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Poster for Grrl Haus Cinema: Local Showcase

Grrl Haus Cinema: Local Showcase

Dates with showtimes for Grrl Haus Cinema: Local Showcase
  • Wed, Jul 23

Run Time: 90 min.

Screening and Filmmaker Q+A

Grrl Haus returns to The Brattle with a local showcase of short films by women, trans, non-binary, and genderqueer artists working in experimental, DIY, and underground cinema.

Program:

Egress – Ro Subramonian, Emily Greenberg
Divorce Hamster – Charlie Dov Schön
Commencement Eve – Grace Sun
Durata – Natasha Zinos
ROBOT – Matilda Morales
Phantasma – Maria Servellon
Frontman – Jylah Bah
GENDERQUEER – Grace Madonna
I’m Good – Casey Lynch


poster for 'egress' by Ro Subramonian & Emily Greenberg

egress
Ro Subramonian, Emily Greenberg
22:26

“Egress” is a narrative short film that explores themes of identity, sexuality, attachment in relationships, and the dynamics of change and personal growth. Overshadowed by the impending crossroads life after graduation presents, the film revolves around conversations between two college seniors, Jamie and Tommy, who coincidentally reunite at a party after drifting apart freshman year. “Egress” is defined as ”the action or right of going or coming out”. Their exchanges, along with those of other characters in the film, transcend mere reflections of relatable collegiate experiences; they serve as a thoughtful trigger for young adults to contemplate varying perspectives on embracing change and shaping their futures.

Ro Subramonian is a creative producer, filmmaker, and editor based in Allston, MA. Born in New York, raised in South India, and shaped by Boston, Ro carries a layered outlook into every frame they cut. They studied Media and Screen Studies and Music Business at Northeastern, but most of their learning came from concert floors, independent shoots, and late-night edits. Ro’s approach to editing is intuitive, about finding the rhythm in real moments and making something honest out of observation. They’re also the co-founder of jpfl1x, a DIY filmmaking collective focused on accessibility, collaboration, and making work that matters. It started as a post-grad experiment and turned into a home for filmmakers figuring it out together.

​Emily Greenberg is a photographer and writer based in Brooklyn, New York. She specializes in photographing live music, theater, and behind the scenes coverage of film sets. She has also written short films and plays aimed at capturing the young adult queer experience. “egress” was her Capstone project at Northeastern University, co-written with Matt Rose and co-directed with Ro Subramonian.

poster for 'Divorce Hamster' by Charlie Dov Schön

Divorce Hamster
Charlie Dov Schön
1:27

The trauma of divorce told through the eyes of a young girl’s hamster.

Charlie Dov Schön is a textile artist living and working in Somerville, MA. Her practice is deeply interdisciplinary, dealing with textiles, transparencies, ritual, and grief. Her work has been shown at the Tufts University Art Galleries, Boston City Hall, Brandeis University’s Kniznick Gallery, and Hamilton College’s Wellin Museum, among others. She has attended residencies at Arrowmont School of Craft, Flathead Lake Biological Station, Sawbill Surf Club, and Art Farm Nebraska.

poster for 'Commencement Eve' by Grace Sun

Commencement Eve
Grace Sun
6:19

​On the midnight before college graduation, four best friends reminisce on their past four years together, and share their dreams for life beyond campus gates.

Grace Sun is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker, and the Artist-in-Residence at the Harvard University Signet Society of Arts & Letters. She writes and directs coming-of-age stories, and romantic comedies & dramas.
As a former Creative Director for the Film and Entertainment team at Instagram in New York, Grace spent a decade exploring film marketing through the lens of innovation, connection, and culture. She’s passionate about amplifying the work of underrepresented artists and widening the spectrum of stories that get seen, told, and celebrated.

poster for 'Durata' by Natasha Zinos

Durata
Natasha Zinos
​23:20

​As a being comes to realize the nature of their identity, they are also forced to encounter the inescapability of time and, ultimately, death. They cope through masochistic acts—and develop a taste for the pigeons they find in the street.

