By Kionna Clayton
It was our first time to Portland (Her Film Project founder Kyna Morgan) and also our first time to Maine when we flew in to be at the Bluestocking Film Series and its fifth anniversary this year. Bluestocking celebrates women’s stories on screen and is the only film festival in the world to require submissions to pass the Bechdel Test. Headed up by exuberant, passionate, and totally punk rock Kate Kaminski, the series takes place every year over the course of two days. This year, we enjoyed seeing the films in the SPACE Gallery, with both nights completely sold out.
As a summer intern with Her Film Project, the experience was totally new to me. I’m interested in arts and journalism, and travel, too, but had never been so exposed to film before. Also, it was my first time meeting filmmakers. We were invited to the filmmakers breakfast which included directors Brittany Shyne from the U.S. (who brought her film The Painted Lady), Lucy Griffin from Australia (who brought her film Sunroom), Maureen O’Connell from Ireland (who brought her film Girls) and Carin Brack from Sweden (who brought her film Stovlarna (The Boots)). Some flicks that I loved were Mother’s Day by Nico Raineau (@NicoRaineau), American Gladiators by Lara Jean Gallagher (@LaraJeanGal), The Painted Lady by Brittany Shyne, and Gabi by Zoé Salicrup Junco. I didn’t realize how developed stories could be in such a short format (all the films were shorts).
I was really invested in the main character in Mother’s Day who was stuck with a stranger’s kid all day while she had to work as a housekeeper, and it had a funny twist at the end I didn’t see coming (no spoilers here, though)! The Painted Lady was incredibly deep and dealt with the subject of menstruation in a nine-year old girl’s life. I liked the Puerto Rican film Gabi as well. The color palette was really warm and it helped to establish a feeling, despite the main character Gabi’s problems with her family, that everything would be alright in the end. American Gladiators was completely relatable, sibling-wise, because I have a younger brother!
As a summer intern with Her Film Project, the experience was totally new to me. I’m interested in arts and journalism, and travel, too, but had never been so exposed to film before. Also, it was my first time meeting filmmakers. We were invited to the filmmakers breakfast which included directors Brittany Shyne from the U.S. (who brought her film The Painted Lady), Lucy Griffin from Australia (who brought her film Sunroom), Maureen O’Connell from Ireland (who brought her film Girls) and Carin Brack from Sweden (who brought her film Stovlarna (The Boots)). Some flicks that I loved were Mother’s Day by Nico Raineau (@NicoRaineau), American Gladiators by Lara Jean Gallagher (@LaraJeanGal), The Painted Lady by Brittany Shyne, and Gabi by Zoé Salicrup Junco. I didn’t realize how developed stories could be in such a short format (all the films were shorts).
I was really invested in the main character in Mother’s Day who was stuck with a stranger’s kid all day while she had to work as a housekeeper, and it had a funny twist at the end I didn’t see coming (no spoilers here, though)! The Painted Lady was incredibly deep and dealt with the subject of menstruation in a nine-year old girl’s life. I liked the Puerto Rican film Gabi as well. The color palette was really warm and it helped to establish a feeling, despite the main character Gabi’s problems with her family, that everything would be alright in the end. American Gladiators was completely relatable, sibling-wise, because I have a younger brother!
Before going to Bluestocking, I didn’t know about the different genres of movies. One of the films we saw was experimental: Osveta by Reggie Burrows Hodges which screened the first night. I actually found that film off-putting, but it was interesting nevertheless. I hadn’t seen an experimental film ever before.
We heard from filmmakers in Q&As on both nights, and it was interesting to hear from Prize Juror, Kellee Terrell (also a filmmaker who previously brought a film to Bluestocking) talk about the double responsibility she feels as a woman filmmaker and an African American filmmaker. Through her work, she is trying to normalize Black films and women-focused films, which I find inspiring!
Bluestocking was a great experience for me; it’s opened doors for me I didn’t know existed and has sparked a new interest for me in film and filmmaking.
We heard from filmmakers in Q&As on both nights, and it was interesting to hear from Prize Juror, Kellee Terrell (also a filmmaker who previously brought a film to Bluestocking) talk about the double responsibility she feels as a woman filmmaker and an African American filmmaker. Through her work, she is trying to normalize Black films and women-focused films, which I find inspiring!
Bluestocking was a great experience for me; it’s opened doors for me I didn’t know existed and has sparked a new interest for me in film and filmmaking.