Patti Vasquez is a renaissance woman: She’s the host of “The Patti Vasquez Show” on Chicago’s WGN Radio, a stand-up comedian, and the founder of With Kind Words, a consulting company for health care providers. Patti brings her passion and love for people into her comedy, her radio show on WGN, and her writing. I
Tavi Veraldi is talented Chicago-based illustrator, film buff, and overall stellar person. With her edgy, comic-book style, horror-inspired art, and pop art look, Tavi’s style is distinctive and reminds me of Chicago neighborhoods like Logan Square and Wicker Park. Her work is infused with her love for film, and we’re so happy she was available
In April, I spoke with director Jennifer Reeder about her film “Knives and Skin,” which had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival and its US premiere at Tribeca Film Festival. “Knives and Skin” is Reeder’s second feature, and it’s produced by Jan and Brian Hieggelke, founders of Newcity magazine and the Chicago
Film festivals afford you an opportunity to meet filmmakers from all over the world who are involved in the industry in many different capacities. And this year, at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, I spoke with writers on the red carpet, watched Q and As as an audience member, and literally bumped into or by
Katherine O’Brien is a brilliant, comedic, down-to-earth individual. For fifteen-plus years, she’s thrived in Hollywood and throughout the international marketplace as a screenwriter, filmmaker, and story consultant. As a faculty member at Second City’s Harold Ramis Film School and a teacher at DePaul University and Columbia College Chicago, Katherine O’Brien has mentored and supported young
For the past several years, Sam Dee has been creating inclusive, creative spaces for comedians and audience members in Cleveland. She cocreated the comedy advice show Share-apy in 2017, cofounded the female-run comedy festival Mass Hysteria Comedy Fest and started the comedy competition Improv Death Match in 2018, and is part of the improv troupe
There are two main reasons Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut “Booksmart” is getting such high praises: Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. While the premise isn’t original, at least on the surface, beneath the familiar exterior lies a clever and empowering message while it always maintains its lighthearted good nature. Dever and Feldstein create characters that are
I met filmmaker and Seed&Spark’s head of education and outreach Christina Raia in March at the 2019 Girl Power Film + Media Summit, where she gave a presentation about film distribution. Hearing Christina talk about her passion for helping filmmakers get their projects funded and distributed was inspirational. We spoke in April on the phone
Miranda Bailey is not just one thing—she is Miranda Bailey, the producer, director, actor, founder of CherryPicks, mother, and inspiration to women in the industry. She’s produced over twenty films, including Oscar-nominated “The Squid and the Whale” (2005), the Spirit Award-winning “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” (2015), and the indie hit “Don’t Think Twice”
Our cover artist for Cinema Femme’s fourth issue, “A League of Their Own” edition, is Gabrielle Riscanevo. I first came across artist Gabrielle Riscanevo‘s work when she posted in the Facebook Group Freelancing Females. I was drawn to her work because it reminded me of the Art Nouveau style that was popular in the late