Natasha Zinos (they/she) is an artist and director currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founder and co-director of the now-retired queer artists collective, Decadent Cosmos, Zinos continues to value immersive artistic experiences and creative collaboration as methods of resistance. Their work is motivated by a drive for erotic and mystical liberation. DURATA is their directorial debut.

poster for 'ROBOT' by Matilda Morales

ROBOT
Matilda Morales
13:18

A being arrives on earth with a list of three tasks to complete: new clothes, get drunk, and have sex.

Matilda Morales is someone who dreams up movies when she can’t sleep. She started her journey into film by making music videos for artists she met at basement concerts in Boston. Her first two music videos, “do you want me to” by Video Days and “Holyoke” by warmachine, were projects she shot, directed, and edited entirely on her own.
It didn’t take her very long to realize that creating and completing a project on her own brought her little satisfaction and moreover, she wanted to share her successes with fellow creatives. Thus, she ventured into the world of narrative filmmaking, a notoriously collaborative medium.
She jumped into this world by directing a short film for the 48 hour film project, and a few months later she shot and directed her first “real” short film, “ROBOT”. In the intervening time, she helped establish jpfl1x, a DIY filmmaking collective based in Allston, MA with her longtime collaborator Ro Subramonian.

poster for 'Phantasma' by Maria Servellon

Phantasma
Maria Servellon
16:00

Haunted by a mysterious ringing bell, a disillusioned writer wanders the city, encountering forgotten souls whose fleeting moments of pain, resilience, and connection lead her on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

Maria Servellón is an award-winning multimedia artist, filmmaker, and educator from Boston, MA. Her expertise spans film, new media, projection, installation, photography, and design. Using a synesthetic approach that integrates sensory experiences and storytelling, Maria’s work delves into the interplay between art, music, and dance in shaping self-identity. Her contributions to the arts have earned significant recognition, including being named a “Latina Leader” by Amplify Latinx, an “Outstanding Young Leader” by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and one of WBUR’s “The Makers”. She has also received honors, grants, fellowships, and residencies from the Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture, Mass MoCA, Boston Arts & Business Council, and other prominent organizations. Maria holds a BA in Studio Art from UMass Boston, an MFA in Film and Media Art from Emerson College, and has taught at Emerson College, MassArt, Northeastern University, and UMass Boston.

poster for 'Frontman' by Jylah Bah

Frontman
Jylah Bah
​14:41

Tensions escalate as a local DIY band’s lead singer grapples with pre-show jitters and post-breakup anxieties in the hours before their song’s debut performance.

Jylah Bah is a writer and director from the big city, Columbia, Maryland. In their free time they like to improvise, read, and listen to music.

poster for 'GENDERQUEER' by Grace Madonna

GENDERQUEER
Grace Madonna
​10:12

My most vulnerable project yet depicts the relationship between my experiences with endometriosis/adenomyosis, social norms, societal expectations, and gender using a blend of raw spoken word, photography, and documentary-style filmmaking.

Grace Madonna (they/them) is a Massachusetts based multi-media artist who’s primary medium is photography. Their focus is on portraiture as they love to explore the endless uniqueness of individuals. They often create through the lens of their identity as a genderqueer individual who was assigned female at birth, someone who is disabled and chronically ill, and as a survivor of sexual and relational trauma.

poster image for 'I'm Good' by Casey Lynch

I’m Good
Casey Lynch
​8:27

​A young non-binary person struggles with intrusive thoughts about their first polyamorous relationship. When they meet their metamour (i.e., their partner’s other partner) for the first time, small triggers threaten a deeper psychological unraveling.

Casey Lynch (they/them) is a filmmaker based in Boston, MA. They received a Student Arts Grant from BabsonARTS to write and direct their first short film, “I’m Good.” They studied English and Creative Writing and won the UPenn Signma Kappa Fiction Prize for Best Undergraduate Short Story.


GRRL HAUS CINEMA, is a Nonprofit film festival, screening series, and collective dedicated to promoting the works of women, trans, non-binary, and genderqueer filmmakers in the realms of experimental, low-budget, and underground cinema. Our emphasis on low budget and DIY culture creates a space for underrepresented voices in cinema to be heard by promoting creativity and diversity of expression through film.

Visit www.grrlhauscinema.com to learn more.

This event made possible by a grant from New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA). Experimental Echoes is supported in part by a New England States Touring (NEST) grant. Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

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