TONIGHT: Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

Hi Everyone..

It's here!! The film all us girls (and girl lovers) have been waiting for! Call all your girlfriends and gays, strap on your Manolos, slap some mousse through your gently toussled hair, and buy your tickets! The movie event we've been DYING for.....

"Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo!"  Hurray!! (Que Samba Intro Music..)

That's right! Premiering tonight at Downtown Independent, Jessica Orek's "Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo" explores the importance of these sacred insects in Japanese culture. The film plays out like a detective story, tracing the cultural imprint of the beetle through time, and across religions. This is truly a subject I know nothing about, and I'm so excited to see how such a little gross/beautiful creature can help shape a culture and belief system. Here's a little synopsis from the website:

"Using insects like an anthropologist's toolkit, the film uncovers Japanese philosophies that will shift Westerner's perspectives on nature, beauty, life, and even the seemingly mundane realities of their day-to-day routines."

So I beg of you.. If you have $10 to spend on a movie tonight, do NOT spend it on a franchise that tried to convince you to wait around for Mr. Right, no matter how shitty he was to you.*  Support local independent female film makers, who have real things to talk about. Like bugs.

Where:
Downtown Independent
251 Main St.
Los Angeles, CA

When:
Fri 5/28: 6, 7.45, 9.30
Sat 5/29: 2:30, 4:15
Sun 5/30: 2.30, 4.15, 6
Mon 5/31: 5.15
Tue 6/1: 5.15
Wed 6/2: 6.30
Thur 6/3: 6, 7.45, 9.30

How Much:
$10 - Tickets Here!

*All that being said, I did (and still do) truly love the SATC series.  It empowered a generation of young women to take responsibility for their actions between  the sheets. I just cannot stand behind the decision to have our heroine compromise all of her beliefs and end up with the man who made her question herself than anything throughout the run of the show. I think the last 10 min. of the first movie negated all of the positive effects of the previous 10 years of Carrie V. Big.

Anyway... Beetle Queen! See you there!
xo
L.A.F.

TOMORROW: Women In Film Speaker Series

Hi Everyone,

Do you all know about Women In Film Los Angeles? If not, you definitely need to check it out. Tomorrow night, they are hosting a special event with guest speaker Kim Moses, Producer of the TV shows "The Ghost Whisperer" and "The Profiler".

Here's what WIF is all about:

Mission Statement
"Women In Film is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women achieve their highest potential within the global entertainment, communications and media industries and to preserving the legacy of women within those industries.

Founded in 1973, Women In Film and its Women In Film Foundation provide for members an extensive network of contacts, educational programs, scholarships, film finishing funds and grants, access to employment opportunities, mentorships and numerous practical services in support of this mission."

I've been to a couple of their events, and have found them if nothing, inspirational. It's always nice to hear women who are working in the field tell the stories of how they got to where they are. Even if you can't make it to this event, keep WIF on your radar. They have some good things going on!

xox
L.A.F.

TONIGHT: Bonfire Madigan

Hello L.A. Femministas!

I apologize for the lack of events over the last few days.. It's been a Gray May. Good thing we've got a full week of good stuff coming up. Here's what's on the docket for tonight...

A true Riot Grrrl, Ms. Bonfire Madigan is a bitchin cellist and she's playing tonight at the Bootleg Theater. She's a Kill Rock Stars orig and I'm so stoked to see her live!

Also, if you haven't been to The Bootleg Theater over on the east side, you should definitely check it out. It's a little hole in the wall, and the space is great. They host music, theater, and all kinds of other stuff. There's a little open smoking lounge in the back. It's very cool.

"Bonfire Madigan Shive is a visionary cellist, vocalist, composer, performing artist, community activist and international touring musician from the US. Starting on cello at the age of nine, Madigan Shive began her composing career at fifteen in the Pacific Northwest Riot Grrrl scene releasing music with seminal independent record labels K and Kill Rock Stars. Shive has gone on to establish herself as a singular and trailblazing performer, blending folk, art, punk, classical and avant-baroque styles.... She is currently finishing her sixth full-length album, to be released in collaboration with her label, MoonPuss Music." Bootleg Theater

Here's the Lineup:
BONFIRE MADIGAN 9p
DUBUS (Tijuana) 8p
PATSY 10p
THE I's 11p

Tickets:
$10

Purchase them Here

TONIGHT: "Ding Dong, My Hymen Is Gone", Performance

Oh my god, I love this. The more we talk about sex, the less we repress it; the more we embrace it; the more respectfully we use it. And repeat. Plus, sex is hilarious.

