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December 2011
This is a FREE screening provided by Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, and co-sponsored by Studio Movie Grill.
Ang Lee served
as a special consultant for this rigorous, unsentimental drama, which
takes a close look at what it means to be a young Eurasian woman in
contemporary Taiwan. Half-French and half-Chinese, Yang Yang (Pinna)
feels out of place at home and in school, and after a fledgling romance
backfires, she heads off to Taipei to pursue a career as an actress.
Unexpectedly avoiding a downward spiral narrative, Yang Yang honestly
explores the multi-faceted issues of Taiwanese identity.
See Calendar for complete details.
November 2011
SUNDANCE CINEMAS OPENS IN HOUSTON
11/21/11 - Thank you for your support of MFAH Films and HCAS - All tickets are "SOLD OUT."
May 5, 2011
WIFT HOUSTON PRESENTS JADE AWARD TO ELMA BARRERA, JOURNALIST AND MEDIA ROLE MODEL
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On May 5, 2011 (Cinco de Mayo), Women In Film & Television Houston presented its first Jade Award for Excellence to Elma Barrera for her more than 30 years of media trailblazing. The event took place at 88 Keys.
Elma has been called an icon, not only in Houston's Hispanic community, but in the Houston community at-large. Throughout her career, Elma has been on the cutting edge as a pioneering journalist. Elma was Houston's first female Hispanic television reporter. She covered local, national and international
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Photo Courtesy of KTRK-TV, Channel 13
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stories
for KTRK-TV, Channel 13 Eyewitness News for over 30 years. She was
known as an informed reporter, insightful and articulate...and
bilingual. Those early years in Houston demanded a set of skills unseen
until then, and Elma contributed with a new and very personal
perspective on news involving the growing Latino population. A Native
Texan, Elma graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in
English and Spanish literature. We're so pleased that Elma Barrera is
now also a member of the board of WIFT Houston.
Also receiving an award was Melody Moss, Founding President of Women In Film/Houston, as it was named in 1995, when the charter was filed. Melody was presented with a top-of-the-line Director's Chair, not only for her stepping forward 16 years ago to begin a lasting professional organization for women (and men) in our industry, but also for her continued service. Melody is again on the WIFT board and an invaluable asset to our team and the organization.
Awards were also presented to the winners of WIFT Houston's 2010 Short Film Script Competition which was co-sponsored by Irony Coast Productions.
First Place went to Diane Daniels for her script "Miss Jessie's Guest," from her award-winning novel Stained Glass, and Second Place winners (a tie) to Cash Anthony for "Cold Justice," and to Holly Carmen for "By Hook or By Crook."
And last but by no means least, certificates were presented to the Charter Members of WIFT Houston who were present.
We extend our sincere gratitude to board member Patricia Torres-Burd, and to Channel 13, and Houston PBS, for their presence and support of this awards luncheon, and to the Brownstone properties for making their wonderful venue available to us long before the Brownstone Cafe opened for the public.
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Friday, May 13, 2011 - Renaissance Hotel, 6 Greenway Plaza East, Houston 77046
Bluebonnet Meeting Room - Arrive Early - Program begins promptly at 7:00 PM
Who should attend: ACTORS - PRODUCERS - ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF AGENTS, MANAGERS, and CASTING DIRECTORS and how what they do affects your success, and what you need to do to be successful. Public Invited.
Purchase your tickets on event page of the WIFT Calendar. Bring proof of purchase to the event for admission. For more details see Calendar listing.
This project is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.
WIFT Houston
WIFT HOUSTON PRESENTS "A CONVERSATION WITH ANNE RAPP"
APRIL 20, 2011
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WRITERS - SCRIPT SUPERVISORS - FILM BUFFS - STUDENTS
Screen writer and script professional Anne Rapp is the featured guest for "A Conversation With...," the latest program in "The Art, Business, and Craft of Film & Television," the educational series presented by Women In Film & Television Houston. WIFT Vice President Maureen Herzog will host the interview, and audience members will have the opportunity to participate in an open "Q&A" at the conclusion. The program will be Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at the Crowne Plaza Houston River Oaks (near the Galleria), 2712 Southwest Freeway, Houston 77027, from 7:00 PM to 9:00. Registration and networking begins at 6:30 PM.
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Advance tickets are available from this Web site - look for the PAY NOW button under the scrolling Calendar, the left column front page: $10 for WIFT Members and students, and $25 for general public. Tickets at the door are $35.
Anne Rapp is the screenwriter of COOKIE'S FORTUNE and DR. T AND THE WOMEN, two films produced and directed by Robert Altman. The screenplay for COOKIE'S FORTUNE earned Ms. Rapp an Independent Spirit Award nomination in 1999, as well as an Edgar Allan Poe nomination. Since starting in the film industry in 1981, as a script supervisor on TENDER MERCIES, Anne has worked on over 50 movies, many of them with acclaimed directors including Robert Altman, Judd Apatow, Harold Ramis, Lawrence Kasdan, Sydney Pollack, Robert Benton, Bruce Beresford, Steven Speilberg, Robert Zemekis, David Mamet, Rob Reiner, and Tom Hanks. In the mid-90s, she began writing short stories, which led to her first writing job for Robert Altman.
In 2002, Anne wrote "Stars Over Texas," a live Texas music variety special for Country Music Television featuring Ray Benson, Dolly Parton, and Vince Gill. She teamed with Benson again in 2005, and co-wrote the musical "A Ride With Bob, a stage performance about the life and legacy of Bob Wills. The musical was performed around the country through 2010.
