The Women Film Pioneers Project (Duke University) presents:
Film Pioneers:
ACTRESS-FILMMAKERS OF THE SILENT SCREEN
Weekend of May 6-7 and 13-14, 2000
at The American Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, NY
From Hollywood's frantic beginnings, when one- and two- reelers were
cranked out in a matter of days, to the rise of the carefully planned
features of the mid-teens, enterprising women actresses produced,
directed and wrote their own movies. However, their "cottage industry"
methods of filmmaking were rendered inefficient and unprofitable with the
coming of the studio era. Most of them disappeared from the scene, and
their work has since been all but lost and forgotten. The Women Film
Pioneers Project aims to recover the legacy of these early women
filmmakers and to make their work available to the public.
This program highlights the films of silent era comedienne MABEL NORMAND,
and wilderness-adventure star NELL SHIPMAN.
It also includes the US premiere of HELEN GARDNERs 1913 feature _A Sister
to Carmen_, and **A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY SILENT-ERA SCREENWRITER**,
FREDERICA MAAS, following the screening of her 1925 film The Plastic Age
(starring Clara Bow).
The screening prints are from archives in the US, Canada and UK and are
primarily 35mm. They include recently restored and tinted prints.
For more information and film times and descriptions, please see the
museum web site at:
www.ammi.org
For a brief overview (see below):
Daredevil and madcap Mabel Normand starred in and directed early Keystone
slapstick comedies along with Mack Sennett, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle" and
Charlie Chaplin. We will screen the feature-length Mickey (produced by
the Mabel Normand Feature Company) as well as various Keystone shorts
that Mabel directed and starred in with Arbuckle and Chaplin.
Nell Shipmans spectacular wilderness adventure films were shot on
location in the snowy Canadian North, at Priest Lake, Idaho and the
Mojave desert. They feature a cast of wild animals and Shipman herself as
a the intrepid girl of nature battling against her human enemies.
Shipman acted in, directed, wrote and produced most of her films, as well
as serving as stunt woman, and wild animal trainer. We will be screening
three feature length films as well as shorts.
Radha Vatsal
Coordinator
The Women Film Pioneers Project
Duke University
Box 90671
Durham, NC 27708
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