Editor

The Broad Humor Film Festival announces the line-up of films for its fifth anniversary event taking place the weekend of June 11-13, 2010 at the Electric Lodge Performing Arts Center in Venice.  The phenomenal range of subjects and styles blows out of the water any idea that women's films fit into one niche.  There are films this year for all tastes: sweet and razor sharp, smart and silly, sophisticated and totally gross.  

The feature films for 2010 include:  Noche Transfigurada (Alexia Muiños), a Spanish film about sensible Helena, who trails her boyfriend's other woman all night and discovers herself in the process; Action!!! (Hillary Walker), a mockumentary send-up of the film industry where film students in a Christian college interview members of a movie crew filming in their small town; and Trippin' ( Devi Snively), a goofy and macabre spoof of scary thrillers that is itself a perfect example of the genre it makes fun of.  Devi is the winner of last year's Best Short for her film, Meat is Murder.

The festival will open with a night of shorts by returning "Broads," women who have had films in previous Broad Humor festivals.  Not all these films are in competition.  Some are not precisely comedies.  But they are all fun and make for a fantastic kickoff to the 5th-year celebration. Two more shorts programs round out the screening schedule.

Three professional film panels over the weekend promise to enlighten, inspire and inform those interested in the process of movie-making. Script goddess Julie Gray will teach her one of her most popular workshops, The Top Ten Things Readers Hate.  Gaffer Cherri Stoute (Hallmark Channel), in a workshop sponsored by Cinelease, will demonstrate how to use household lights for creative strategies in lighting as well as rental instruments that run off regular power to achieve cool effects while avoiding a costly generator rental. Editor Mary Ann Skweres (Major Payne) moderates a panel of women editors on the topic of cutting a film for the laughs.  As one award-winning filmmaker said of last year's panel, "I go to many of the film workshops around town and these are the best I've ever attended." 

The festival takes place at the Electric Lodge Performing Arts Center in Venice, 1416 Electric Avenue, Venice, CA 90291.  There is free parking on the premises. The schedule of events and times can be found at www.broadhumor.com/schedule.htm.   Tickets on sale beginning June 1 at www.broadhumor.com/tickets.htm.