NEVERTHELESS SHE AUDITIONED: The Award-Winning Short Celebrates Upcoming Online Release In NYC
By: A.A. Cristi Mar. 13, 2019
Join comedic writing/producing team, Amanda Bruton and Steven Michael Mooney, and producing partner FACES (Female Artistic Commercial & Entrepreneur Support, Inc.), on Wednesday, March 27th for the NYC premiere of the award-winning Nevertheless, She Auditioned. Stick around after the film for an engaging industry panel that will take a deeper dive into the film's core themes surrounding gender and racial inequality within the entertainment industry's acting community. The event will take place during the final week of Women's History Month, ahead of NSA's official online release on Friday, March 29th in anticipation of the 12th Annual International SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now).
Nevertheless, She Auditioned comes in the wake of the TIME'S UP movement, at a point of growing scrutiny and shifting attitudes on the role of women in films. Inspired by true stories from the audition room, the short film leverages comedy to challenge the decades-long status quo while advocating for a paradigm shift in the industry's treatment and perception of women, particularly women of color, in front of the camera.
"So few roles exist for women, and the roles that are available often go to women who are white, cisgender, young and thin. By reversing the narrative and looking at it through a comedic lens, we hope to highlight the absurdity and relatability of the situation."
- Amanda Bruton, Director/Writer/Executive Producer
Determined to also walk the walk, Bruton and Mooney used their film's production to directly tackle inequity behind the camera as well. The filmmakers hired an all-female onset crew, with the help of FACES, a nonprofit that provides women with real-world opportunities and support to help them break into and advance their careers in the entertainment industry.
"Hiring an all-female onset crew was paramount to our film. Not only are we advocating for women on screen, we are advocating for women behind the camera. Men need to be active allies in challenging an industry that for decades has prioritized the work and voices of men over women and gender nonconforming people."
- Steven Michael Mooney, Writer/Executive Producer/Actor
And a year later, the team's fight against gender inequality will continue to push forward during the film's NYC premiere event. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion featuring a diverse group of fierce women, including Amanda Bruton (Actor & Filmmaker), Erica Jensen (Casting Director & Co-Founder of She-Collective) and Sheri Sanders (Actor & Creator of Rock the Audition). Moderated by Brittany Rostron (FACES Founder & Executive Director), the interactive Q&A will further explore the existing barriers and ongoing challenges that served as inspiration for the film. What's more, throughout the evening, members of the audience will be encouraged to tweet their own horror stories of gender bias in the audition room using the hastag #SheAuditioned.
The event will also include a standup comedy performance by NSA's hilarious lead actor Anna Suzuki, who recently appeared in Second Act with Jennifer Lopez, Spike Lee's Netflix TV series She's Gotta Have It, and HBO's High Maintenance.
The screening event and online release follow a successful run on the film festival circuit. Nevertheless, She Auditioned premiered in April 2018 at Boston's Women in Comedy Festival, sponsored by HBO. Since then, the film has picked up awards for Best Ensemble at the Atlanta Comedy Film Festival and Best Editing at the Austin Comedy Film Festival.
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