On May 15th Frameline celebrates the birthday of the inimitable filmmaker Barbara Hammer with the virtual cinema release of DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! a feature documentary which explores the rich legacy of lesbian cinema Hammer inspired as one of the preeminent female filmmakers of the 20th century, and the first openly gay female director in America.

The film is presented in partnership with the Roxie Cinema in San Francisco and will continue its’ virtual cinema release through end of June in arthouse cinemas nationwide.

A panel discussion featuring celebrated directors interviewed in the film, moderated by Jenni Olson, will explore recent changes in Hollywood and the status quo, and their impact on female filmmakers.

**DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! and the accompanying panel discussion will go live at 6pm on Friday, May 15th. The content will be accessible with your ticket until Midnight on Thursday May 28th.**

Tickets are $10 and valid until Midnight, May 28th.

About the film:
DIRECTOR: Caroline Berler
2018 | 58m | USA

Lovers of lesbian film unite! DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! examines queer women’s cinema from the mid-twentieth century through today, including Frameline Award winner Barbara Hammer’s SUPERDYKE, Rose Troche’s GO FISH (Frameline18), and Desiree Akhavan’s APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR (Frameline38). DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! is also a joyous trip down memory lane for any film lover.

Academics like B. Ruby Rich and Sarah Schulman contextualize the history of queer women’s films, from the 1960s through the 1990s’ New Queer Cinema, and all the way to the lesbian pop froth of the 21st century. The historical intersection of experimental film and queer film is examined, as well as the role of activism in lesbian artist circles, and the never-ending battle against the male gaze and the patriarchy. But just as importantly, filmmakers from Su Friedrich (DAMNED IF YOU DON’T, Frameline15), Cheryl Dunye (THE WATERMELON WOMAN, Frameline20), Jenni Olson (THE JOY OF LIFE, Frameline29), to Yoruba Richen (THE NEW BLACK, Frameline37) talk about their own personal experiences of queer women’s cinema.

About Our Panelists:

Florrie Burke is a human rights advocate, specializing in combating human trafficking. Secretary of State John Kerry presented Ms. Burke with the inaugural Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons in May 2013. The Award was granted in recognition of “her sustained dedication and unparalleled leadership in combating modern slavery through the development and delivery of comprehensive services, the empowerment of survivors to move from slavery to independence, and the transformation of policy to eradicate all forms of human trafficking.” Florrie Burke’s partner of 31 years, pioneering LGBTQ filmmaker and activist Barbara Hammer, died of ovarian cancer in March 2019.

Caroline Berler is an award-winning documentary film director and editor based in New York City. In 2020, her short film THE RENEGADES appeared on the New York Times, T Magazine website. In 2018, she won the Outfest Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent for her debut feature film DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! which premiered at Frameline42 in San Francisco, and was the Centerpiece Documentary of Newfest30 in NYC. She teaches in the BFA Film Dept at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). She holds an MFA in Social Documentary Film from SVA and a BA in Sociology from NYU.

Desiree Akhavan is the co-writer and director of THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, which won the 2018 Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Her first film, APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for Best First Screenplay at the Indie Spirit Awards. Most recently, she created the Hulu original series THE BISEXUAL. She has a BA from Smith College and an MFA from NYU’s Grad Film Program.

Vicky Du is a Taiwanese-American filmmaker based in New York. Her short film GAYSIANS (Frameline, 2016) screened at 35+ film festivals around the world, had a public television broadcast on KQED, and was distributed to 1000+ middle and high school LGBTQ student groups. Vicky has also directed a short documentary for PBS Art21’s NEW YORK CLOSE UP digital series and was the Associate Producer of FREE SOLO Oscar Winner, (2019). Vicky has directed, produced and edited digital and broadcast short documentaries for National Geographic, The New York Times, TEDx, The History Channel, and The New Yorker. She is a worker-owner of Meerkat Media, and she has a BA in Biological Anthropology from Columbia University. Vicky is currently working on her first feature documentary on intergenerational trauma and Chinese diaspora with support from Points North Institute, CAAM, BAVC and ITVS.

Kimberly Reed’s work has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, The Moth, and in Details Magazine. One of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” she directed/produced PRODIGAL SONS, a “whiplash doc that heralds an exciting talent.” PRODIGAL SONS (First Run Features, Sundance Channel) landed on many Best of the Year lists, screened at more than 100 film festivals, and garnered 14 Audience and Jury awards, including the FIPRESCI Prize. Kimberly Reed also directed DARK MONEY which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. In 2007, Filmmaker Magazine named her one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film. Also Ms. Reed was recognized as one of OUT Magazine’s “Out 100,” and as Towleroad’s “Best LGBT Character of the Film Year.” She also produced/edited/wrote PAUL GOODMAN CHANGED MY LIFE (Zeitgeist Films), and produced THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON (Netflix).

Yvonne Welbon is Senior Creative Consultant at Chicken & Egg Pictures. She is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of the Chicago-based non-profit Sisters in Cinema. She has produced and distributed over 20 films including LIVING WITH PRIDE: RUTH ELLIS @ 100, winner of ten best documentary awards and SISTERS IN CINEMA, a documentary on the history of black women feature film directors. Her work has been broadcast on PBS, Starz/Encore, TV-ONE, IFC, Bravo, the Sundance Channel, BET, HBO, Netflix, iTunes and screened in over one hundred film festivals around the world.

Moderated By:

Jenni Olson is an independent writer and non-fiction filmmaker based in San Francisco. Her two feature-length essay films — THE JOY OF LIFE (2005) and THE ROYAL ROAD (2015) — premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and have screened internationally to awards and acclaim. Her film criticism has appeared in many publications including Filmmaker Magazine, The Advocate, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Jenni’s work as a film historian includes the Lambda Award-nominated The Queer Movie Poster Book (Chronicle Books, 2005) and her many vintage movie trailer presentations (HOMO PROMO, AFRO PROMO, etc.). Jenni co-founded the pioneering LGBT online platform, PlanetOut.com as well as the legendary Queer Brunch at Sundance and is the proud proprietor of Butch.org.