The documentary "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring" will screen on Friday, Aug. 24, 2018, at 6 p.m. during the Columbus International Black Film Festival at the Gateway Film Center, 1550 N. High St. in Columbus, Ohio. For tickets and more information, click here.
"Lady Wrestler," which I directed, tells the little-known story of courageous African-American women like Ethel Johnson, Babs Wingo, Marva Scott and Ramona Isbell who braved racism and sexism in the 1950s and '60s to become international superstars in the male-dominated world of professional wrestling.
People often ask me what message I would like audiences to take away from "Lady Wrestler." One message is to persevere in the face of hardship. These phenomenal women overcame enormous odds to success at a time when it was still relatively rare for women to be featured in professional sports.
Ethel Johnson says it best in the documentary:
"They can't stop you. You've got to be determined that you're going to do what you set out to do. Don't let nobody stop you. If you want to do something, go do it. Don't let people tell you you can't do this... woman or man or black or white or yellow or green."
If you make movies outside of the studio system, a must-read is Heidi Van Lier's "The Indie Film Rule Book."
Van Lier is the writer/director of such films as "Chi Girl" and "Monday." She has also served as a programmer for the American Cinematheque and the Slamdance Film Festival.
In "The Indie Film Rule Book," Van Lier offers the inside scoop on how to make quality, well-received films on a shoestring budget and how to make the most of the festival circuit.
In the early chapters, Van Lier breaks down the process of making an independent film, providing an actual sample budget, outlining the casting process, and taking you through the post-production process.
She also shares how she parlayed the attention she received from making her own movies into getting directing and writing jobs at mainstream studios. She emphasizes that while the mainstream gigs can help pay the bills, filmmakers should continue to make their own movies in order to hone their skills and tell stories they're passionate about.
"As a filmmaker, you should be making films," Van Lier states, "not just having meetings about making films."
In the latter part of "The Indie Film Rule Book," Van Lier interviews other filmmakers and festival programmers who offer secrets of success. Here are a few quotes that I found especially poignant:
"I've seen filmmakers say bad things about other films or filmmakers at a festival. This is never a good idea because you never know who's listening." - Film festival programmer Gabe Wardell
"The key to a great [pitch] meeting is enthusiasm (without losing your cool), confidence (without arrogance; look up the difference) and preparation. If you are pitching a project, keep your story points simple, punchy and short." - Filmmaker David Hayter
"I've seen amazing movies play to almost empty theaters because of zero promotion and I've seen awful, but heavily promoted movies play to full theaters. ... You have to work to get asses in the seats! Having a good movie is not enough." - Film festival programmer Nubia Flores
The one caveat about "The Indie Film Rule Book" is that it was published in 2008. I found a used copy on Amazon, and I don't know if Van Lier has ever published an updated edition. Some of the technical jargon is slightly out of date, such as sections about digital video vs. film, but otherwise, all the advice in the book is timeless.
Chris Bournea is a writer and filmmaker. He is the co-author of "All Jokes Aside: Comedy Is a Phunny Business" and the novel "The Chloe Chronicles." He also directed the documentary "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring."
Connect with Chris on Facebook, Twitter and Stage 32.
