Check out Lynn Hershman Leesons' film, !Women Art Revolution, at IFC June 1st!

We're excited to announce that Lynn Hershman Leeson premieres !Women Art Revolution at IFC Center in New York on Wednesday, June 1. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

!Women Art Revolution (!W.A.R.) is a documentary that combines interviews, artwork and rarely seen archival film and video footage, collected over the past 40 years, to detail the evolution of the feminist art movement in the United States from 1968 to the present. The film ties the feminist art movement to 1960s anti-war and civil rights demonstrations, showing how historical events, such as the all-male protest exhibition against the invasion of Cambodia, sparked the first of many feminist actions against major cultural institutions. !W.A.R. also details major developments in women's art during the 1970s, including the opening of alternative art spaces such as the AIR Gallery in New York and the Los Angeles Woman's Building. Chronicling the work of activists in recent decades, the film focuses on the Guerrilla Girls, the Women's Art Coalition and other similar groups, as well as the publications and spaces they've engendered.

Written, directed, narrated and edited by Leeson, !Women Art Revolution will be distributed nationwide by Zeitgeist Films. Special events throughout the film's IFC Center run include introductions to the film by the following artists and activists:

• June 1: Kathleen Hanna (6:00pm and 8:00pm)
• June 2: Howardena Pindell (2:00pm), Carolee Schneemann (6:00pm), Bob Alotta (8:00pm)
• June 3: Janine Antoni (noon), Howardena Pindell (2:00pm), Joyce Kozloff (6:00pm), Martha Wilson (8:00pm)
• June 4: B. Ruby Rich (6:00pm), Guerrilla Girls Frida Kahlo and Kathe Kollwitz (8:00pm)
• June 5: Howardena Pindell (2:00pm), B. Ruby Rich (6:00pm)
• June 6: Carey Lovelace, Connie Butler (6:00pm)
• June 7: Carey Lovelace, Faith Ringgold (6:00pm)

The full list of showtimes will be available at IFCCenter.com later this week.

Coming soon to a theater near you! Browse other upcoming screenings of !W.A.R. here.

Monica & David Wraps up the season of our Story Leads To Action series!

Photo: Robert West; moderator and co-founder/executive director of Working Films, and director of Monica & David Ali Codina.

Last week we closed out the 2010-2011 season of Story Leads To Action at 92Y Tribeca, with a screening and discussion of Alexandra Codina’s film, Monica & David.

Monica & David is the love story of two adults with Down syndrome, and the family who strives to support their needs. Full of humor, romance and everyday family drama, Monica and David want what every adult wants—an independent life. Winner of the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival, and an audience favorite at festivals around the world. Directed and produced by Monica’s cousin, first-time filmmaker, Alexandra Codina.

After the screening, panelists and audience members participated in discussing the films success and potential in promoting disability rights and sexuality awareness. The panel consisted of experts in the fields, including Andraéa N. LaVant, Youth Development Specialist at National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, Faye Ginsburg, David B. Kriser Professor of Anthropology; Director of Graduate Program in Culture and Media; Director, Center for Media, Culture & History; Co-Director, Center for Religion and Media, and Logan Levkoff, Ph.D, Sexologist, Sexuality Educator and Author.

Before the film began, the audience members were given handouts, listing various scenes throughout the film. They were asked to mark scenes that best represented three issues of importance; employment, marriage/dating/sexuality, and the role of parents. After the film audiences discussed which scenes they thought best represented these issues in order to address them in an academic setting with the DVD release coming up.

Photo (right to left): Panelists Andrea LaVant, , Logan Levkoff, filmmaker Ali Codina, panelist Faye Ginsburg, and moderator Robert West.

Audiences varied, and were able to offer perspectives ranging from disabled youth, parents of disabled children, couples, and filmmakers. Ali discussed the struggle of witnessing and sharing such an intimate story while being a family member to the characters. The audience was able to partake is discussing the parents involvement in their children's lives and their own fears about raising children themselves. Andrea LaVant gave examples of growing up disabled as a child and described how influenced she was by her mothers view of her own independence. Logan Levkoff referred to the representation of the couples sexuality and relationship as a really good universal example of a healthy relationship. Faye Ginsburg was able to discuss being a parent and her own frustration with the lack of community resources and information for parents and caregivers.

There was a general sense of appreciation and awe for the films' visibility and positive portrayal of a love story. The film depicts an amazingly generous family who are able to care for Monica and David in a unique way. One viewer wondered how this portrayal of success and happiness in a couple with down syndrome translated across class lines, and the director made it clear that this film is meant to bring awareness to an extremely underrepresented issue but it tells a story of only one family. All in all the evening was informative and enlightening, and we can’t wait to see what partnerships and changes are in the works for the next seasons' story leads to action!

by Sarah Tabet

TFI New Media Fund Submission Deadline is May 25th!

Only two days left to apply for this amazing fund!

About the TFI New Media Fund

The TFI New Media Fund provides funding and support to non-fiction, social issue media projects which go beyond traditional screens – integrating film with content across media platforms, from video games and mobile apps to social networks and interactive websites. We’re looking for projects that activate audiences around issues of contemporary social justice and equality around the world and demonstrate the power of cross-platform storytelling and dynamic audience engagement.

Funding

Four to eight non-fiction projects will be accepted, each receiving $50,000 to $100,000 in funding. The projects must present a non-fiction story focused on social issues and include an integrated cross-platform or new media component designed to engage and activate audiences in imaginative ways. The fund will include peer support and expert mentorship for producers. Producers from the U.S. and internationally are invited to apply.

Apply here!