y.

————————————————
>> PREMIERING week of May 9, 2008

Buy opening weekend tickets for films directed by women.

++ A Previous Engagement directed by Joan Carr-Wiggin
Opens in N.Y. & L.A.

++ Refusenik directed by Laura Bialis
Opens in N.Y.

++ Dhamma Brothers directed by Jenny Phillips
Opens in L.A.

++ I for India directed by Sandhya Suri
Opens in L.A.

Current but check your local listings.

\===================================/

>> SPONSORSHIP

Women’s Independent Cinema Film & Documentary DVD Club

Celebrate Your Mother With The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift:
Four Indie Movies on one DVD - Delivered to her home every month
The gift that says so much about you and your passion for
supporting women in the arts

Purchase your Mothers day gift online at:
http://womensindependentcinema.com/home.html

For more info, visit our site at:
http://www.womensindependentcinema.com/

Great Movies By Great Women

\===================================/

>>MOVIES BY WOMEN NEWS

\===================================/

Join in the conversation! Visit blog.moviesbywomen.com
for news from the front lines on women working in Hollywood.

Coming this weekend: two new audio podcasts, featuring
author and film historian Cari Beauchamp and film director
D. Lee Inosanto.

YOU DON’T NEED AN iPOD TO LISTEN. Just tune in to the MBW
Podcast Channel from your desktop computer at
http://moviesbywomen.com/ OR subscribe on iTunes or
YouTube.com - all for FREE.

————————————————

If you’re interested in placing an ad for sponsorship, please
email us for rates. If you have a newsworthy event that you’d
like to be considered for an upcoming blog listing, podcast, or
FWGroup event, simply reply to this email.

\===================================/

Movies By Women needs your help to keep on promoting
women-directed films. Please consider sending in a
donation - click here to donate online:

http://moviesbywomen.com/donate.php.

\===================================/

This e-mail compiled and edited by: Elizabeth Barker &
Katie Lanegran. If you have information on new releases, please
email us (simply hit reply).

\===================================/

>>MOVIE OF THE MONTH

++ Refusenik directed by Laura Bialis
Opens May 9 in N.Y., May 23 in L.A.

\===================================/

>>Special Event Screenings, NEW YORK

\===================================/

\===================================/

>>Special Event Screenings, LOS ANGELES

\===================================/

++ Everything’s Cool directed by Judith Helfand & Daniel B. Gold
When: May 9 at 9:45 p.m.
Where: 2007 Silver Lake Film Festival
Info: silverlakefilmfestival.org

++ AFI Directing Workshop for Women Showcase
When: May 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Harmony Gold Theatre (7655 Sunset Blvd)
Info: http://www.afi.com/education/dww/showcase.aspx

\===================================/

>>CO-SPONSORSHIP

-Get your ad placed here to reach over 3,000 readers!
Great for film publicity! Email: news@moviesbywomen.com

\===================================/

>>IN THEATERS NOW week of May 9, 2008

\===================================/

We can only make a change if we affect box
office sales! YOU can buy a ticket over the
phone in NYC or LA without actually being there.
—————————————————

++ All in This Tea directed by Gina Leibrecht & Les Blank

++ American Zombie directed by Grace Lee

++ Beyond Belief directed by Beth Murphy

++ Blindsight directed by Lucy Walker

++ Body of War directed by Ellen Spiro & Phil Donahue

++ Caramel directed by Nadine Labaki

++ The Cool School directed by Kristine McKenna & Morgan Neville

++ Dhamma Brothers directed by Jenny Phillips

++ Extra Ordinary Barry directed by Vivi Stafford

++ The Favor directed by Eva Aridjis

++ Flow directed by Irena Salina

++ Forever directed by Heddy Honigmann

++ Hats Off directed by Jyll Johnstone

++ Jack and Jill vs. The World directed by Vanessa Parise

++ Jellyfish directed by Shira Geffen & Etgar Keret

++ Just Sex and Nothing Else directed by Krisztina Goda

++ Little Chenier directed by Bethany Ashton

++ Lost in Beijing directed by Li Yu

++ Never Forever directed by Gina Kim

++ Nim’s Island directed by Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin

++ Persepolis directed by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Payrounnaud

