Janice Kennedy One-Act Play NIght

Janice Kennedy, whose Legacy Screening, "Man, Woman, Blackbird," closed the '09 Broad Humor Festival, is seen here out on the town with fellow Broad, Annmarie Hehir, at the Lex Theater in Hollywood.  The evening consisted of 3 one-act plays penned by Kennedy, including the stage play, "The Dark," upon which the film was based.  One feature of Janice's writing is her use of multiple actors to portray multiple aspects of women's personality or the "ghost" of their experience that hovers around the lives of the characters.  Kudos to Janice and to the producer/director Jennifer Bushnell for getting more women's writing up where the world can see it.

More info at www.lafpi.com - click on "Women at Work Onstage."

Great Screenwriting Advice

Screenwriting is such a tough combination of writing from your heart and taking care of business.  Playwrights have the luxury of messing around with structure any old way they please so long as it works.  Movies, falling as they do on the business side of the art/craft divide, demand scripts that toe the structure line much more closely. 

In that vein, I would like to suggest that all you writers out there check out the tips on Julie Gray's Silver Screenwriting site here.  Julie writes the fabulous screenwriting blog, Just Effing Entertain Me and runs The Script Department script consulting service. She's also giving a workshop at Broad Humor, so you'll get a chance to hear her and meet her there.

Bag Ladies?

Here are the first bags hot off the sewing machine. These are not for sale and cannot be had for love nor money.  Got to get a film or script in the festival if you want one.

Festival Bags

Many of the broads from Year 1 have told me how much they liked their one-of-a-kind festival bags that they got in our inaugural event.  As Sarah Schenck ('06, winner for Best Feature '07) said, "I loved it so much I used it till it fell apart!"

Well, for year 5, I'm doing it again.  I've gathered bits of fabric samples and am re-cycling them by making bags for all the participants this year.  So if you want another bag, you have to send us a film or script! And remember, if you make a short for our Legacy program, you pay no fee and are guaranteed a showing.  And a bag!

What Is in the Public Domain:

I was trying to figure out if some of the very old 78 records I have can be used legally in soundtracks, and my friend Laura, a great broad, sent me to the Cornell Law School website where there's a great chart explaining how and when copyright works pass into the public domain here.  Figured I'd share it.

The Godmother comes to Santa Monica!

Well, actually, she also lives there! Georja Umano, one of our favorite Broads! In the past few years, Georja has been part of the Broad Humor Film Festival, as a filmmaker and screenwriter. Wonderful work she has showcased at the festival!

Georja now stars in The Godmother, a short comedy action film by Lior Chefetz.

The hilarious romantic film is on a very successful roller coaster. It won Best Short Film at the Soho International Film Festival in New York City and also won Best Short Film at the Festivus Festival in Denver.

Now The Godmother is coming to Santa Monica !!!

It will be screened at the Edgemar Film Festival at the beautiful Edgemar Center on Main Street in Santa Monica, on Saturday March 27. It will be with three other short films, in "Block 3" (from 1 pm to 2pm).

If you can't make it to the Edgemar, there are a few more Los Angeles screenings coming up. On Sunday evening, March 28, there is a screening at the Method Fest in Calabases.

There will also be three more screenings in Hollywood in April and May.

Congratulations, Georja!

Stay tuned on The Godmother’s adventures via its website: http://thegodmothermovie.com/support.html

More details on the screenings and ticket information here.

http://www.edgemarcenter.org/events/filmfestival

The admission ticket is $10.

http://www.methodfest.com/10pages/films.htm

Lionsgate Seeks Comedy Film Projects

Massify and Lionsgate Films have partnered to create an original, high-concept comedy developed entirely through Massify's production network. A writer, director, cast, and crew will be attached through Massify - with Lionsgate's feature film development team providing input throughout the process. This is an opportunity to work with the leading next generation studio on a breakthrough project.

Program Details:

- You will be attached as the writer if your concept is greenlit

- Credit, Compensation, and Backend Participation in the produced film.

- Work closely with the Lionsgate team to develop your script.

NOTE: DEADLINE to submit your concept is March 8, 2010.

Learn more about the program, including Director's and Cast & Crew Phases, or pitch your concept:

http://massify. com/partnerships /lionsgate/ makingcomedy/ overview