Ms. Rapp has twice served as a visiting professor of screenwriting at the Michener Center for Writers, the graduate writing program at the University of Texas. Today she continues writing screenplays and short stories, and is producing and directing a documentary about the life and legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist and Oscar-winning screenwriter Horton Foote.
WIFT Houston
Women In Film & Television Houston (WIFTH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization, dedicated to helping women reach the highest level of achievement in film, television, and other moving-image media, and further dedicated to promoting equity for women in these industries. The Houston chapter was chartered in 1995, and currently has a membership of approximately 200. In recent years our male membership has grown, and now represents over 20% of total membership. Members and contributors also include college students from, across the state, individuals with an interest in learning about the industry, as well as our corporate members. WIFT Houston works to build community across the industry, collaborating with many other non-profit media organizations.
Posted November 2010
HOLIDAY PARTY & SILENT AUCTION - DECEMBER 14, 2010 - 88 KEYS
Celebrate friends and good times at the annual Holiday Party and Silent Auction. This year's event will be held at the newest venue on the property which for decades was one of Houston's elegant dining spots, The Brownstone. Last fall, owner Beau Theriot opened the Red Room, labeled as Houston's contemporary New York hideaway for Sips and Sounds, already a welcomed attraction to Houston's nightlife, and another of Beau's unique creations, which also include The Oasis on Lake Travis. This year, he's done it again with the recent opening of 88 KEYS, 2736 Virginia Street, the upscale piano bar in the Heart of River Oaks and the Upper Kirby District, and WIFT will be there, Tuesday evening, December 14. Join us. Tickets limited to 100 and on sale now. Happy Holidays!
Posted October 2010
Home Sweet Home: WIFT Has Moved and the
OPEN HOUSE is Saturday, October 30th
In June, WIFT completed the move from its storage facility where we've been for two years, to a suite of offices conveniently located just off Richmond Avenue at West Loop South - the Galleria area "inside" the loop." The street address is 4848 Guiton, Ste. 110, Houston 77027.
The building, built in 1955, is a 2-story white brick office building, and old though it is, will suit our needs very well. It's useful for board meetings, classes, and member or vendor meetings. With us in the building you'll find a hair salon, Nuvo Too by Pegi; a massage therapist, an animation/motion graphics company, a quilt-maker; Comsult Systems, a signage/corporate identity company, and many other artists, including Pat Skiles' sister. If you have a colleague who isn't yet a member of WIFT that you would like to bring by to meet with one of the board members, and check out our offices, just be sure to call the WIFT Hotline at 713-788-8075 to set up an appointment. Kathlyn Fowler will contact you and a meeting date and time will be arranged.
Member Mike Muscal, who joined WIFT Houston in January after decades in Los Angeles, had this to say about our new offices. "This is great! I've been in hundreds of production offices in L.A., and they all look like this." BTW, before returning to Houston, Mike produced (more recently) the serial killer trilogy: ED GEIN (2000), TED BUNDY (2002), and THE HILLSIDE STRANGLER (2004); and he was Visual Effects Supervisor on JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS (2001) and BRIDE OF CHUCKY (1998). He started off his career in film with Stuart Gordon's gloriously, unapologetically bloody sci-fi classic RE-ANIMATOR (1985), which celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year. Mike was Production Manager of that campily thrilling splatter film. We'll have to do more on Mike in a later issue. For now, we'll just say he's back in Houston to help us grow our industry, and he's easily accessible to the serious filmmaker.
Need Audition Space, or want to do a table read? WIFT's conference room is perfect. Again, call our Hotline at 713-788-8075. Kathlyn will arrange to have someone call you with details on renting WIFT's board room.
TO OUR MEMBER ACTORS: We have purchased two screens (room dividers) that will hold headshots of the first 30 actors to send in their vertical 8x10 headshot. Nearly one-third of our members are actors. It's a great way to display those headshots. You never know who will visit the WIFT office next. We have 15 members already taking advantage of this opportunity who brought their headshots to the Cultured Cocktail event at Boheme. They look terrific in our main office. If you let your membership drop past the renewal date, your headshot will be replaced by the next member actor on the waiting list.
*The WIFT Board of Directors would like to thank President Jolene McMaster for almost single-handedly handling this move. Her hard work is appreciated by all!
WIFT-Houston Upgrades its Web Presence to Serve You Better
Our new Web design firm, Nodus Solutions, has added Content Management Software to our site. We've discovered we can't live without it. We're updating our site daily. Thank you for your patience.
Board Members Elected for the 2010-2012 Term
In May, the following board members were elected unanimously by our voting-eligible members who participated in the election process:
- President - Jolene McMaster
- Vice President/Development & Treasurer - Carole Keeney-Harrington
- Assistant Treasurer - Karron Wardwell, who has since resigned from the board due to the illness and necessary care required of her ageing parents. She served WIFT as Treasurer for six years, and was invaluable to the organization in her oversite of our financial well-being. She continues to maintain the business of Wardwell Tax & Business Service and remains a member of WIFT Houston.
- At Large Member - Yankie Grant
- At Large Member - Page Parkes-Eveleth
- At Large Member/Legal Affairs - Amy Mitchell, Esq.
Board Members continuing to serve for 2009 to 2011 Term:
- Vice President/Marketing & Publicity - Maureen Herzog was elected as an At Large member in 2009, and the board subsequently appointed her to this newly created position
- At Large Member - Melody Moss
- At Large Member - Patricia Torres-Burd
- At Large Member - Sabrina Miskelly
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