Friday, November 2, 2012

Screening at VFF12: “Girls on Film” Shorts Program

On Friday evening, our annual selection of films by and/or about women is as strong as ever.  Whether you like drama, comedy, or documentary, these films will speak to you about the ups and downs, the complexities, of the female condition. 

As its title suggests, The Oldest Lesbian in the World is a documentary about a woman—Bobbie Staff, a butch lesbian born in 1913—who’s seen a lot in her time.  Accompanied by her longtime friend, Sweet Baby J’ai, Bobbie takes us on a whimsical and revealing trip down a very steamy memory lane, through photographs and vivid memories of many decades living as an out lesbian in New York City and Los Angeles.  This story comes from the filmmaking team of Mary Jo Godges and two-time Emmy-award winning video journalist Renee Sotile.

One of our comedies, Bathing and the Single Girl, is about a single woman in her 30s comically recounting her dismal attempts at a “first trip to cougartown.”  Desperate after a long romantic dry spell, she lowers her standards and reminds us of why she had them in the first place.  A witty monologue written and performed by Christine Elise McCarthy (who also directed and produced)—part of the fun of the film is seeing how it uses cinematic techniques to be more than just a monologue.  Elsewhere in the festival, you can see Christine in Route 30, Too!

You Got This is a drama about two young women, each struggling with their own lives, crossing paths and learning from each other.  Lauren is a troubled teenage musician caught stealing money by a high school security guard, who holds her guitar hostage in order to teach her a lesson; the ransom is that Lauren must train with his charity marathon team. Through this forced interaction with running—and her assigned training partner, Susie—Lauren learns more about life and friendship than she could have ever expected.  This film is an MFA student production by Simo Manfredi, a Directing Fellow at the AFI.  Click here for a sneak-peek clip with Simo introducing her film.  And here for an interview with her.
 
In Liking Men, a woman embarks on a restless odyssey of healing after a traumatic rape.  While receiving the guidance of a wise woman, her journey takes a surprising direction, as she tries to reconnect physically with her husband.  A terrific dramedy—based on a Margaret Atwood short story of the same title—written, produced, and starring Di Koob.  Click here for a sneak-peek clip of Di introducing the film.

Inspired by the book The Green Hat by Michael Arlen, Le Chapeau (The Hat) is a drama about a Los Angeles photographer who recalls his love affair with a French model.  Click here for an interview we did with the film’s writer Sahag Gureghian, producer Rehn Dudukgian, and director Marie Tang.

Check them out Friday evening (11/9) at 7:30.

And come to the “Girls on Film” Happy Hour beforehand:  4:30 pm @ Bow & Truss, 11122 Magnolia Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 91601

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The Valley Film Festival returns to NoHo for its twelfth annual celebration of independent film and local production, Wednesday, November 7 – Sunday, November 11, 2012.

For more on The Valley Film Festival, visit our website or Facebook page.


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