A diverse panel of female industry leaders–A-list actress Jessica Alba, Crash’s Oscar-winning producer Cathy Schulman and Penelope Spheeris, the female director with the highest grossing hit, Wayne’s World–all recently offered advice to ten teen girls dreaming of becoming Hollywood filmmakers.
The panel was put together by Women in Film (one of Hollywood’s most prominent organizations for females in the Industry) a part of their “Girls in the Director’s Chair” series, in partnership with Fresh Films, which helps teens get into all aspects of filmmaking. Young girls from every corner of the country excitedly shook hands and posed for pictures with the photogenic Alba, who off the successes of last year’s Sin City and Fantastic Four became one of Hollywood’s hottest “It” Girls of 2005.
Before the panel, Alba told Hollywood.com she’s preparing for the sequels to both of the comic book-derived franchises, but she doesn’t know if production of the second Sin City film is waiting for Angelina Jolie, who’s rumored to be taking a role in the sequel, to give birth to the baby she’s expecting with her beau Brad Pitt. Alba came to the event to seek new talent, and said, “There’s not nearly enough women in the business, and I see myself producing, I don’t want to direct right now. Actors get to go on to another project right away, directors are with a project for a few years. I want to hire women to do everything, editing, sound, writing, all of it.”
Alba added, “There are not enough female voices, and women have different perspectives. They carry children for nine months, maybe we can add different stories to the world. I love you women, and I’m all about finding and discovering new talent. I did not have someone to bring me along, or be a role model for me.”
Before the luncheon began at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Schulman talked about what it meant to be one of five female producers in history to win a best picture Oscar. “It was fantastic,” she said. “I still haven’t had a chance to see the video of it, I’m probably going to do that this weekend, and watch Jack Nicholson give me a trophy.”
She’s still living down her faux pas where she thanked “my wife and my husband” on stage explained, “I was so nervous and the music was getting louder and about to kick us off, and I heard Paul Haggis behind me saying he didn’t thank his wife, and I was thinking of my daughter and so it came out that way.” She wasn’t coming out as bisexual to the world, but told Hollywood.com, “I wish I was doing something that was that progressive.” Then, with a wink, added, “Neither my husband nor my wife seemed to mind.” She is also working on a TV version of Crash for the FX network, which will follow some of the same storylines of the film, and plans to have a few of the same “It will be a bit tricky for television,” she admitted.
Inside the ballroom, after an elegant meal of aruglua radicchio, grilled salmon and almond chocolate tuile, the panel took questions from the young attendees, and included writer/director Nicole Holofcener (Lovely & Amazing, the upcoming Friends With Money), TV director Ellen Falcon Gittelsohn (Everybody Loves Raymond, The Simple Life), director Lian Lunson (Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man) and Women in Film president Cici Holloway. The panel offered advice on internships, colleges and how to get noticed in Hollywood.
Spheeris, talking about how she landed the first Wayne’s World movie, which brought in $122 million at the box office, said, “I was the only woman who knew about heavy metal. Also, it’s good to have a good lawyer.”
Alba–currently embroiled in legal wrangling with Playboy magazine touting her on its cover against her explicit refusal–nodded in agreement. “Yes, it’s important to have a good lawyer,” she said. “It’s difficult to be a woman, and they want you to take your clothes off all the time if you’re a girl.”
“I want to work with great directors,” Alba said. “I had to audition for Robert Rodriguez–it wasn’t just given to me, but I don’t believe in nudity. I pick my roles carefully, I’ve played mostly strong women, and there are just not enough roles like that for women.”
The girls’ program was sponsored by Stayfree, and more information is on the website www.fresh-films.com.