So.. that is why I suggest that everyone go see "Deflowered Memoirs: Ding Dong My Hymen's Gone. More Stories Of Virginity Lost" tonight at M Bar in Hollywood. (Be sure to call to reserve a table!)

Deflowered Memoirs' blog tagline is "There's always a story behind a girl's first time." I mean.. how can we NOT attend this?

"Whether it was in the back of a van or your sister’s bed…to your longtime boyfriend or some chick you met in line at the Tasty Freeze, you remember the first time you had sex. And if you are anything like me, your experience would elicit more than a few embarrassing laughs. If you live in LA and if laughing about the virginal experiences of others appeals to you…then the Deflowered production Ding Dong My Hymen’s Gone: More Stories of Virginity Lost LIVE is for you!" - Deflowered

Where:
M Bar
1253 Vine St
Hollywood, CA 90029
323.856.0036

When:
8PM

How Much:
$5/$10 drink minimum
Tickets HERE

TONIGHT: "Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture" by Alice Echols - Book Signing

Hi Everyone,

Tonight author and former Disco DJ, Alice Echols is going to be signing copies of her book "Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture" at Book Soup in West Hollywood.

About The Author:
Alice Echols is a professor of American studies and history at Rutgers University. A former disco deejay, she is the author of the acclaimed biography of Janis Joplin, Scars of Sweet Paradise. She lives in Highland Park, New Jersey.

About The Book:
"Disco may have presented itself as shallow and disposable -- the platforms, polyester, and plastic vibe of it all -- but Echols shows that it was inseparable from the emergence of "gay macho," a rising black middle class, and a growing, if equivocal, openness about female sexuality. The disco scene carved out a haven for gay men who reclaimed their sexuality on dance floors where they had once been surveilled and harassed; it thrust black women onto center stage as some of the genre's most prominent stars; and it paved the way for the opening of Studio 54 and the viral popularity of the shoestring-budget Saturday Night Fever, a movie that challenged traditional notions of masculinity, even for heterosexuals." - Publisher Comments

Where:
Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90029

When:
7pm

See You There!
xo
L.A.F.

TONIGHT: L.A. Derby Dolls!!!

O.M.G.! It's Derby Doll Day!

Come down to the Doll Factory tonight around 7pm and watch Fight Crew take on The Swarm. If you're a fan of asskicking and busty women, you will NOT want to miss this.

Drink a couple tall boys, eat some gourmet cookies at watch 30 drop dead dangerous women battle it out on the rink. It is so fun.

Also, be sure to hit up our Sisters at Stupid Puppy Head in the vendor village.

When:
Doors at 6pm
Games begin around 7pm

Where:
The Doll Factory
1920 Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026

How Much:
$18 (and worth every penny)
Tickets Here

xo
L.A.F.

TONIGHT: "What's Up Lovely" Film Screening @ Downtown Independent

Downtown L.A.... mmmmmm.... Did everyone go to the Downtown Art Walk last night? It was so awesome, and featured so many diverse types of art and artists. Look for some posts and info on some of the artists coming up on LA Femmedia. We LOVED it.

But TONIGHT! We're heading to the Downtown Independent space for a screening of Gary King's "What's Up Lovely". Based on a concept by Jenn Dees and Gary King, WHAT’S UP LOVELY is a drama about the struggle to survive the city while battling the enemy within ourselves. Q&A with these two to follow.

"What's Up Lovely" - In the dead of night, a recently unemployed insomniac wanders the streets of New York discovering a city beyond her wildest imagination.

Check out the Director's Statement on the website. I hope this film is as cool as it looks.

Where:
Downtown Independent
251 S Main St.
Los Angeles, CA
90014

When:
8:00pm

How Much:
$10 - Tickets Here

TODAY: Film Seriese "Minotaur" by Daria Martin

Today I think we're going to head over to the Hammer Museum in Westwood and check out their latest film series exhibit "Minotaur" by visual artist Daria Martin.. The exhibit plays through July 3rd, but we're going today because The Hammer museum offers FREE ADMISSION on Thursdays! We love them.

