*REVIEW* WAM! Media Conference

Hello All!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the WAM! Women, Action and Media Conference event hosted by Santa Monica College, and professor Melanie Klein. I was so impressed by both of the presentations that I saw. I can't wait to share this stuff with you!

The first speaker was a woman named Carla Orendorff. Her work as a local media activist was inspiring and original. She is one of the folks who keeps the great Echo Park Film Center up and running. And for that, we thank her! She gave a great rundown of the Riot Grrrl movement, and made me long for the days of my satin babydoll dresses and ripped fishnets.

If you haven't heard about the Echo Park Film Center (EPFC) check it out for sure! They're a great non-profit film making/ teaching organization based out of Echo Park, CA and they're totally awesome. Tons of great local programs for filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds. They have frequent events that I'm sure we will discuss in the future.

As a great appreciator of the DIY punk scene of the late 90's, I found Carla's discussion of the Grrrl Zine culture very interesting. She introduced us to ZineWiki - an online resource for the zine scene that came to a crashing halt once blogging became 'the thing'. Great reference if you were in to that stuff. I even found an old zine that I once helped publish out of my apartment in Brooklyn on the ZineWiki. Talk about getting the word out!

The second speaker I saw was a great Vid Artist named Anita Sarkeesian. Her website Feminist Frequency is a gallery of her Video Blogs on Feminist Media topics, as well as a portal to the wide world of Video Remixes. I am new to this realm of the digital world, and was thrilled to see what was there. She discussed the concept of taking previously produced media - be it sexist, or otherwise - and re-cutting/ remixing it with intent of changing it's original message. It blew my mind! I can't wait to learn more about Anita, and her work.

Also, please check out Feminist Fatale. The host of yesterday's event was Woman's Studies professor Melanie Klein, and her website kicks ass! Her commentary on the intersection between Feminism and pop culture is fascinating. I found her so inspiring!

Thank You SMCC for hosting this event! I can't wait for WAM! 2011!

Xoxo
La Femmedia