Lady Filmmakers Festival Kicks Off Today With Script 2 Screen Program to Create Opportunities for Women In Film.
By: Sydney Levine
Tags: Festivals, Film Festival, Women

“Lady Filmmakers has been so important as a venue in Los Angeles for women filmmakers to present and screen their work, and one of the most amazing things they do is Script 2 Screen where they are actually fostering and championing talent by finding interesting writers, staging readings, and then producing short films. What other festival does this? It’s incredible.” — Producer Cecillia Peck



The 7th Annual Lady Filmmakers Festival begins today and will run throughout the weekend. Lady Filmmakers screens a record number of films directed and filmed by women! The festival boasts 4 feature films and 42 short films with several World, US, West Coast, and LA Premieres in Beverly Hills, CA. The festival kicks off with a “Havana Nights” Opening Party at the Crescent Hotel featuring Live Latin Music and Cuban inspired cuisine.



Lady Filmmakers is a festival that recognizes and celebrates the tremendous contribution of women to film and the importance in the collaborative spirit amongst men and women,” says DiSalvo Viayra. One goal of the festival is to screen high quality, entertaining independent US and international films to show people that they can enjoy Indie films just as much as the big blockbusters. The fest promotes artists and musicians, recognizes and empowers lady filmmakers, artists, and musicians from all ethnic, religious, and LGBT communities.



Lady Filmmakers Honors Marion Rosenberg, OBE for her leadership and tremendous contributions to film. She served as Executive Producer on Columbia’s HOLLOW MAN. She was the Executive Producer of REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Sam Mendes for Dreamworks. Marion co-founded BAFTA LA, and was its Co-Chair from 1987 to 1995. Until 2008, she served as Chair of the UK Film Council US Advisory Board.



Lady Filmmakers is more than just a film festival. Under the new 501©(3) IRS Tax Exempt Charity Status, The very first Script 2 Screen Film produced by Lady Filmmakers, The Bay Laurel, written by Jan Militello, directed by Lis & Brenda Fies, premieres Sunday October 25th at 8:00 pm at the Laemmle’s Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills, CA. “The Bay Laurel” stars Emmy winner David Lagos.



The S2S Program is an extension of the writing contest where award-winning scripts are workshopped and given a Staged Reading in front of a live audience. The script “Pyne”, written by Ingrid Abrams, is in pre-production slated to shoot in November directed by Cecilia Peck. The film stars Adrian Pasdar, Sandra Seacat and Ajarae Coleman. This is just one of the new programs launched to create opportunities for women and diversity in film & the arts!



Special industry speakers confirmed are Ivy Kagan Bierman (Entertainment Lawyer), Tara Kole (Entertainment Lawyer), Andrew Sugerman (Premonition, Conviction), Louise Levison (The Blair Witch Project), Hammad Zaidi (Lonely Seal Releasing), Gil Cates Jr (Life After Tomorrow, Lucky, Job), Pam Dixon, CSA (Zorro, City Slickers, Gosford Park), Kerry Barden, CSA (Boys Don’t Cry, American Psycho).



This year’s festival will screen films from Brazil, Norway, Spain, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Republic of Georgia, and Australia. Films will showcase up-and-coming as well as celebrity filmmakers and actors including Courteney Cox, Laura Dern, Rita Wilson, Anna Paquin, Sharon Stone, Maria Bello, Olivia Wilde, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, Glenn Close, James Brolin, and David Lynch.



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