Top of the Circle!

My short film just won another award! yay!

Everyone's got an opinion!

I was reading this article and find it such a sign of the times.

Three required films before one comments on this article or my blog.

1) HECKLER

2) IDIOCRACY

3) NETWORK

then write me an essay as how these films relate and why....

i love blogs by the way, just so I'm clear. If a blogger falls in the press office and no one picks them up...

Congratulations to our Oscar AFI FEST filmmakers

I'll be honest, I don't really care about the Oscars but maybe that's because so far I haven't won one.... But congratulations to our awesome AFI FEST filmmakers who've been nominated for 2007, these films rock!!
x
shaz

BEST PICTURE
"Juno"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (Fox Searchlight)

DIRECTOR
Jason Reitman - "Juno"
Julian Schnabel - "The Diving Bell And The Butterfly"

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody - "Juno"
Tamara Johnson - "The Savages"

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Ronald Harwood - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

ANIMATED FEATURE
"Persepolis" - (Sony Pictures Classics) Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"The Counterfeiters" – Austria

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn) Janusz Kaminski

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"I Met the Walrus" A Kids & Explosions Production; Josh Raskin

FILM EDITING
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn) Juliette Welfling

Shaz at the International Museum of Women

My short film TOP OF THE CIRCLE and one of my stories BONDING can be seen here at the International Museum of Women.

This is an interesting Social experiment with women around the world.

Stripper Names

I loved JUNO and really love Diablo Cody - I heard her talk about where the name Diablo Cody came from and thought that's a great way to come up with a Stripper Name.

A favorite song, and a town.
Mine might be Juicy Moab...
or No woman no cry Salt Lake city...

My pal Jill who used to do a little stripping came up with her name from her favorite writer Dylan Thomas.

Mine might be Flannery or Irving or Sedaris...

The whole first pet and street you grew up on name just has never really worked for me so I'm going with the others.

x
shaz

Kris Kristofferson

On our door we have a poster of a Kris Kristofferson album that reminds us as we head out into the world... "Don't let the bastards get you down."

I have loved Kris Kristofferson for years, I loved his outlaw country vibe and I saw "A Star is Born" a million times.

What makes me happy still is how Kris Kristofferson always shows up in films these days as the guy who knows the truth and can help solve the problem, the moral voice of reason in a mad world.

Just the other night I was watching "Fast Food Nation" he's the guy who knows about the plant and what's really going on there.

I find it very comforting!

Don't let the bastards get you down.

More on Sales at Sundance...

I was listening to Tilda Swinton on public radio talking about how the Sales agents and Buyers need to be more adventurous and trust that there will be an audience for some of the smaller film but that they might need more time than just a weekend.

Along those lines, I thought this was an interesting article.

x
shaz

David Lynch on the iphone!

I love David Lynch!

I used to drive 14 hours from Salt Lake City, Utah to San Francisco in high school to see Lynch's performance pieces.

I couldn't agree more with this bit of wisdom from Mr. Lynch.

The Best First Dance Ever...

Well, you haven't seen ours but since Jean-Pierre and I are getting married this year, folks keep sending us wedding tips....

Film Festivals develop talent!

So, Lane and I were just talking about how everyone loves to talk about all the films at Sundance that don't make any money... which may be true, but one awesome part of film festivals is that you see films from emerging artists and films that may never get distributed. So, I'm glad to see that some folks are writing about the Frontier filmmakers and I love that Geoff reminds everyone that sometimes it's about supporting new filmmakers, who become established filmmakers so they keep on making good films...

I wish people could get over the 11 million dollar sale and go see some of the other films too!

If you haven't been to the New Frontiers on Main. Go! It's awesome, Shari and Cooper rock that place.

I love festivals.

Michel Gondry!

I love him!

Shaz on Vox

I joined this site VOX because I love This American Life!
I forget to update... but you can see my short film on there!
xo
shaz

I love conspiracy!

I'm watching another Kennedy assasination documentary on PBS.
Excellent!

hmmm...

Someone told me recently the internet is about Sex/Porn, celebrity/gossip and youtube... I'm interested in a bit more than that... I'm sad I don't more to report on Sex and Porn and Celebrities and Gossip...
ah hell, I'll try.

Beat Boxer tres bien!

This guy rocks!

Barack Obama is my flikr friend!

Yay! Barack and I are friends!

I'm trying to stay calm and focused in all this election stuff!
I know it's a long haul but I've been waiting angrily for 8 years!

Barack rocks!

Shaz and Doug Prey - BIG RIG

DEFICIT at AFI FEST

I love this film and Diego, Pablo and Gael are producing some wonderful films!

Hilary goes both ways!

Lane told me that a couple o' days ago she said, "it doesn't matter who wins in New Hampshire, Bill Clinton didn't win in New Hampshire."

And yet, last night, she's saying, "This win is so important."

You don't get it both ways.

Go AJ!

I agree, you can only bitch so long and then you gotta do something about it!

http://www.indiewire.com/biz/2008/01/15_documentarie.html

AJ's film is great by the way!

Chris & Don: A love Story

Yay! This is a wonderful film!
So glad it was bought by Zeitgeist! Go see it when it comes out, we played it at AFI FEST and it'll make you fall in love all over!

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978691.html?categoryId=13&cs=1

Obama still rocks!

Just for the hell of it, I'd like to point out that Obama was second by 2 percent in New Hampshire...

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#NH

Obama won in Iowa by over 30 percent and it's all just getting started...

Sit n' Spin Jan. 10th - I'm performing!

sit n spin thursday january 10, 2008

with:
carol leifer
chris miller
jaclyn lafer
stirling gardner
shaz bennett


and music by tony alda!

sit n spin takes place every other thursday at 8 pm at the comedy central stage at the hudson theatre- 6539 santa monica blvd- hollywood, 90038

call for reservations~ the show is incredibly free! 323-960-5519

oh Madonna

Now she's a director....
Ah Madonna.

www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=36412"

Indiewire posts top 10s from yours truly...

and other film programmers, bloggers and smart film lovers!
there are others I forgot too!

http://www.indiewire.com/movies/2007/12/industry_and_bl.html