Second NY Women’s Film Festival Kicking Off Tonight; Arzner Film Opens, Digman’s ‘Loved’ Closing

by Eugene Hernandez

The Second New York Women's Film Festival opens tonight, kicking off a weekend run at the Screening Room in downtown Manhattan. Fifteen features and thirty short films will be screened during the five day festival which expects to attract an audience of 10,000, topping last year's 6,500 attendees.

Dorothy Arzner's 1929 film "The Wild Party" kicks off the festival tonight, recognizing the work of the prolific golden age female filmmaker. Arzner directed seventeen films from 1927 to 1943, she was the first woman to become a member of the DGA and an innovator in the use of boom microphones, and the crane. Closing the festival this Sunday is a screening of Erin Digman's "Loved", starring William Hurt, Amy Madigan, Sean Penn, and Robin Wright Penn. The film recently received two Spirit Award nominations.

Among the fiction films screening at this year's fest are: Alison Swan's "Mixing Nia", Jane Anderson's "The Baby Dance", Agnes Merlet's "Artemisia", Julie A. Lynch's "Remembering Sex', Samantha Lang's "The Well", Hilary Brougher's "The Sticky Fingers of Time", and Susan Skoog's "Whatever." Documentaries include: Anne Makepeace's "Baby, It's You", Wendy Rowland's "Packing Heat", Demetria Royals' "Conjure Women" and Ellen Bruno's "Satya" and "Sacrifice" and a short documentary by filmmaker Penelope Spheeris, about her mom Gypsy. Among the other short films screening this weekend are Amy Sedaris' "Bad Bosses Go to Hell", Jamie Babbit's "Sleeping Beauties", Debra Granik's "Snake Feed", and Elizabeth Schub's "Cuba 15."

News » Oscar Doc Shortlist Features » Tim Burton's Big Show News » Sundance's 2010 New Frontier

As part of the NYWFF's spotlight on experimental films and videos, the festival will screen Sharon Lockhart's "Goshogoaka", and a program of short experimental work curated by Peggy Ahwesh, Su Friedrich, and Leah Gilliam. Works screeening in this program include Etang Inyang's "Badass Superama", Diane Bonder's "Dear Mom", Valerie Soe's "Beyond Asiaphilia", Sherry Miller's "Unruly Fan, Unruly Star", and Jenni Olson's "Blue Diary." Other programs include a music video event and programs honoring four New York filmmakers, Nancy Savoca ("True Love", "Dogfight"), Beth B ("Voices Unheard", "Two Small Bodies"), and Faith & Emily Hubley ("One Self: Fish Girl", "Eggs"). Finally, the NYWFF will present a Filmmaker's Award recognizing two filmmakers, and a Young Filmmakers Scholarship to two NYC high school juniors. The award will offer a full tuition scholarship to NYU's Summer Filmmaker Workshop. [The New York Women's Film Festival runs through Sunday. For more information, call 212/465-3435, or visit the festival website at: <www.nywfilmfest.com>] Login to recommend this article » posted on April 22, 1998 Films to Snag Login to Leave a Comment »