FMWL Indie Spotlight - Press Release: Bleedfest Film Festival Returns!

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Elisabeth Fies, mastermind behind The Commune, is certainly one of the coolest people I've come across in the horror realm this year.  A true champion for women in horror, Ms. Fies and company has spearheaded a monthly festival highlighting the works of female filmmakers that is sure to make any horror lover proud.  After a successful debut this summer, Bleedfest will be re-opening its doors next weekend in Los Angeles - complete with a collection of competing short films, awards, and a killer feature!  Though FMWL can only support the ambitious Bleedfest festival from a distance, it's an honor to share what Elisabeth has up her sleeve for you crazy Los Angelenos on December 5th!

Here's the full press release from the Bleedfest crew:

Monthly Genre celebration BLEEDFEST FILM FESTIVAL announces schedule for its Thriller installment December 5th, 2010 

The schedule for the highly anticipated second BleedFest Film Festival has been announced. It includes a dozen female filmmakers' short films and concludes with international genre superstar's Caroline Du Potet's thriller feature IN THEIR SLEEP, her follow up to the sensational and disturbing INSIDE.

Special guests sitting in their own VIP section include World Famous Scream Queens/producers Michelle Tomlinson and Tara Cardinal, prominent journalist/filmmaker Heidi Martinuzzi, Emmy winning filmmaker Barbara Stepansky, and horror filmmaking duo Marichelle and Drew Daywalt.

The Bleedy Award, a bronze statue designed by Neal Harvey of RubberGorilla.co.uk, will finally be revealed in a video presentation at the Awards Ceremony. It will be awarded to the In Competition short voted on by the audience, and to the feature IN THEIR SLEEP. All films screened will receive an award certificate and Winner laurels to add to their publicity.

The In Competition category is comprised of five short films by female writer/directors. They are BAD GIRLS by the Soska Sisters (sensational feature films DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK and AMERICAN MARY), ALGESIA by Cathy Alberich, DEAD BOYFRIENDS by Xstine Cook, MOCKINGBIRD by Marichelle Daywalt, and MORBID CURIOUSITY by Cindy Baer (acclaimed feature film PURGATORY HOUSE).

The Out of Competition block screens short films produced and/or written by women. December's BleedFest will feature SCREAM MACHINE written by Julia Camara (screenwriter of Spring 2010's Brazillian sci-fi blockbuster AREA Q), and UP UNDER THE ROOF produced by Danielle Stallings.

The Works in Progress section of BleedFest gives the audience top secret first looks at short films by several acclaimed female filmmakers including an Emmy winner, and are screening unofficially to get editing feedback from the audience of genre lovers and and generate buzz with BleedFest's press partners.

The festival will have two Open Bar sessions featuring free wine and beer, giving the audience a crucial chance to network. During these breaks, BleedFest will screen trailers of upcoming genre films (World famous Tara Cardinal's actioner LEGEND OF THE RED REAPER taracardinalactress.com), and trailers of genre work that is now available online (Marion Kerr's acclaimed feature GOLDEN EARRINGS indieflix.com/film/golden-earrings-30830/. Music videos by Sophia Segal will also be played at this time.

BleedFest's coveted Partnership Award is bestowed each month to a male filmmaker whose genre film has captured the spirit of BleedFest in its unusual, bold, and refreshing female protagonist. The recipient of December's Partnership Award is feature filmmaker Dave Reda, whose music video THE HORROR OF OUR LOVE will screen.

BleedFest has a red carpet, an event photographer, a VIP Guest section, and an open bar for only ten dollars cash at the door. You may buy half price tickets at Goldstar the week before the event, and can get two tickets for $12 by donating to their IndieGoGo campaign or using the PayPal link on BleedFest.com http://www.indiegogo.com/BleedFest-Film-Festival

Local renowned artist Kami Lerner will be present with a display of paintings and jewelry available for purchase. www.KamiArt.com

Festival founders and directors Elisabeth Fies and Brenda Fies are a filmmaking duo whose critically acclaimed feature thriller THE COMMUNE was embraced by the genre community in 2009 and 2010. They are thrilled to be filling a hole in the community by providing access to fantastic genre content by indie female filmmakers, and to disprove the widely spread myth that there are no female filmmakers making indie genre. Explains Elisabeth Fies about the discrepancy between reality and industry attention for genre female filmmakers, "It's not even about being taken seriously. It's about being discounted to the point that you're invisible and told you don't exist. BleedFest aims to prove to the world that hundreds of us ovary-challenged filmmakers are here, and we're making bold, exciting movies filmlovers need and don't want to miss. We're positive, we're fun, we're in partnership with men, and we're unstoppable." The Fies Sisters thank everyone for the outpouring of support and excitement about BleedFest that helped them reach their IndieGoGo fundraising campaign in under two weeks. 

The BleedFest website will be updated Sunday November 28th 5pm Pacific time at http://www.BleedFest.com with the full schedule, and include bio info and links for each filmmaker featured in the festival. There will also be a Paypal link to purchase tickets now at a discount of 40%. 
The lineup for the January 2nd BleedFest event will be announced live on the 5th, and includes a sci-fi western feature and a fairytale thriller. The schedule will be released to the press December 6th.



Submissions are free to filmmakers, and BleedFest is always looking for quality genre work. There is only one space left for the January and February screenings. Submit your film.
Tell us about a film we should screen 
Find out how you can participate, attend as a vendor, VIP, or support us with a donation



Sunday December 5th, 2010
TIME: 11am-3:30pm 
Location: CAP Theatre
13752 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
$10 cash at door for all day ticket and open bar


Schedule subject to change, personal appearances dependent on schedule:

11am-11:15 Mixer and greeting

11:15-11:45pm

Works in progress:

Titles are top secret and will be revealed at event

(32 minutes)

11:40-12:00 break (open bar)

12:00-1:05

In Competition:

ALGESIA by Cathy Alberich (15 minutes) Q & A

MOCKINGBIRD by Marichelle Daywalt (3 minutes) Q & A

MORBID CURIOUSITY by Cindy Baer (6 minutes) Q & A

DEAD BOYFRIENDS by Xstine Cook (7 minutes) 

BAD GIRLS by The Soska Sisters (7 minutes) 

(39 minutes)

Ballots collected from audience

Partnership Screening and Award:

THE HORROR OF OUR LOVE by Dave Reda (6 minutes) 

BREAK:

1:05-1:25pm open bar

1:25-2:10pm

Out of Competition:

SCREAM MACHINE Written by Julia Camara (15 minutes) 

UP UNDER THE ROOF Produced by Danielle Stallings (20 minutes) 

2:10pm

Reveal of the new Bleedy Award design

Bleedy present to the Audience's choice 

2:15-3:40

Feature: 

IN THEIR SLEEP (90 minutes)

By Caroline du Potet and Eric du Potet, the duo behind Inside. The film stars Anne Parillaud, Arthur Dupont, Thierry Fremont, and Jean-Hugues Anglade.

Synopsis:

After the brutal death of her 18-year-old son, Sarah's life is in pieces. Late one night her car accidentally hits Arthur, a young man the same age as her boy, who suddenly emerges out of the forest and onto the road. Wounded and frightened, he is running from a mysterious assailant, hunting him down after Arthur caught him red-handed in the act of burglary...

Sarah sympathizes with him, taking him in, only to be tracked down by the burglar whose murderous rage towards Arthur forces her to take action. Unbeknownst to Sarah, things aren't quite the way they seem, but by the time she finally realizes, it is too late to turn back.

So, if you're in the area on December 5th, or if you just want to be supportive with a contribution; head on over and support the women who make horror their own!