Anatomy of a Love Seen (dir. Marina Rice-Bader US 2014) - Digital Worldwide release following OutFest Premier

Writer/director Marina Rice Bader (Executive Producer of Elena Undone, A Perfect Ending) is releasing her feature length directorial debut Anatomy of a Love Seen as a $5 digital rental on Vimeo via the film’s website http://www.anatomyofaloveseen.com



Following the July 18th premiere of the lesbian-themed drama at the 32nd Annual Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival, Bader will immediately give the film its worldwide release as a streaming rental, breaking outside of and bypassing the traditional Hollywood distribution channels.
 
In keeping with the "do-it-her-way-ethos”, Bader was set on the idea of exploring alternative distribution options in order to engage and connect directly with her fans, and get the film out to as many people as possible. 

Following in the footsteps of filmmakers the likes of Joss Whedon who has taken on self-distribution, Bader isn’t the first filmmaker to the direct-distribution game; but she is one of the first ever out filmmakers to offer LGBT audiences around the world and cinephiles alike a lesbian themed feature film as a low-cost digital release immediately after its first festival premiere.

Anatomy of a Love Seen stars Hollywood newcomers Sharon Hinnendael, Jill Evyn and Constance Brenneman. This film within a film explores love in all its painful and messy glory. 


Filmed in five days, and completed withing 30, on a micro-budget, this improvised movie based on Bader’s story, characters and outline fulfilled her desire to create a very organic and visceral experience. 

Despite the tight parameters for production, there is no shortage of quality in the look of the film - it doesn't feel "low-budget". Due to the style; languishing, luscious cinematography, and the careful pacing, the film punches well above its weight.

The story follows Zoe and Mal who fell for each other six months ago while filming a love scene, which led to an intense, whirlwind affair, followed by a devastating breakup. Soon after their split, where the film picks up, things get complicated when the two have to meet on set once more to re-shoot that fateful sequence. 

 Released just a few weeks ago, the trailer for the film is making a lot of noise having already garnered 350,000 views

Anatomy of a Love Seen will be available streaming on July 19 for $5.00 for a 72-hour rental period at: http://www.anatomyofaloveseen.com

Girls on Film: The First Date short film collection

Nine short stories from all over the world (including the UK) come together to create a smorgasbord of LBQ content with something for every taste.

Often hot & sweaty, and sensual in every way, a little bit of the mosaic of every day lesbian life is well and truly explored across these individual tales.

Highlights of the pack include: 

The sexy rom-com with a twist What's Your Sign (Dir. Leanna ‘Alex’ Siow) that has an L-Word feel to it through the fantasy projections and art gallery setting, but ends with a fantasticially modern and humorous twist (and love budding).

Dream Date (Dir Diana Juhr-DeBenedetti, Andromeda Godfrey) takes a witty look at the dating rituals of women, offering one anonymity perspective at first, then quickly flipping reality to a long-term couple and their intimacy needs. 

Social Butterfly (Dir Lauren Wolkstein) explores the impact of a stranger's entrance at an 18th Birthday party. The American beauty is on a mission and instead finds an unexpected moment of chemistry and connection with the birthday girl, before she is washed clean and exposed as a thief.


View the trailer:

Available from: Amazon: http://amzn.to/1nQejod | Play: http://bit.ly/1pQAA6C RRP: £15.99 
Or get your copy from The Planet Central Zone at L Fest! 18 - 21 July

COUNTRY: UK, USA, France, Germany, Norway, Ireland
RELEASED: 14th July 2014

The line up: 
The First Date- dir. Janella Lacson (USA) 7mins 2012
Air Balloon- dir. Yenni Lee (Norway) 11mins 2011
Fresh Air Therapy 2- dir. Christoph Scheermann (Germany) 16mins 2011
AWOL - dir. Deb Shoval (USA) 13mins 2011
What's Your Sign? - dir. Alex Siow (USA) 6mins 2013
James Dean- dir. Lucy Asten Elliott (UK) 8mins 2011
Hold On Tight - dir. Anna Rodgers (Ireland) 13mins 2011
Social Butterfly- dir. Lauren Wolkstein (France) 14mins 2013
Dream Date - dir. Diana Juhr DeBenedetti & Andromeda Godfrey (UK) 3mins 2012

By Katie

"Starting From...Now!" Ready, Steady... Season 2 finale out on Tuesday

The brain child of award winning writer/director, Julie Kalceff, Starting From...Now, is a six part, two season dramatic Australian lesbian web series, with a third season currently in development fans will be pleased to hear. 

