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NEW LESBIAN SHORT FILM COLLECION SOON AVAILABLE ON DVD
By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer
Open relationships, coming of age love and family are just a taste of the subject matter in Alluvial Filmworks' latest release Girls' View, a collection of award-winning, lesbian-themed short films coming to DVD on July 10, 2007. Talented women filmmakers Teale Failla, Fei-Fei Wang, Barbara Ryersen, Tyrrell Shaffner and Isabella v. Chan share their compelling lesbian-themed stories. With a mixture of comedy and drama, this DVD is a must-have for all film lovers.
Lesbian stereotypes are broken in Open, Failla's comedy about a modern triadic relationship that tackles the common social issue of open relationships. Can an open relationship ever really work? Find out in this trip filled with bingo, betrayal and sex toys. The G Spod describes Open as "fantastically written and directed" and says Open "packs a whollop of a punch in a twelve minute period." Open won Hirshon Film Festival's Robert M. Youngson Award for Experimental Narrative and the Award for Excellence in Narrative from Mixed Messages: The New School's Invitational Graduate Showcase in Media. Multiple award-winning filmmaker Failla brings together a decorated and experienced cast and crew for a hilarious and thoughtful ride seen at over 40 film festivals across the world.
Wang's dramatic coming of age story Unspoken shows that sometimes there are no words. This tale of desire, lust and betrayal follows sixteen-year-old Jani and best friend Gabby whose friendship and affection sparks jealousy and turns heads. But when two boys, Alex and Kris, come into the picture, dynamics shift and illusions shatter as sex, drugs and infidelity run rampant in a junkyard. Three-time Academy Award winning director Mark Jonathan Harris heralds Unspoken as "a sensitive tale of love and heart break, beautifully shot and achingly rendered." Meanwhile, Screenwriter Jack Epps, Jr. (Top Gun, Dick Tracy) touts Unspoken as "a directing tour de force' Unspoken deftly examines the thin line between love and betrayal. Wang uses the light sublimely painted by directors of photography, Michael Dwyer and Maura Milan, to create haunting lyrical imagery. A top notch short film with superb technical expertise and great performances by actors Troian Bellisario and Sarah Christine Smith." Wang was awarded the prestigious Jack Nicholson Directing Scholarship for excellence in direction for Unspoken.
Open Studio tells the tale of a mother's attempt to rediscover her artist's voice, to put herself first and find her forgotten soul after her lesbian daughter announces her pregnancy. Having devoted her life to her daughter,
the mother feels betrayed and realizes she must reclaim her artistic expression after 30 years of suppression. Lesbian filmmaker Ryersen wrote Open Studio during a time of joy when she found her own artistic voice in the art of moviemaking. The film screened at film festivals worldwide and earned the Bronze Award from Worldfest Houston.
Chan's endearing film Sugared Peas recounts a story of lost love between two girls who connect with one another at a convent school and become best friends. A fateful meeting years later as adults leads to a bittersweet ending filled with angst as both fail to find the words to express their emotions showing that its takes more than simple coincidence to make relationships happen at last.
Shaffner's film Different presents a parallel universe of Liberty High School where gay and lesbian is the norm and Homecoming is only days away. Joanne and Justin share a secret: they're straight. Will Justin dare to ask Joanne, the quiet beauty in Biology class, outing their true feelings before the dance? Different won the Grand Prize for Best Student Film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. It has screened at over 40 film festivals worldwide and has opened for award-winning queer features including Boys Don't Cry, Eating Out and Girl Play. Award-winning actress Emily Stiles from Eating Out and Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds stars as Joanne. Different's Ben Hogestyn, the first openly gay character on ABC's General Hospital who currently stars on CBS's The Bold and The Beautiful, stars as Justin.
The suggested retail price of Girls' View is $22.95 and the running time is approximately 60 minutes. High-resolution imagery and an extensive press kit with additional information about the short films are available at www.villagelighthouse.com/girlsview. The DVD is available for prebooking online at 10percentGIRL.com, 10percent.com and Amazon.com or by calling 888-910-7372. Girls' View will also be available at local community retailers upon release.
Alluvial Filmworks recognizes the accomplishments of upcoming talent in the realm of gay and lesbian independent cinema. It achieves this through DVD and broadcast distribution of films that the gay community can relate to and others can enjoy as well. Each Alluvial Filmworks title is distributed with a strong marketing force behind it that includes advertising and publicity. And while it boasts titles that have won film festival awards, Alluvial Filmworks believes firmly in its mission to share work from filmmakers whose impressive skills have yet to be widely discovered.
Village Lighthouse, Inc. is a leading manufacturer, distributor and retailer of gay and lesbian oriented merchandise. Its wholesale divisions, including 10% and Alluvial Filmworks, distribute greeting cards, calendars, postcards, magnets, movies, cologne, lotion, male pheromones and other paper products to over 500 accounts internationally. Village Lighthouse's retail divisions include 10percent.com, the leading online shopping destination for the gay community, and 10percentGIRL.com, a retail shopping website devoted to the interests of lesbian women. For more information about Village Lighthouse and its divisions, visit its corporate website at www.villagelighthouse.com.