"London-based American artist Daria Martin's 16mm film, "Minotaur" pays tribute to the work of dance pioneer Anna Halprin, whose life and work has had a profound influence on Martin. This film is centered on a Halprin dance based on the sculpture Minotaur by Auguste Rodin from 1886 (also known as Faun and Nymph), a work possessing intensely erotic content (it depicts the part-man/part-bull figure from Greek mythology with a naked young female in its grasp.) Martin's Minotaur extends her interweaving of highly conceptualized and choreographed physical movement; complexly layered stagecraft provoking unconventional formal relationships; direct allusions to modernist art history; and editing and cinematographic techniques evoking a broad range of the histories of both mainstream and experimental filmmaking." - Hammer Museum

Where:
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024

When:
Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 11am - 7pm*
Thu 11am - 9pm
Sun 11am - 5pm

How Much:
$7 Adults
$5 Seniors (65+) and UCLA Alumni Association Members with ID
Free for Museum members, students with ID, UCLA faculty and staff, and visitors 17 and under accompanied by an adult
Free on Thursdays for all visitors

RADIO: Interview "Just Wright" Dir. Sanaa Hamri

Hey Everyone!

Tune in to the Women And Hollywood on BlogTalk Radio and check out their latest IN Conversation interview with "Just Wright" Director, Sanaa Hamri.

Moroccan born film director Sanaa Hamri has earned wide critical acclaim for her the visual style and strong emotional sensibility of her films. Hamri’s feature directorial debut was the romantic comedy SOMETHING NEW, released in 2006 by Focus Features, starring Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker. Hamri’s second directorial effort was the sequel to the hit THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS. (Which you know you loved)

Tune in to her interview today, and poke around the other Women And Hollywood IN Conversation pieces too. We love them.

xoxo
L.A.F.

MOVIE NIGHT!

Hi Everyone!

Let's go see a movie tonight. Here are some of the about women/ by women movies that are currently playing in L.A.

"Please Give" - Dir. Nicole Holofcener
"The Runaways" - Dir. Floria Sigismondi
"Mother And Child" - Starring Annette Benning, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington
"The Back-Up Plan" - Written by Kate Angelo (Oy vey...)

... I'm clearly grasping at straws here, and frankly I find this list rather depressing.

Now here's a list of movies that I wish were showing in my area.. Keep an eye out for these titles, and make sure to buy or rent them when they come out on DVD. Our support for these gals will show the big guns that we WE WANT WOMEN IN OUR LOCAL CINEMAS!

"Chloe" - Written by Erin Cressida Wilson
"Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger" - Written/ Directed by Cathy Randall
"Women Without Men" - Dir. Shirin Neshat
"My Year Without Sex" - Dir. Sarah Watts

THIS WEEK!

Hey L.A.!
So, we've got a couple fun things coming up at the end of the week. But what on EARTH (in L.A.) are we going to do until then?

Here's what we have so far..

THURSDAY
"Minotaur" Film series by Daria Martin @ The Hammer Museum

FRIDAY
"What's Up Lovely" Film Screening @ Downtown Independent

Now you show us what YOU have!

What's on your agenda? Email us at lafeministmedia@gmail.com, or write a little comment. We'll blog and tweet about it. See you around town!

Xoxox
L.A.F.

FILM: "Stella Dallas" - Mother's Day Matinee At The Silent Movie Theater

Happy Mother's Day, L.A.!

I miss my mom today! (And everyday) So to honor her sacrifices as a single mom... I think I'll take in some silent film melodrama. "Stella Dallas" is playing at The Silent Movie Theater today! I loved the mid-90's remake starring my favorite person ever, Ms. Bette Midler. But since today we're celebrating our originals, I'm gonna take it back to the '20's. For my moms...

