The 2004 Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

FESTIVAL GUESTS

The festival is honored to be hosting more than 50 visiting and local filmmakers, actors, and VIPs. Throughout the festival, filmgoers will have opportunities to meet and talk with festival guests at post-film question-and-answer sessions and at receptions and parties. The following people will be in Seattle for part or all of the festival. Interviews can be arranged by contacting Nathan Vance, Press Coordinator.

SHARON FERRANTI, DIRECTOR, MAKE A WISH

Sharon Ferranti is a published playwright and director who has worked in professional theatre for the last 15 years. Currently, Sharon is in her third and final year of the Master’s program in Directing at California Institute of the Arts. She was nominated for the Princess Grace award in her second year, and is the recipient of the Ralph M. Parsons Scholarship and the Ahamson Foundation Scholarship. In the summer of 2000, Sharon will begin a directing internship with the Independent Film Project in Los Angeles.

CHRISTOPHER RACSTER, PRODUCER, APRIL’S SHOWER

An award winning Independent film producer, Christopher Racster runs his own production company, Archer Productions, located in Los Angeles. Under the Archer shingle is APRIL’S SHOWER, director Trish Doolan's new comedy which recently picked up an audience award for Best Feature - Lesbian at the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

Q. ALLAN BROCKA, DIRECTOR, EATING OUT

Q. Allan Brocka was born in Guam and raised around the world. As a teenager, he settled in Seattle, where he earned a communications degree with honors from the University of Washington. He moved to Los Angeles and earned his master's degree in film at California Institute of the Arts in 2001. His first film school project, RICK & STEVE THE HAPPIEST GAY COUPLE IN ALL THE WORLD, screened at Sundance and over 200 film festivals, winning enthusiastic reviews, a host of prizes (including audience awards at Outfest Los Angeles and the New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival), and a theatrical release through the Spike & Mike Festival of Animation. He has since been named of the top five gay and lesbian directors to watch by Variety.

BARBARA RICK, DIRECTOR, IN GOOD CONSCIENCE

Barbara Rick is president and founder of Out of The Blue Films, Inc., an independent documentary company dedicated to the creation of critically and commercially successful films that explore, articulate, and celebrate humanity. A Peabody and Emmy award winning journalist/filmmaker for more than twenty years, Ms. Rick has produced, directed, and written a number of highly acclaimed films. Her latest project is a collaboration with legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, who describes Ms. Rick as "one of the very best documentary filmmakers I know."

RANDY EISENBURG, DIRECTOR, KIM AND COOKIE, TWO BIG FAGS, FIRE ISLAND PINES ON $0 A DAY

Randy Eisenburg’s short films have previously appeared in film festivals all over the world. He has performed at numerous venues in New York City and is now working in television as a writer/producer of television promos ; and is producing promos for "Late Show with David Letterman."

STEPHEN KENT JUSICK, DIRECTOR, SODOM ON THE HUDSON

Stephen Kent Jusick has been involved with MIX:The New York Lesbian and Gay Experimental Film/Video Festival since 1989, from festival coordinator to associate director and most recently as associate director. He founded the Baltimore Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and was instrumental in shaping Queer Articulations: the Princeton Film/Video Festival.

CHRISTINE J. RUSSO, DIRECTOR, A WOMAN REPORTED

Chris J. Russo's award-winning short films have screened at hundreds of film festivals worldwide and on cable television. Her recently completed 35mm short, A WOMAN REPORTED was an official selection of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and stars Moira Kelly (WB's “One Tree Hill” and NBC’s “The West Wing”). In 2002 Chris wrote and directed, SIZE ‘EM UP, a 35mm short film featuring Julie Brown, Stella Stevens and Leisha Hailey, which is currently licensed and airing on SHOWTIME, IFC and the Women's Entertainment Network. Most recently, Chris's screenplay, Directed By Dorothy Arzner, was selected to the Emerging Narrative section of the 26th IFP Market & Conference. The script examines the life and career of legendary film director Dorothy Arzner, based on the book of the same title, written by Judith Mayne. Chris won the audience award for Best Short Documentary at Outfest 2000 for her film, STRAIGHT DOWN THE AISLE: CONFESSIONS OF LESBIAN BRIDESMAIDS co-directed by Kelly Hankin.

BETSY KALIN, DIRECTOR, HEARTS CRACKED OPEN: TANTRA FOR WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN

Betsy Kalin is a writer, director, videographer and editor. She formed Itchy Bee Productions seven years ago to produce film and video projects and her short films, ROOF, POSTCARD WITH GENA, YOU ARE THE EIFFEL TOWER, BABY, and DONKEYS, PIGS, AND GREENS have screened at festivals worldwide. HEARTS BRACKED OPEN is her first feature-length project.

CANDACE LOWELL, PRODUCER, HEARTS CRACKED OPEN: TANTRA FOR WOMAN WHO LOVE WOMAN

Candace Lowell is a Los Angeles-based producer who has worked in the entertainment industry since 1986. She formed One Step Off Productions to produce her own work. HEARTS BRACKED OPEN marks her third collaboration with Betsy Kalin.

PATRICK-IAN POLK, DIRECTOR, NOAH’S ARCH

Patrik-Ian Polk attended Brandeis University in Massachusetts and graduate film school at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television, where he wrote and directed a number of short films. After graduation, Polk was hired as a development executive at MTV Films. Polk actively participated in the development of such productions as the hugely successful BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD FO AMERICA and the critically hailed high school black comedy ELECTION. Polk is currently completing his latest original screenplay, a romantic comedy he is writing with Janet Jackson in mind to star.

BEAUTIFUL BOXER, DIRECTOR, EKACHAI UEKRONGTHAM

Thai-born Ekachai Uekrongtham is an award-winning theatre director and founding artistic director of ACTION Theatre, a Singapore-based professional theatre company. Best known for conceptualizing, directing and producing CHANG & ENG, the acclaimed stage musical based upon the true story of the original Siamese Twins, Ekachai has directed and produced numerous productions of plays and musicals in Singapore, China, America, Malaysia and Thailand. He has also directed Asian premiere productions of Margaret Edson's WIT and A.R. Gurney's LOVE LETTERS. A recipient of the Singapore Youth Award and the Culture Award presented by the JCCI Foundation in Singapore, Ekachai was named one of the 20 Leaders of the New Millennium for Society & Culture by Asiaweek. BEAUTIFUL BOXER is Ekachai's feature film debut.

STEWART STERN, SCREENWRITER. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE

Stewart Stern, is perhaps best know for his screenplay REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. He was nominated twice for an Academy Award for TERESA AND RACHEL RACHEL and the documentary BENJY, which he wrote for director Fred Zinnemann, won an Oscar. Stern was nominated four times for the Writers Guild Award in Motion Picture and Television Writing. The Peabody Award film SYBIL earned an Emmy for Stewart as best-written Television Drama.

Also attending this year’s festival

CASPER ANDREAS, DIRECTOR, SLUTTY SUMMER

CRAYTON ROBEY, DIRECTOR, WHEN OCEAN MEETS SKY

WENDY JO CARLTON, DIRECTOR, BRUSH FIRES

SEAN ABLEY, PRODUCER, NINE LIVES

JONATHAN CROSS, DIRECTOR, TURNED OUT: SEXUAL ASSAULT BEHIND BARS

HARJANT GILL, DIRECTOR, EVERYTHING, SOME REASONS FOR LIVING

If there is an actor or director not listed for whom you’d like more information or to contact for a phone or email interview, please let us know. We will make arrangements as necessary.