++ A Plumm Summer directed by Caroline Zelder

++ Remember the Daze directed by Jess Manafort

++ Stop-Loss directed by Kimberly Peirce

++ Then She Found Me directed by Helen Hunt

++ Under the Same Moon directed by Patricia Riggen

++ The Unforeseen directed by Laura Dunne

++ Viva directed by Anna Biller

++ Vivere directed by Angelina Maccarone

++ A Walk into the Sea directed by Esther Robinson

++ War Made Easy directed by Loretta Alper & Jeremy Earp

++ Water directed by Saida Medvedeva

++ Water Lilies directed by Celine Sciamma

++ XXY directed by Lucia Puenzo

++ Young and Restless in China directed by Sue Williams

\===================================/

>> REVIEWS OF THE WEEK: WRITTEN BY YOU

\===================================/
Written by you - simply reply to this email.
(Please be brief when responding)
Anonymous if not otherwise requested.
————————————————

++ Persepolis directed by Marjane Satrapi
Persepolis is a funny and heartbreaking animated memoir
of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In
Persepolis, Satrapi shows audiences that the images of
Iran that the United States has seen for so long in the
media do not make up the whole story of one country. In
Persepolis, the smallest details of growing up female
are mixed in with a very intense political situation and
the filmmakers do an excellent job of showing that the
most minute details of every day life do not stop because
of political turmoil. Persepolis is both magical and stunning.

++ Vivere directed by Angelina Maccarone
Vivere is a film I won’t soon forget. It is the kind of
road movie that goes against every characteristic of the
genre. Maccarone is making films that no one else has. In
Vivere, Maccarone tells three very different women’s stories
and she tells them with a unique sincerity. The filmmaker
cites Wong Kar Wai, Lars von Trier, and Billy Wilder as three
of her top filmmaker influences and it shows. Vivere is at once
stylishly heartbreaking, masochistic, and Maccarone is
versatile in the films she chooses to make. I loved Maccarone’s
Unveiled and look forward to her next film. Vivere illustrates
the loneliness of a working-class lesbian, a queer retiree,
and a pregnant teenager. No one is having an easy time in
this film, but the film is never bleak.

-Reviews by Cathy de la Cruz, www.showmeyourtitles.com / San Diego, CA

————————————————

Make your voice heard by sending us your reviews
of new women-directed films - simply hit reply to this email!

\===================================/

>> COOL SITES/ARTICLES/HAPPENINGS

\===================================/

The results of the first Alliance of Women Film Journalists’
Opinion Poll are posted at http://awfj.org/. Read what Susan
Wloszczyna, Carrie Rickey, Joanna Langfield and other AWFJ
members have to say about this year’s Oscars. And let them
know your opinion, too.

————————————————

MoviesByWomen.com has added a message board!
To start sounding off about all that’s happening in
the world of female filmmakers, check it out now:

http://forum.moviesbywomen.com/

————————————————

>> Get inspired: Organize a home screening party!
We love the website www.filmstoseebeforeyouvote.com
so much that we’ve decided to start up our own home-screening
series. To throw your own home screening, invite over your
friends and colleagues to watch a film directed by a woman
(check our weekly DVD release section for ideas). Hold a
lively discussion or debate afterwards, just like you would
with a book group. Each month we’ll recommend a
DVD to view at your screening party.

This May we recommend the 15th anniversary DVD of
The Piano directed by Jane Campion

Send us your feedback and let’s get rocking!
news@moviesbywomen.com

\===================================/

>>COMING SOON

\===================================/

++ How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer directed by
Georgina Garcia Reidel
Opens May 16
Info: http://www.mayareleasing.com/

++ Refusenik directed by Laura Bialis
Opens May 23 in L.A.

++ Why Be Good? Sexuality and Censorship in Early Cinema
directed by Elaina Archer
When: May 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Egyptian Theatre in L.A.
Info: http://www.americancinematheque.com/indexegyptian.html

++ Operation Filmmaker directed by Nina Davenport
Opens June 4 in N.Y.
Info: http://www.operationfilmmaker.com/

++ Kit Kittredge: An American Girl directed by Patricia Rozema
Opens July 2
Info: http://www.kitkittredge.com/

++ Frozen River directed by Courtney Hunt
Opens in August
Info: http://frozenriverthemovie.com/

\===================================/

>>DVD RELEASES

\===================================/

++ The Business of Being Born directed by Abby Epstein

++ Mad Money directed by Callie Khouri

++ 27 Dresses directed by Anne Fletcher

\===================================/

>>TELEVISION/CABLE/MISC.:

\===================================/

++ The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo directed by
Lisa F. Jackson premieres on HBO on April 8 at 10 p.m.
Info: http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c709.shtml

++ Bad Voodoo’s War directed by Deborah Scranton
Now showing on PBS
Info: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/badvoodoo/

++ Home directed by Dawn Scibilia
Now showing on PBS station Thirteen/WNET New York
Info: http://homethemovie.com, http://www.thirteen.org

++ Autism: The Musical directed by Tricia Regan
Showing on HBO
Info: http://www.autismthemusical.com

++ Editor’s Note: Please visit www.withoutabox.com
for extended festival listings.
We do accept sponsorship listings.
Email us for inquiries - news@moviesbywomen.com

\===================================/

>>Hey, directors! Send us your TV or cable releases.

