MORE Women In Film Contests Winners
Meet the women whose short films and screenplays inspired our judges.
Screenplay Contest Winners & Short Film Contest Winners
Screenplay Contest Winners:
1. Whiplash, written by Lauri Donahue, 45, law professor/writer, Toledo, Ohio
2. Lily, written by Terry Jamieson, 53, homemaker, Sarasota, Florida
3. Siam Passage, written by Debra Weiner, 54, freelance writer, Chicago, Illinois
Short Film Contest Winners:
1. Play Ball!, directed by Abigail Zealey Bess, 46, film/theater director, New York, New York
2. Up on a Rope, directed by Paula Froehle, 42, filmmaker, Chicago, Illinois
3. Slice, directed by Carmen Maria Milito, 61, film/theater director, Studio City, California
Second Place Film Winner: Paula Froehle
Paula Froehle, 42, filmmaker, Chicago, Illinois
Project: Up on the Rope - Second Place Film
What's your film about?
"A quirky love story between a 16-year-old tightrope walker and an eccentric young woman."
Who are you going to tell about your win first?
"My daughter and my son. They've both been very interested in my film, very supportive."
Where did the idea or inspiration for your project come from?
"I came across the collection of short stories by a friend, Cristina Peri Rossi, and every one has this sort of fantastical quality to the writing. I've always been drawn to magical realist films and writing, and I loved this story. It was all about what it means to try and be a creative person, or to be outside the norm, and so the character living up on a tightrope reminded me a lot of what it means to try and be a creative person."
Were there any surprises for you during the course of creating your film? "Lots! Finding the Flying Wallendas Family, meeting them and working with them and attempting to walk on a tightrope myself literally, which was quite a surprising moment. Really, just everybody who came on the project was so talented and the magic that comes from pulling together so many talented and creative people and everyone seeing the same film is quite an amazing experience."
What are you working on now?
"I'm working on another short film that is a precursor to a feature about the life of the Mexican artist Remedios Baro. There's a visual similarity to Up on a Rope."
Who's your favorite female director/screenwriter?
"Maya Beren, seminal experimental filmmaker, and Jane Campion [The Piano]."