Skateboarding Dramedy 'Birdie' will Compete At 14th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival

BIRDIE, an official selection and finalist in the LA Femme International Film Festival will be entered into competition at this year's festival, October 11th- 14th in downtown Los Angeles. Winners and runners up in both the screenplay and pilot competitions get their work read by executives at Sony Pictures Entertainment Diversity & Inclusion.

BIRDIE was written by Janeane Bernstein, who created this high concept dramedy based on her love of skateboarding, a passion for diversity, and her humorous late-grandmother, Madeline. Bernstein focused on creating an endearing lead role for a teenage girl with a disability and tons of grit, and an array of older and diverse characters. The messages in the script focus on overcoming obstacles, believing in yourself, and finding friendship in the most unexpected places.

Janeane Bernstein grew up in Connecticut and Manhattan. She was a late bloomer to acting, and studied in Boston and LA. She pursued screenwriting at University of California Irvine. Bernstein spent much of her childhood attempting to skateboard, but mostly landed in side streets and bushes. She knew one day that her passions for skateboarding, retirees and writing would collide. BIRDIE was an initial selection in the 2018 Women In Film?Black List Feature Lab and pre-selected for the 2018 Toronto International Independent Film Festival.

Writer/actor Janeane Bernstein holds a Ed.D. in Media and Technology from Boston University, and additional degrees in Communication/Education from Syracuse University. She hosts/produces the weekly radio show "Get the Funk Out!" on UC Irvine's KUCI 88.9fm Monday's at 9:00am pst.

According to Bernstein: "We need more films that represent diverse women of all ages, ethnicities, and abilities. I wanted to write a film that I would pay to see in the box office and reflect the world we live in today. Most of the characters in the film are older, ethnically diverse and comedic. The lead actress is a teen amputee, who lost her leg in a childhood accident, but she's still determined to overcome her physical challenges and honor the legacy of her late father, an incredible skateboarding champion."

About LA Femme Int'l Film Festival

Now in its 14th year, the LA Femme International Film Festival is a premiere festival that focuses on women filmmakers who create commercial films for a worldwide audience. The festival offers a unique opportunity for women filmmakers who seek a more creative approach to filmmaking as well as domestic and international film distribution. Along with TMS Entertainment USA, other festivals sponsors include: Sony Diversity, Writer's Guild of America (WGA) Women's Committee, Screen Actors Guild -American Federation of Television Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Diversity, Eleven Arts Animation Studio and Columbia College Hollywood.

To post a comment, you must register and login.