\===================================/

>>SCREENINGS IN OTHER CITIES

\===================================/

\===================================/

>>SUBLETS IN N.Y. & L.A.

\===================================/

\===================================/

>>MISC.

\===================================/

>> If you’re a journalist interested in publishing your articles
on MoviesByWomen.com, please e-mail us at news@moviesbywomen.com

————————————————

Editorial & Technical Office:
Director: Tara Veneruso
419 N. Larchmont Blvd. #90
Los Angeles, CA 90004
EMAIL: movies@moviesbywomen.com

To advertise, contact:
Tara Veneruso
EMAIL: movies@moviesbywomen.com

————————————————

Donations Needed For First Weekenders Group.

————————————————

Please consider dropping something ($50, $25, even $10)
in the mail. To donate with
PAYPAL: www.moviesbywomen.com/member.html

Please note: The only way we are currently able to
offer a tax-deductible contribution is via check or
credit card, through the generosity of New York Women
in Film & Television. Write checks out to: NYWIFT
(New York Women In Film and Television).
Mail to: Tara Veneruso, 419 N. Larchmont Blvd. #90
Los Angeles, CA 90004.

————————————————

WHO WE ARE

————————————————

The First Weekenders Group supports features directed
by women the first weekend they arrive at the box office.
The service goes to over 3,000 people who are helping
raise the box office numbers for women directed features.
Buying tickets to women directed features is how we
can make a direct impact on the industry.

We attend features directed by women the first weekend
they arrive at the box office. To accomplish this we buy
tickets and go to the movies. Please purchase a ticket
even if you cannot attend the movie that week. The
list focuses on New York and Los Angeles.

We are not an organization, but rather a loose collective
seeking to attain equality for women in film and television,
and all media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide,
in perpetuity.

To recommend events reply to this email by Thursday
afternoons otherwise it cannot be listed until the
following week.

\===================================/

CO-SPONSORS OF THE FIRST WEEKENDERS GROUP

\===================================/

www.nywift.org

New York Women in Film & Television is a nonprofit membership
organization dedicated to helping women reach the highest
levels of achievement in the film, television and new media
industries, and to promoting equity for women in these industries.
In addition to providing services to members, NYWIFT plays an
important role in recognizing and encouraging the contributions
of women to the field. NYWIFT was founded in 1978 and now
numbers more than 1,200 professional members working in all
areas of the film, television and new media. Part of an
international network of Women in Film and Television
chapters representing 10,000 members worldwide, NYWIFT
produces more than fifty innovative educational programs
And special events each year, in which many highly distinguished
producers, directors, writers, craftspeople and industry leaders
participate as guest speakers and panelists.

\===================================/

You are subscribed to the First Weekenders Group, a
MoviesByWomen.com email list.

To unsubscribe, click here:
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Enter your email address in the box and then click the
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(c) 2007 MoviesByWomen.com | 419 N. Larchmont
Blvd #90, Los Angeles, CA 90004 | news@moviesbywomen.com

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Summer Movies

Is There a Real Woman in This Multiplex?

By MANOHLA DARGIS

IRON MAN, Batman, Big Angry Green Man — to judge from the new popcorn season it seems as if Hollywood has realized that the best way to deal with its female troubles is to not have any, women, that is.

Not that it hasn’t tried to make nice with the leading ladies, in films like “The Invasion” (with Nicole Kidman) and “The Brave One” (Jodie Foster). Yet, after those Warner Brothers titles fizzled, the online chatter was that the studio’s president for production, Jeff Robinov, had vowed it would no longer make movies with female leads. A studio representative denied he made the comments. And, frankly, it is hard to believe that anyone in a position of Hollywood power would be so stupid as to actually say what many in that town think: Women can’t direct. Women can’t open movies. Women are a niche.

(more…)

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>> HIGHLIGHTS

++ Five women-directed films premiering in L.A.
and N.Y.; the Silver Lake Film Festival kicks off in L.A.

————————————————
>> PREMIERING week of May 2, 2008

Buy opening weekend tickets for films directed by women.

++ The Favor directed by Eva Aridjis

++ Viva directed by Anna Biller
Opens in N.Y.

++ XXY directed by Lucia Puenzo
Opens in N.Y.

++ Hats Off directed by Jyll Johnstone
Opens in L.A.

