CONTEST: The Los Angeles Video Project

If you have a short film or care to make one that features the city of Los Angeles and present it in a positive light, you have until April 22 to upload.  This festival presented by New Filmmakers LA on May 20, 2011 at the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood.  More info here...

Calling All April Fools! - Submissions open for 2011

April 1, the Broad Humor Film Festival opens submissions for its sixth year of celebrating funny films by women with exclusive screenings, screenplay readings, exciting industry panels, delicious eats and the best conversations a bunch of broads could ask for!  Ladies, break out your director's cuts. Funny femmes, make the finish flares on that final fabulous draft. Women everywhere, get ready to submit your comedic works to the film festival tailored  just for YOU.

Get Ready to Submit Your Films and Screenplays

Submissions are open for the 2011 Broad Humor Film Festival.

This year is already shaping up to be a barrel of laughs. We have broadened (yes pun intended) the categories so that now a film written by a woman but directed by a non-female can still be eligible for inclusion in the festival. Likewise, a gal can direct something written by a man and still see her work included in the event and possibly garner a directing award for it.   More details on the Broad Humor website submissions page.

Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival Next Weekend

If you're in LA and interested in women's work on stage, next weekend you can sample the works of women performers from near and far taking place March 24-27 at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave, Venice, 90291

There's gala Thursday March 24 (see invite graphic) that costs $40. For the other programs, ticket prices this year include Festival VIP passes for all six shows at $125; and  general admission single show tickets  at $20 in advance, or $25 at the door. Discounts are available upon request for students, seniors, and groups of ten or more. The Electric Lodge welcomes all audience members to use its free, on-site parking lot.

Reservations: (818) 760-0408.
Online reservations will be available at http://www.lawtf.com

Sexy Women and Comedy

Wading into the conversation about last week's 30 Rock and the convoluted relationship of feminism to women's humor, I want to first send kudos to Salon's Rebecca Traister and Women and Hollywood's guest blog by Emilie Spiegel.  You should know that my opinions come from my experiences performing in a Seattle late-night cabaret as a "babe"  - baby-voiced, blonde, and completely self-absorbed.  (Watch an old video of me in Freud & Box Envy on YouTube if you care to see where I'm coming from.)

Comedy with cleavage plays on the power of sex.  A gal who uses that power without admitting that she's doing it risks pissing other women off.  You can get the guys with testosterone poisoning to swear they love you for your brains, but don't expect me to buy the lie.  I don't mind if Babycakes gets what she wants by dumbing down or dressing up.  I mind if she turns to me with those same wide eyes and innocently demands I accept her status as coming from her brains, artistry, or great personality.