Women's Film Institute and INDIE VIXENS® Will Celebrate Women In Film During Sundance Film Festival

Dec. 3, 2010 - PRLog -- Women are still making their mark in film and media, but the 2011 Sundance Film Festival is going to be an exciting one for the women who have written, directed, acted and whose lives are being portrayed in cinema. Women in film and media are going to be a hot topic during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.  Sundance Film Festival will take place January 20-30 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. For the festival, 115 feature- length films were selected from 3,812 feature- length submissions.  Of those selected, there is representation from 28 countries, 40 first-time filmmakers and 20 are in competition.  

Of the 16 films in the U.S. Dramatic competition 4 are directed, written by, and / or are about women.  Those films are: "Benavides Born" (Director: Amy Wendel; Screenwriters: Daniel Meisel and Amy Wendel), a film about a high school senior in a forgotten town has earned admission to the University of Texas at Austin but can't afford to go. The senior has only one shot and that is a scholarship for winning the State Powerlifting Championship.  In "Circumstance," San Francisco Bay Area / U.S.A., Iran (Director and screenwriter: Maryam Keshavarz) tells the story of wealthy Iranian family who struggles to contain a teenager's growing sexual rebellion and her brother's dangerous obsession. "Higher Ground," a film directed by Vera Farmiga and written by Carolyn S. Briggs and Tim Metcalfe tells the story about a young mother.  The mother turns to a fundamentalist community for answers, but after years of dogma and loss, she must find the courage to ask the questions that will help her reclaim her life.  Director and screenwriter, Dee Rees, has received numerous awards for her narrative short "Pariah," including accolades from the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and Outfest.   Dee’s film "Pariah" is also part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and is expected to be a top performer.

Half of the U.S Documentary selections being screened are directed, or written by women, and / or highlight the stories of women or girls.  Those films include, "BEING ELMO: A Puppeteer's Journey" (Director: Constance Marks), "Buck" (Director: Cindy Meehl), Hot Coffee (Director: Susan Saladoff), "Page One: A year inside the New York Times" (Director: Andrew Rossi; Screenwriters: Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi), "The Redemption of General Butt Naked" (Directors: Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion), and "Sing Your Song" (A film by Susanne Rostock).  San Francisco women filmmakers are making a splash in the U.S. Documentary competition as directors and writers.  Films of high interest,  include a film by Sundance veteran Tiffany Shlain titled 'Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology." "Connected" provides audiences with an exhilarating stream-of-consciousness ride through the interconnectedness of humankind, nature, progress and morality at the dawn of the 21st century. By utilizing insight, curiosity, and humor, the film explores whether it's time to declare our interdependence.  San Francisco, Bay Area director, Yoav Potash’s film "Crime After Crime," tells the story of Debbie Peagler who is a survivor of brutal domestic violence incarcerated for her connection to the murder of her abuser. Two decades later a pair of rookie land-use attorneys cut their teeth on her case, attracting global attention to the troubled intersection of domestic violence and criminal justice.  Jennifer Siebel Newsom, has a lot to celebrate as her husband, Gavin Newsom gets sworn in as California’s lieutenant governor, and her documentary "Miss Representation,"  is part of the 2011 Sundance FIlm Festival competition. 'Miss Representation" uncovers how American mainstream media's limited and disparaging portrayals of women contribute to the under-representation of women in power positions - creating another generation of women defined by youth, beauty and sexuality, and not by their capacity as leaders.

Sundance 2011 is going to be a very exciting time for women in film and media.  Identifying, celebrating, and honoring, women in film and media, as well as the portrayal of women and the stories that describe them is an important mission of the Women’s Film Institute.  INDIE VIXENS ® LLC (a female owned brand alliance and strategic marketing entity for film, music, non profits, and corporations) supports the mission of the Women's Film Institute and looks forward to celebrating and networking with women filmmakers and those who tell their stories during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.  INDIE VIXENS® LLC and / or the Women's Film Institute is not affiliated with the Sundance Film Festival. For more information about the celebration women in film and media, contact: Jewell Sparks / jewell@indievixens.com / (310) 734- 8159, or the Women's Film Institute / (415) 754-FILM (3456).

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About INDIE VIXENS ® LLC: INDIE VIXENS ® LLC is an organization composed of smart, beautiful, well traveled, entrepreneurial women. The organization values and utilizes the unique skill sets of each member of its leadership team, to empower communities, artists, musicians, and those who want to impact social change. INDIE VIXENS ® is a brand alliance and strategic marketing firm that focuses on film, music, non profits, and limited edition products and services. INDIE VIXENS ® LLC utilizes three innovative business models: "A Sip Of Hollywood®," "Where Film Meets Charity ®," and "Beyond The Music Label Series®." INDIE VIXENS® LLC has a presence in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Miami, Washington DC, London, Germany, Austria, Japan, China, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.