++ A Walk into the Sea directed by Esther Robinson
Opens in L.A.

Current but check your local listings.

(more…)

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>> HIGHLIGHTS

++ Five women-directed films premiering in L.A.;
the Tribeca Film Festival kicks off in N.Y.

————————————————
>> PREMIERING week of April 25, 2008

Buy opening weekend tickets for films directed by women.

++ Body of War directed by Ellen Spiro & Phil Donahue
Opens in L.A.

++ Jack and Jill vs. The World directed by Vanessa Parise
Opens in L.A.

++ Jellyfish directed by Shira Geffen & Etgar Keret
Opens in L.A.

++ A Plumm Summer directed by Caroline Zelder
Opens in L.A.

++ Then She Found Me directed by Helen Hunt

Current but check your local listings.

\ (more…)

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>> HIGHLIGHTS

++ Chris Kraus’s Lola Award-winning
Four Minutes premieres this weekend

————————————————
>> PREMIERING week of April 18, 2008

Buy opening weekend tickets for films directed by women.

++ Four Minutes directed by Chris Kraus

++ Water directed by Saida Medvedeva

Current but check your local listings.

(more…)

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We’re in iTunes and now available for download. If you’re subscribed to the Movies By Women audio podcast channel in iTunes, just hit “Update Podcasts and you’ll get it automatically.

If you’re not subscribed (why not!?!), just click here.

Podcast #14: This week’s show focuses on the much talked about startling statistics of women filmmakers working in Hollywood. Our guest Dr. Martha Lauzen PhD., walks us through the harsh reality of being one of the under-represented women working in the “movie biz”.

Did you know that only 6% of Hollywood’s top 250 grossing films of 2007 were directed by women?

The question is posed — is Hollywood sexist? Tune in and find out! You don’t want to miss this episode!

• Runtime: 45:43m.
• Format: MP3, 54.3MB.
• Download: LINK

Subscribe to our audio podcasts in iTunes, won’t you?

Listen to episode 14 now, just click the play button below:

(more…)

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Dr. Martha M. Lauzen serves as a faculty member at San Diego State University and conducts annual studies of women working on screen and behind the scenes in prime-time television and film. Dr. Lauzen holds a doctorate from the University of Maryland and M.A. and B.A. degrees from the University of Iowa.
Also from films42.com description of her work:  Professor Martha Lauzen of San Diego State University has documented the progress of women in the film industry for beyond a decade, and her results are a sobering reminder that equity continues to be a major issue in one of America’s preeminent industries. According to the Executive Summary of the “Celluloid Ceiling” report she released in June…

You’ll want to hear this interview with your hosts Tara Veneruso, Lucy Rodriguez-Watson, and Stephanie Young.

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I’m going to be kicking out the updates too fast - such as - look out if you live in Los Angeles for the Asian American Film Festival coming later this month (starts April 29th).  We’ll have a podcast special on the events.  Also, check local listings for more screenings of Mary Lambert’s 14 Women - It is a killer documentary about the 14 women in the Senate.

I’m also planning a podcast episode devoted to your filmmaking/technical questions - no question is  to big or small.  Check out my resume and you’ll see I’m not kidding - I don’t mean it to be horribly vain - but simply to say that I thrive to teach non-technical people technology!

Also, we’d love to read YOUR letters, comments, topic, or movie review suggestions on the air…podcast that is.  Send us your thoughts or suggestions and let’s heat it up.   You might even win free schwag by doing so… we’ve got some great stuff coming in the door.  And pass this link onto your friends.

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>> HIGHLIGHTS

++ Five women-directed films premiering around
the country this weekend

————————————————
>> PREMIERING week of April 11, 2008

Buy opening weekend tickets for films directed by women.

++ Body of War directed by Ellen Spiro & Phil Donahue

++ Dhamma Brothers directed by Jenny Phillips

++ Never Forever directed by Gina Kim

++ Remember the Daze directed by Jess Manafort

++ Young and Restless in China directed by Sue Williams

Current but check your local listings.

\ (more…)

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>> HIGHLIGHTS

++ Five women-directed films premiering in N.Y.,
L.A., and around the country

————————————————
>> PREMIERING week of April 4, 2008

Buy opening weekend tickets for films directed by women.

++ Nim’s Island directed by Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin

++ Extra Ordinary Barry directed by Vivi Stafford

++ Forever directed by Heddy Honigmann
Opens in L.A.

++ Jellyfish directed by Shira Geffen & Etgar Keret
Opens in N.Y.

++ Water Lilies directed by Celine Sciamma
Opens in N.Y.

Current but check your local listings.

(more…)

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