Click HERE for Chgo Dinner eVite (8/26/10)
Today is the anniversary of the first women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, NY on July 19-20, 1848. Wow, what a great day to release our new Women’s Equality Day buttons on Cafe Press 
“New Bugler Girl” was designed in honor of this year’s Women’s Equality Day (8/26/10), the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women’s suffrage in the United States. NBG is based on the original “Bugler Girl” imagery created by Caroline Watts in 1908. Kudos to Melissa Wilks of WomenArts for taking my messy sketches & turning my dreams into reality!
Click HERE to order buttons on Cafe Press.
Magnets, stickers & t-shirts also available.
21.Jul.10 
Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day 
Read more 
Comments (0)
On December 11, 2008, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their 2009 Golden Globe Nominations… and Penny went ballistic.
I was stunned when Loveleen Tandan (Slumdog Millionaire’s credited co-director) was not named as Danny Boyle’s co-nominee in the “Best Director” category. But my outrage quickly turned into energy, and I started an e-mail campaign on this blog that eventually attracted international attention.
After months spent in battle mode, I got to watch Loveleen Tandan mount the stage to accept a “Best Picture” Oscar with the rest of the Slumdog principals, and one year later, I got to watch Barbra Streisand hand a “Best Director” Oscar to Kathryn Bigelow—the fourth female nominee and first winner in AMPAS history!
And now there’s icing on the cake: On 5/15/10, I received a First Place Certificate in Category 34C (Website Development/Creation—Professional Sites) from the Illinois Woman’s Press Association, and I recently learned that I have also received a Third Place Certificate in national competition from the National Federation of Press Women (IWPA’s parent organization).
Now as “Professional Site” websites & blogs go, The Hot Pink Pen is technically very primitive, so receiving these awards is astonishing. I am deeply honored by this affirmation of my work, and I want to thank all the IWPA/NFPW judges for recognizing the cumulative content of my passionate outpouring on this subject. And I want to thank all of you for engaging in vigorous dialogue thru-out “my Slumdog Brouhaha” f2f, in public postings, &/or in private communications. Your feedback kept me going, and all the questions (especially the acrimonious ones), made me work ever harder to explain my rationale.
This is how change happens, folks. No, it’s not always pretty, but I sincerely believe some fights RE worth fighting!
Click HERE to read details in my press release.
09.Jul.10 Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day, Rants: Oscars & Other Awards Read more Comments (0)
Director Teresa Costantini (left) was here in Chicago last week to screen her new film Felicitas at our 26th annual Chicago Latino Film Festival. She is now on her way east to screen Felicitas in NYC too.
Felicitas is a gorgeously produced 19th Century romance with a feminist kick. Recipient of 8 nominations from the film academy of Argentina, Felicitas is already a big success in Latin America & is now making its debut in international film festivals such as our CLFF. I encourage all of you to see Felicitas on a big screen if at all possible. It’s definitely worth it!
Just a note for those you coming to this film unfamiliar with Latin American history: Teresa told me the story of “the real Felicitas” is very well known in Argentina, in other words this film is a BioPic (historically reimagined of course) rather than “just” an Argentinean version of Gone with the Wind.
27.Apr.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day Read more Comments (0)
Click HERE for song lyrics, etc.
Thanks to videographer Tim Bolger, you can now enjoy excerpts from our 2010 Chicago WITASWAN program (held in conjunction with celebrations of the 3rd annual International SWAN Day).
Meet our special guests Eileen Douglas & Ron Steinman. Eileen introduces their film My Grandfather’s House in Part One. Then Eileen & Ron do a Q&A together (after the screening) in Part Two.
I’m the one in the red sweater (in the MC role). And Leslie Newcorn provides the beautiful voice singing “Birds are Drowsing” (in Yiddish) at the beginning and “I Believe” (in Hebrew) at the end.
Click HERE for more program information
(including links to all program sponsor sites).
WITASWAN:
Women in the Audience
Supporting Women Artists Now!
06.Apr.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: Khaverot v' Khaverim, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day Read more Comments (0)
Celebrating SWAN Day in Chicago:
Why Here & Why Now?
Explaining Chicago’s role in the birth of this internationally celebrated new holiday.
UPDATE: Click HERE to watch Jan’s 25 min presentation (recorded by Tim Bolger).
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2010
Time: 8 PM
Sponsor: The College of Complexes
Location: Lincoln Restaurant
4008 North Lincoln Avenue; Chicago 60618
Cost: $ 3 (admission) + $5 (food purchase)
Click HERE for more details about this program.
Click HERE for more details about SWAN Day.
26.Feb.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day Read more Comments (0)
Meet The Schvesters:
Recent Films by Jewish Women Filmmakers
Jewish women all around the world are making wonderful movies that we can all see on DVD if only we know where to look for them. On March 7th, we will learn about Jewish life in Argentina, England, France, Israel, Mexico, and yes, the USA through the eyes of our filmmaking schvesters.
Date: Sunday, March 7, 2010
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation
1100 East Hyde Park Blvd; Chgo 60615
Click HERE for more details about this program.
Click HERE for more details about SWAN Day.
26.Feb.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: Khaverot v' Khaverim, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day Read more Comments (0)
If I Ruled The World: Critique of 2010 OscarBowl
This will be my 5th Annual “If I Ruled The World” program analyzing this year’s Oscar Ceremony from a feminist perspective for the students of Harold Washington College.
Date: Monday, March 8, 2010
Time: 7 PM
Location: Harold Washington College
30 East Lake Ave; Chicago 60601
Click HERE for more details about this program.
Click HERE for more details about SWAN Day.
26.Feb.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day Read more Comments (0)
Click HERE to download “Cultural Gendercide” handout as a pdf file.
Women & Film: A Historical Perspective
Global implications of the “Celluloid Ceiling” that has restricted opportunities for women filmmakers in Hollywood & beyond for decades.
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Time: 7:30 PM
Sponsor: Glenview Branch AAUW
Location: Glenview Police Station
2500 East Lake Ave; Glenview 60026
Click HERE for Glenview AAUW website.
Click HERE for more details about SWAN Day.
26.Feb.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day Read more Comments (0)
Yesterday, I hosted a “Meet & Greet” event for my neighbor & good friend Bonnie Carol McGrath (who is running for Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County). We went to see THE LOVELY BONES at our beautiful new Icon Showplace Theatre on Delano Place (just off Roosevelt Road & Clark Street), & afterwards we ate gourmet pizzas in the upstairs lounge. We even had a celebrity guest: Democratic State Representative Ken Dunkin (a great friend of the Illinois film community).
Now here’s the thing: Despite the dismal reviews from our two most prominent local critics (Roger Ebert & Michael Phillips), we all loved THE LOVELY BONES. Me, I was seeing it for the fourth time, & able to attend to all the subtle nuances & the delicate construction, I loved it all more! If I ruled the world, THE LOVELY BONES would be my top contender for “Best Adapted Screenplay” this year, above even AN EDUCATION, BRIGHT STAR, & JULIE & JULIA (every one of which is way better than UP IN THE AIR which I nominated for this year’s Women Film Critics Circle “Hall of Shame” award).
So what gives??? I’m reminded of THE CIDER HOUSE RULES brouhaha, & the many critics (all male) who claimed that they couldn’t figure out what it was about. Funny how I have yet to meet a woman who had any doubts!
19.Jan.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day, Rants: Oscars & Other Awards, Raving/Ranting about Critics/Journalists Read more Comments (0)