"...Silent beauty Belle Bennett stars in one of the era's [1925] most popular three-hankie melodramas, which chronicles a young woman's escape from small town drudgery by marrying a wealthy New York socialite (Ronald Coleman), only to have the marriage collapse after the birth of their daughter. After the split, she makes the ultimate sacrifice: sending the daughter away to live with the father, instead of with her, in poverty. This was a story that spoke to people, to women everywhere, regardless of their background, thanks not only to its great performances, but through the lens of screenwriter Francis Marion's sensitive adaptation. Bring your mom and a box of tissues to this eternal story of mother-love, sacrifice, and a woman's soul." The Cinefamily


Time:
2pm - 4pm

Where:
The Cinefamily
611 N Fairfax Avenue
323.655.2510

Price:
$12 (general seating)
$30 (2-person couch)
$45 (3-person couch)
Tickets at the door

TONIGHT: "The Men Who Would Be King" by Nicole Laporte - Book Signing

Hello Las Angelinas!

I'm sorry we left you hanging for a few days. But we're back now, and we're totally excited to meet Nicole LaPorte, the author of the book "The Men Who Would Be King".

We love whistle blowers, and Nicole, a former film reporter for Variety, blows it LOUD toward the meglo-maniacal reign of SKG's DreamWorks Pictures. She examines the downward spiral of their whole operation, and we love her for it.

Publisher Comments:
"...Nicole LaPorte,who covered the company [DreamWorks] for Variety, goes behind the hype to reveal for the first time the delicious truth of what happened...."

"...LaPorte's fly-on-the-wall detail shows us Hollywood's bizarre rules of business. We see the clashes between the often otherworldly Spielberg's troops and Katzenberg's warriors, the debacles and disasters... We watch as the studio burns through billions, its rich owners get richer, and everybody else suffers. We see Geffen seducing investors like Microsoft's Paul Allen, showing his steel against CAA's Michael Ovitz, and staging fireworks during negotiations with Paramount and Disney. Here is Hollywood, up close, glamorous, and gritty."


Yay!

We'll meet her tonight at 8PM:
Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood CA 90029

ESTA NOCHE?!?!

Hola Los Angeles! Feliz Cinco De Mayo!!

I'd continue in my broken Spanish, but I'm afraid I'd humiliate us all...

So, What's happnin out there tonight, Angelinas? There has to be something fun happening on this most sacred of Holidays!

Email me at:
lafeministmedia@gmail.com

I'll shout it from the rooftops! (In English, I promise)

Xoxox
L.A. Femmedia

TONIGHT: "Easy For You" by Shannon Rousse - Book Signing

Hello All You Smart Angelinas!

Tonight at Book Soup - Shannan Rouss will be signing copies of her debut book "Easy For You".

In this collection, Rouss delivers ten sharply etched stories set against the endless freeways and twinkling lights of Los Angeles. Each one provides a momentary glimpse into the lives of the inhabitants of this sprawling space where lines and lives intersect.

We are introduced to the world of a millionaire who plays host to his ex-lover's wedding, a young bulimic woman whose relationship with a chef crumbles over a truffle, a Laurel Canyon housewife whose only confidante is the daughter of her Russian maid, and other stories from the City of Angels. (That's US!)

Even if you haven't read the book, come on down and listen to Ms. Rouss read an excerpt and check out all the fabulous reads at Book Soup. Here's the info...

Where:
Book Soup
8818 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069

When:
7PM

See you there!

TODAY: Derby Dolls!

Hey L.A., Last minute Derby Doll action!!

Battle For The Coast
Ventura County Fairgrounds
10 W. Harbor Blvd.
Ventura, CA

Round 2 Starts at 2:30PM


Tickets Here!

We Love the Derby Dolls!
xxoox
L.A. F.

TONIGHT: Documentary "Girls On The Wall"

This weekend, Director Heather Ross's incredible documentary "Girls On The Wall" is playing at LA's Downtown Independent Theater. I'm gonna check it out tomorrow.. This is what the good people at Flavorpill have to say about it...

"The teenage girls of Warrenville Prison are not your average delinquents. Having "graduated" from juvie to prison, these are the kids most likely to remain in the correctional system their whole lives. They are also some of the sharpest and most irrepressible young women you'll meet. When the girls of this heartland Illinois prison are given a most unlikely shot at redemption— the chance to tell their own stories in a musical based on their lives— they're challenged to re-live the events that led up to their crimes, reclaim their humanity, and find their own exuberant voices in a first step toward breaking free from the prison system." -Flavorpill

dir. Heather Ross
2009, digtal, 62 min.

Where:
Downtown Independent Theater
251 S Main St
213.617.1033

When:
April 30th - May 2nd

Price:
$10