Set in Sydney, Season One, kicks off with the arrival of awkward and plucky, Steph Fraser (Sarah de Possesse) from Melbourne. Following her dream of being a top graphic designer she moves to accept a position in what appears to be a promising new firm. Immediately upon arriving, she meets potential soul mate and resident femme fatale, D’arcy Peters (Rosie Lourde). 

Her fantasy is shattered when she arrives at the home of her childhood friend and host, Kristen Sheriden (Lauren Orrell) and discovers her dream woman is in fact already in in a relationship- with Kristen. As it becomes apparent that Steph’s new job, like Kirsten and D’arcy’s relationship, isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, a palpable sexual tension builds between D’arcy and Steph. A steamy chance encounter with a colleague, Emily Rochford (Bianca Bradey) complicates the situation further and ultimately leads to heartbreak.

Season Two follows on directly from Season One and follows the women and their relationships as they deal with the fallout from Steph and Darcy’s infidelity.

We spoke to Starting from... Now Director Julia Kalceff to find out what's behind the series.
 
How and why is Starting From … Now! different from other lesbian/bi web series out there?

Like most lesbian/bi web series Starting From … Now! is about relationships. I guess what makes SFN different to other web series is that it isn’t necessarily about dating or trying to find love, but explores what happens when a longer term relationship is threatened by a third party. I tried to look at this as honestly as possible and not just focus on the romantic aspect of it. It’s all very well to meet someone and fall in love, but what happens when you’re in a relationship and you’re torn between your partner, someone you’ve built a life with, and another woman who you’re deeply attracted to? I didn’t want this decision to appear to be an easy one, to gloss over the more complicated aspects of this. I wanted to focus on how this situation might realistically play out and the impact it has on those involved.
 

You’ve already got 2 series under your belt – how did you make that happen?

I’ve been very lucky to work with an extremely talented and generous cast and crew. This is how I’ve been able to make two seasons of Starting From … Now!. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible. Both seasons were self-funded, which meant everyone involved donated their time and talent. We did things as cheaply as possible. Shoot days were long and deadlines were tight. We’ve basically made the equivalent of 12 short films in less than 12 months. The only way this is going to happen is if you have a team of really good, talented people who you can trust, who you can work with in stressful situations and who you know can deliver what you need from them.
 
What is web series the format for you?

I think what a web series offers that other formats don’t is the ability to build and engage with an audience. If you make a short film it’s finite. People may watch it once and then it’s over. The serial nature of a web series means that you have the ability to engage with the audience as the series develops. It’s more immediate and more intimate. The other advantage of a web series is there are fewer limitations on who has access to your work. A web series allows you to get your work out there without having to wait for an executive or panel of judges to give you the green light. If you want your work seen and you want to engage with an audience, it’s a very effective format.
 
How did you cast the series?

I had worked with three of the main actors before. Just prior to working on SFN I made a short film in which Sarah de Possesse (Steph) and Lauren Orrell (Kristen) were the leads. Having worked with them on that short I knew how talented they were, how much they bring to a role and how good they are to work with. The same can be said for Bianca Bradey (Emily) who I’d worked with on a short film about a year prior to that. Like Sarah and Lauren, Bianca brings a level of professionalism and insight to a role that I knew I needed for this series. The only two roles I had to hold auditions for were Darcy and Trish. 

We saw a number of really talented actors for these roles but I had no hesitation in casting Rosie Lourde as Darcy and Linda Grasso as Trish. They are both very talented actors and I think this is something audiences are responding to. I think getting the casting right is one of the most important jobs a director has. It doesn't matter how nice your shots are or how clever the story line, if the acting’s below par, then no-one will want to watch it. A large percentage of the comments we get about the series are on the quality of the acting. I have no doubt that the series wouldn’t be nearly as successful if the acting wasn’t of such a high standard.


All past episodes of Starting From...Now! can be viewed at any time via www.startingfromnowtv.com, www.onemorelesbian.com and www.pnttv.com. The FINALE of Season 2 will be released on Tuesday 8 July. 



