Happily, air dates are starting to roll in for GOTW and the TV version of the film will start to roll out on PBS stations around the country very soon. I’ll be adding them on the Screenings & Airdates page, and posting them on our Facebook page as they come in.
And speaking of Facebook– I’ll be posting whatever news we have on the ‘book instead of here for the next little while. So become a fan!
Incredibly happy to announce the Los Angeles Premiere of Girls on the Wall! Please join us for an evening of live prison music, Q & A, and other surprises! This theater is huge, so please invite all your friends, family, underlings, gym acquaintances, etc. Advance tix available soon at http://www.fandango.com/egyptiantheatre_aaofx/theaterpage??
Title: Los Angeles Premiere- Egyptian Theater
Location: 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Description: GIRLS ON THE WALL makes its Los Angeles Premiere with the American Cinematheque at the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.
Start Time: 7:30pm
Date: 01-13-10
Just saw that the short list for the 2010 Oscar for Best Documentary has just been announced. Very excited for Mai Iskander and her film Garbage Dreams– got to meet her at the ITVS Producer’s Conference last year. Also stoked for Every Little Step, a film I was not prepared to like so much (and a fellow musical-themed documentary). Noms are below– more info is blogged here at Rope of Silicon. Congratulations, everyone!
Late in posting this… still not completely able to admit to myself that I am blogging.
GIRLS ON THE WALL was awarded a Special Mention jury prize at the Chicago Int’l Film Festival. We were flattered and excited to be honored among an amazing collection of films. Our whole crew had a blast at CIFF– it was really great to premiere this film in the city where it got its start.
Hot Springs Documentary festival was also a blast… fun to meet fellow filmmakers such as Bill Daniel, whose rail-riding graffiti film WHO IS BOZO TEXINO? was both atmospheric and incredibly engaging, and Bayou Bennett, whose film ME, MY FATHER AND THE HURRICANE was the talk of the town.
CMJ was great too, but by then I lacked the energy to take any more pictures.
For two or three years, I was out of touch with Rosa and Precious, two of my favorite girls from Warrenville- nothing but a breadcrumb trail of old cell phone numbers. But through the magic of MySpace, I located Rosa first- aka 2 Cute 4 U – and shortly afterward found Precious (Tha Realest Bitch). I started the campaign to get them to come to our Chicago screenings. Sunday was a strikeout, so for our last screening, yesterday, I started the naggy texts at 8:00 AM.
They made it, and did the most amazing, raw Q&A panel I’ve ever seen, for a bunch of alternative-school kids who were hanging on their every word and asked them for autographs afterward. They’re both working now and doing well, and it’s wild to see their affect on different audiences (the public screening yesterday was just as enthralled.)
I’m crazy happy to know these girls and glad I didn’t get rid of my Myspace. Facebook, what have you done for me lately?
Rosa, HR, soundgirl Gwen (aka Helen Keller) and Precious
The first official GOTW audience
Our World Premiere screening on Sunday was wonderful. GOTW played to a packed house and a very enthusiastic audience. I was excited to hear people laugh throughout the film– I was always concerned that people might be deterred from laughing at a film with a “serious” subject. Also, we made some grown men cry.
Time Out Chicago called the film “moving” and named it as one of their recommended titles– sweet.
The Chicago Film Festival has been fantastic, and it’s been fun to meet other filmmakers from around the world. Pictures soon…
The Chicago Film Festival opened last night with the Uma Thurman movie “Motherhood”– I liked the Trib’s Michael Phillips’ grouchy take on opening night. And we got a pretty good capsule review by the Tribune’s Metromix, which called GOTW “affecting.” Weird adjective.
Also IndieWire ran a story on the CMJ Film Festival in NY, giving mention to GIRLS. Here’s the link.
We’ll be on the radio in Chicago, too! I’ll be doing an interview on WBEZ’s “Eight Forty-eight” that will air next week. And this Saturday, Vocalo at 89.5 will run a story on the film featuring an interview with Miss P of Storycatchers Theatre at 12:00.
We’re all in a tizzy over the upcoming GOTW Festival Tour 2009. I got myself overexcited by my childhood hero Roger Ebert’s mention of GIRLS ON THE WALL in his festival preview (here’s the link). And the NPR geek in me is pretty excited to have an interview at WBEZ’s 848 on the books. Stay tuned for what promises to be a stunningly awkward radio debut.
ALSO: We have our CMJ NYC screening information and as soon as I figure out how to work our screenings and air dates page, I’ll add it to that. In the meantime, here’s the scoop:
The screening room is tiny so if you’re a CMJ passholder, I’d recommend a rezzie and/or getting there early. If your a FOGOTW (Friend of Girls on the Wall), contact me about tickets. There are an EXTREMELY LIMITED number of tickets available for non-CMJ pass holders but I’ll do my best to accommodate anyone interested.
It’s with great excitement, pleasure and exhaustion that I announce that GIRLS ON THE WALL will be screening in NYC at CMJ Music Marathon & film festival! We don’t have our screening times yet, but the festival runs from 10/20-10/24. Can’t wait to bring the film to NY!
Welcome to the new Girls on the Wall website. We’re still creating content for the site so be sure to check back soon!