"Chicks Make Flicks" was organized by WIFV/NE member Signe Taylor, in order to celebrate and promote the achievements of women filmmakers. College instructor Taylor discovered the need for female empowerment in her media classroom, where students unfailingly assumed that filmmakers are men. This is no surprise, considering that in 2002 about 9 out of 10 films released were directed and produced by men, and that almost all of these had male cinematographers. "Chicks Make Flicks" showcases successful films made by women, and offers a forum for filmmakers to discuss their experiences as women in a male-dominated field.
Says Signe, "We want to encourage more female participation in the filmmaking industry. I'd also love to see networking at these events because, statistically, women employ more women. One of the goals is to energize New England’s female filmmaking community."
The series debuted in September with a screening of MY FATHER THE GENIUS, followed by a Q&A opportunity with producer/director Lucia Small. Small’s feature-length documentary draws a very personal portrait of her father, Glen Small, a visionary dreamer, frustrated architect, and difficult parent. Small candidly related her thrill at the film's success (winning best documentary and best editing at SlamDance), and her ensuing surprise at the difficulty in finding a distributor. She feels that women tend to center their energy on the film's creation, and keep marketing as an afterthought. (See November cover story 2002)
The marketing aspect of filmmaking was brought into focus at the second "Chicks Make Flicks" screening, which featured NEXT STOP WONDERLAND and co-producer Laura Bernieri. This Boston-based romantic comedy starring Hope Davis earned rave reviews at Sundance, where it became the object of a bidding war ultimately won by Miramax to the tune of $6 million. Laura gave many examples of how marketing was foremost on her mind every step of the way. One of her many roles was mediator between the writer/director and Miramax.
And every producer in the room could empathize with Bernieri when she imparted her debacle at procuring "the ‘freakin' puffer fish" - a living prop for NEXT STOP WONDERLAND. First she ordered the wrong fish, then she discovered the right fish was eaten in-transit, and lastly was faced with a hurricane-engendered puffer-fish dearth. It gives us hope that she was able to achieve such transparency in the movie, as we fall in love with "Puffy" whom newscasters deplore, schoolchildren grieve, and who isn't eaten by a piranha in the end.
No matter what your current situation as a filmmaker, attending "Chicks Make Flicks" somehow makes it all feel more manageable.
So be sure not to miss these next "Chicks Make Flicks" events!
On November 12, Patricia Alvarado, producer for WGBH's American Experience and La Plaza will present two documentaries. GETTING TO FENWAY (2002 Emmy winner for Best Sports Documentary) relates 19-year-old Manny Delcarmen’s dream of pitching for the Red Sox. EL TIANTE: A Red Sox Story captures the rise of black Cuban exile Luis Tiant from the Latin American Leagues to pitching in the 1975 World Series.
On December 10, Laurie Kahn-Leavitt (A MIDWIFE’S TALE, National Emmy for Outstanding Non-Fiction Programming) will screen her latest documentary, TUPPERWARE, a humorous history of the 1950s centering on Brownie Wise, the self-taught saleswoman who built an empire out of bowls that burped.
"Chicks Make Flicks" is sponsored by Future Media Concepts (www.fmctraining.com), supported by MIT's women's studies program and hosted by MIT. Don't let the labyrinths at MIT daunt you. It is surprisingly easy to navigate the third longest corridor in the world to building 4, room 270, and it's well worth the encounter with these groundbreaking women. The show starts at 7PM. It is free and open to the public, but please remember to leave a donation if you can! This series has high hopes for the future.
To learn more, please contact info@womeninfilmvideo.org.