QUEUE THIS!

For those of us in Los Angeles, this week sees the start of the LA Film Festival, and I'm really excited about it.  As many of you know, I was on the fest circuit with my itty bitty short film, The Director, in 2011-12 and it was a wonderful experience.  When things slowed down, however, I really started missing all that's great about film festivals-- meeting other filmmakers, seeing new films, being inspired by the creative energy swirling about, etc.  So, I decided to get a pass for this year's LA Film Fest to kinda-sorta pretend that I'm back on the circuit (don't worry, I'm not going to lie to people and say I'm a festival filmmaker, I'm only going to lie to myself a little bit).  So, if you see me around the fest, please say hello!  My favorite part is connecting with other filmmakers.  And if you're a woman director, I just might snap a picture of you to share with @TheDirectorList twitter followers (you'll have photo approval, of course). Don't be shy!

Good lord, there are a lot of great films by women at this year's festival.  To help you get to know a few of the women behind those films, I've put together a Netflix viewing list that includes some of their other film work. By the way, I love how easy the LA Film Fest makes it to find women directed films- just go to the film guide, click the Genre drop-down menu and pick Women Directors.  I wish every fest made it so easy (as well as Netflix, for that matter)!  It's too bad they don't include the short filmmakers, but it's a great start.

I'll be honest, there are a few filmmakers here I didn't know had other films, so working on this week's post led me to some nice discoveries.  I hope there are some discoveries for you, too.  Let's QUEUE THIS!

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (dir Tamar Halpern, 2011)  Netflix says: "Just before his 13th birthday, Jeremy Fink receives a mysterious box that needs four keys to be opened and promises to reveal the meaning of life. Aided by his feisty best friend, Lizzy, Jeremy goes on an extraordinary quest to open his treasure."

The Queen and I (dir Nahid Persson Sarvestani, 2008)  Netflix says: "This thought-provoking documentary about the director's friendship with Queen Farah, the Shah of Iran's wife, demonstrates how even those at odds can find middle ground and understanding as the conversation becomes political and personal."

I Will Follow (dir Ava DuVernay, 2011)  Netflix says: "Devastated after her beloved aunt, Amanda, dies of breast cancer, Maye must move out of the home they shared and resume her career while coping with her grief. Maye's life is touched by other mourners, giving her the strength to carry on."

Salt of This Sea (dir Annemarie Jacir, 2008)  Netflix says: "Born in Brooklyn to Palestinian refugee parents, Soraya journeys to the country of her ancestry when she learns her grandfather's savings have been frozen in a Jaffa bank account since his 1948 exile. But her plan takes her far from her comfort zone."

American Zombie (dir Grace Lee, 2007)  Netflix says: "Part mockumentary, part unabashed gore-fest, American Zombie follows filmmakers Grace Lee and John Solomon -- both playing themselves -- as they infiltrate a Los Angeles zombie community in an effort to document the undead subculture. Finding that the reanimated aren't much different from the rest of us -- save for some patches of rotting flesh -- the moviemakers offer a comical look at their marginalized subjects."

Blindsight  (dir Lucy Walker, 2006)  Netflix says: "Six blind Tibetan teenagers set off on a gripping adventure as they attempt to climb the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. Considered cursed in Tibetan culture, blind children are often hidden away to live as pariahs. Determined to challenge that perception, the kids gear up for a demanding expedition led by climber Erik Weihenmayer -- the first blind man to scale Everest -- and learn some lessons about life along the way."

QUEUE THIS! is a weekly post by Destri Martino that appears on the Broad Humor Blog every Thursday morning. The goal of the post is to get more women-directed films in Netflix queues in order to make a sizable impact on Netflix analytics and buying patterns; thus, getting more films by women directors distributed and seen, and generally heightening awareness about this often overlooked pool of talent. View the past two QUEUE THIS! posts here and here.