By Katie

“Dyke Central” the queer, Bay Area based web series needs our help

Dyke Central, the SF Bay Area-based queer series touted for the diversity of its cast and relatability of its characters, released its 23-minute Episode 2, “Taboo”, Sunday June 1st on YouTube, which we got to see at this year's Dinah Shore weekend.

Dyke Central was included in several “Lesbian Web Series” short lists in the last several months - by Buzzfeed, AfterEllen, and others. This year, “Taboo” was selected for screening at the Dinah Shore Film Festival, Outfest’s Fusion, and Inside Out Toronto.

In addition, Frameline, the world’s largest LGBTQ film festival, has programmed “Taboo” and 3 more brand-new episodes for this year’s festival, giving SF Bay Area fans an opportunity to watch four new episodes on the big screen - and meet the cast in person.

Nourished by the encouragement and support of fans near and far, “Dyke Central” is preparing to shoot 5 more episodes this summer, to complete Season 1. To this end, a new Indiegogo campaign had its official launch on Monday, June 2nd. The show is also seeking sponsorship from companies and organizations.

We caught up with the Dyke Central producer Florencia Manovil to get the low down:







How and Why is Dyke Central different from other lesbian/bi web series out there?

What makes Dyke Central stand out the most is its diversity of characters and cast. Over and over, people tell us how excited/grateful they are to see a show in which the protagonists are 2 people of color and masculine-of-center, and have a group of friends of different ethnicities and gender expressions. Loads of people out there haven't felt represented by the LGBTQ representations on the screen, and they are excited to see some of themselves and their friends in Dyke Central.

Also, because we're based in the SF Bay Area, the issues that we (queer people) deal with here, the language we use, the conversations we have, tend to be a bit more sophisticated than in other places where people are still struggling for basic acceptance. Here, we have a very large trans community, we have people talking about third and fourth genders and beyond, we have more acceptance of bisexuality. Our LA friends and fans, for example, say that they look to the show for a better understanding of some of the issues that to them are still very new and difficult.

How are plans going for the next shoot in the Summer? Is it filmed on location in Oakland?

We are in full pre-production to shoot episodes 5-10 this summer, so as to have a complete Season 1 by December of this year. We are shooting in Oakland (and occasionally in other Bay Area spots, like Berkeley or San Francisco), as this is where we're based and where our community is - but also, because Oakland itself is practically a character in the show.
What is web series the format for you? 

Honestly, we're not attached to the web series format. It's just the easiest place to get started, build an audience, and get the show out there. But if a television network shows any interest, or other distribution methods turn out to be more financially sound, we will probably transition. It's very tricky to keep a show like ours (20+min episodes, high production value, with many characters and locations) alive in a financially sustainable manner exclusively as a web series. Our top priority is to be able to continue making episodes and to make a Season 2, so if we have to move to a different format in order to do that, we're open to that.
 
How did you cast the series?

We held open auditions here in the Bay Area for all the characters, except for Gin - I (Florencia) wrote that role specifically for Giovannie, who I'd worked with previously. There were a lot of applicants for the more feminine roles (Fabiana, Jackie, Molly), so we had a lot of people to pick from and those decisions were made without much difficulty. Carla (Pauli, who plays Fabiana) and Tom (Paul, who plays Zack) were clearly perfect from the first read. But it took a while to cast "Alex". There aren't too many professional actors who fit the look of Alex (masculine woman, black, late 20s/early 30s), since female actors who want to get work need to conform to certain standards of femininity, so we had to dig into the LGBTQ community and encourage non-professionals to audition. Even with that, it was tricky to find someone who was able to carry that delicate balance of masculine and introvert - as well as charming and moody! Eventually, Tai came in to read and I knew we'd finally found the right "Alex".
 
How can people in the UK help?

By telling everyone they know to watch the show! The higher our YouTube views, subscribers and comments, as well as Facebook "likes", the better we can prove to potential distribution platforms or even investors that there is an audience out there who wants this kind of content and wants to see people that look like this on screen.

And, needless to say - people in the UK can contribute to our Indiegogo campaign! British pounds go a lot farther in the US :) We need all the financial support we can get right now, so that's a very important and fantastic way UK fans can help.

We also have sponsorship options for companies anywhere in the world - so UK companies and organizations (organisations, I mean) can become sponsors.


Episode 2 on YouTube: http://youtu.be/gP0Gv0egKnQ

Indiegogo campaign: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/Dyke-Central-Season-1  

For more information about Dyke Central: www.dykecentral.com