Cinewomen NY Presents Sandy Longo's directorial feature debut "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?"
Fellow Cinewomen NY member, Sandy Longo has made an impressive intro into the world of filmmaking via her documentary, "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" debuting Tuesday, Septemer 28th as part of the Cinewomen NY Screening Series at the Pioneer Theatre.
This engaging doc portrays a young stand-up comedienne, Jessica Fischer, who struggles to make sense of her life and career after losing 160 pounds via gastric bypass surgery. Not only does she lose the weight, but also her drive and ability to perform comedy, which she perceived as her “ticket” into the world of entertainment. While her physical transformation is remarkable, it is the emotional turmoil she experiences afterwards which is truly life changing.
In the spring of 2003, producer/director Sandra Longo embarked on making her first film, intended to be a feature length documentary following the lives of four college friends who move to New York City to pursue careers in the entertainment industry. After several months of shooting, the circumstances emerging in one subject’s life began to overshadow the others. An initial review of the footage left no doubt that Jessica Fischer’s story begged for a film all it’s own. WHAT'S SO FUNNY became an exploration into the emotional complexities Jessie experienced, as she was literally reborn in her new physique.
For Sandy, making the film was both a personal journey and a privilege. For several years she coached others to pursue some of their wildest dreams and yet never really considered the possibility of this for herself. With no background in filmmaking, her only related skill appeared to be her ability to shine in the entertainment category of Trivial Pursuit. She loved watching movies, but never thought she could make one; that is until she attended a few film festivals and listened first hand to the journeys of the various filmmakers. The roads to completing their films were as varied as the stories they told. She began to think that if they could do it, so could she. Although nervous, she decided to follow her own advice to clients and “feel the fear, but do it anyway!”
To begin her filmmaking odyssey, she knew she needed help, but where does a suburban New Jersey mom with no connections to the film industry get started? Her approach was to explain her dream to everyone she knew in the hopes of finding just one person she could talk to and ask for some advice. In the vein of “be careful what you wish for,” within weeks she was introduced to John Cappuccino, who would eventually edit her film. Based on his recommendation, she found Vag (Anna Maria Vag, Cinewomen NY member) At the time, she hired her to “handle the technical stuff.” As the process unfolded, Vag was not only DP but Associate Producer, a role that opened up new paths of exploration for Vag.
Sandy's intention was for her first film to be her “learning film;” essentially putting herself through film school via on the job training. She wasn’t particularly concerned with making a social comment of any sorts- she just wanted to have fun and learn. She ended up making a compelling documentary with a strong voice, in turn, becoming an up and coming filmmaker to track. And yes, she has become connected to Cinewomen via Anna Maria Vag, thank you Vag!
An ending quote from Sandy: "What can I say except that completing this film has been an adventure that I never dreamed possible. With numerous twists and turns along the way, it ranged from simply challenging to nerve-wracking to exhilarating- often all in the same day! The defining moment for me came when I first sat in front of the editing system and realized that I actually had a story that might be more than just a lark- one that might actually interest more people than my friends and family. I know it sounds trite, but I now know where both my passion and my future lie…I can’t imagine not doing this again. I hope to keep learning and to be an inspiration to anyone who wants to pursue their dreams, no matter their age, educational background or... lack of a hip filmmaker's wardrobe.
We are proud and honored to screen Sandy Longo's WHAT'S SO FUNNY?
We also have three shorts on the roster, directed by talented NY women:
"SITAYANA" animation, 2 mins. directed by Nina Paley
The Sitayana is based on an episode from the ancient Indian epic the Ramayana. Sita is unfairly rejected by her god-husband Rama, and enters a funeral pyre while lip-synching to Annette Hanshaw's 1929 recording of "Mean to Me".
"RESONANCE", drama, 12 mins. directed by Tatiana Akoeva
Andrea, a young painter, mixes imagination and reality with the memories of her lost childhood in order to come to terms with her father’s death. Witnessing her father’s love for the Other Woman, as an adult she becomes the Other Woman herself to recreate and recapture the love she lost in childhood.
"COLE GRAY", drama, 10 mins. directed by Jennie Allen
Magic and the mundane cross paths to help a newly clean young addict forge a connection to life. Cinewomen NY member, Andee Kinzy has a cameo role in this short.
Louise Fleming & Melisse Seleck, Co-directors, CWNY Screening Series
CineWomen NY, is a volunteer-run, grassroots organization dedicated to fostering and supporting women in the film and entertainment industry.
Through monthly meetings, workshops, and film screenings, CineWomen NY celebrates both the rich legacy of women film pioneers and
the ongoing contributions of its contemporaries.
For additional information, please visit: www.cinewomenny.org.
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