Search:

THE HOT PINK PEN

Focus on Women Filmmakers

THE HOT PINK PEN is an advocate for women directors & screenwriters, creative filmmakers who are generally overlooked by the mainstream media. Even when their work is noticed, however, it's often misunderstood &/or rudely demeaned. THE HOT PINK PEN is now here to right these wrongs, & help women (& men) in audiences everywhere find wonderful films by women filmmakers.

THE HOT PINK PEN:
Because the Pen is Mightier than the Sword!

Hooray, Harry Burn!

1button.jpgFrom this morning’s Morning Edition on NPR:

“…By the way, this month marks a milestone for American women and for the country at large: it was 90 years ago this month that Americans ratified the 19th amendment to the Constitution - it gave women the right to vote.

MONTAGNE: In August 1920, the amendment had made it through Congress and most of the states, and then it was up to the state of Tennessee.

INSKEEP: The state House of Representatives was deadlocked and the vote depended on the decision of one man. He was a 24-year-old legislator named Harry Burn.

MONTAGNE: He was thought to be opposed to ratification, but on that day in August 1920, he carried a letter from his mother in his pocket.

INSKEEP: He later explained his vote by saying: ‘I know that a mother’s advice is always safest for her boy to follow, and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification.’”

Click  HERE for info on Chgo’s Women’s Equality Day Event on 8/26.

Click HERE to order your “New Bugler Girl” pins etc :-)

13.Aug.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only Read more Comments (0)

New Bugler Girl!

Click HERE for Chgo Dinner eVite (8/26/10)

NBG Pins on Cafe Press 

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)

Hola, Teresa Costantini!

Photo Credit: Anna Maria Guasch (4/23/10)

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)

See New WITASWAN Video

Click HERE for song lyrics, etc. 

sumsign.jpg

 

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)

3/6: College of Complexes (Chgo)

Support Women Artists Now!

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).

 Photo Credit: Rich Miller

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)

3/7: KAM Isaiah Israel

Support Women Artists Now!

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)

3/8: Harold Washington College (Chgo)

Support Women Artists Now! 

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)

3/10: Glenview AAUW

Click HERE to download “Cultural Gendercide” handout as a pdf file.

Support Women Artists Now!

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)

Bonnie/BONES Update

Jan with Hubby RichBonnie Carol McGrath (bottom right) & Some FriendsJan with Ken Dunkin

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)

Sunday Screening & Reception

Photo Credit: DreamWorks Studios. All Rights Reserved.

 

Come see THE LOVELY BONES this Sunday

at Chicago’s beautiful new Showplace ICON Theatre!

 

When: Sunday, January 17, 2010

Time: 1:30 PM

Where: 150 West Roosevelt Road (Delano Place)

 

And join us for an after screening reception for Bonnie Carol McGrath (candidate for Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County).  Reception in the ICON Lounge hosted by Bonnie’s proud neighbors Jan Lisa Huttner & Rich Miller.

 

You do NOT have to attend the screening in order to attend the reception.  Just meet us in the Lounge at approximately 4 PM.

 

THE LOVELY BONES is highly recommended by Jan.

Rich likes it too.

14.Jan.10 Events: Metro Chicago Only, Events: WITASWAN & SWAN Day Read more Comments (0)