Saturday, August 13, 2011

Red Carpet

Yesterday was the opening night of a film festival that my film, How To Eat Bacon, got into. It's no Sundance but it's a red carpet event at the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard. Never in a million years did I even think that this would be my reality when I was a little girl in Angeles City, Philippines. Needless to say I was excited. There was only one problem: I had no idea what I was going to wear.

This I find is one of the biggest dilemmas of being a female filmmaker. Often I find myself debating as to how I am going to present myself as. I know, I know, it's a little too late for an identity crisis right now. But it is quite a conundrum. You want to look attractive so people approach you but then again you also don't want to look too "girly" (or wear something that's anywhere in the same continent as revealing) or people don't take you seriously and think you're just there for fun.

I wasn't there just for fun. Although I must admit that this photo proves otherwise. )

with Valen Hernandez, a USC Alumna who was born in the Philippines but raised in the US, whose film is also a part of the festival. ) 

I changed twice before landing on an outfit that I thought straddled the balance-- a strapless, A-line number that ended an inch below the knees, and cinched at the waist with a wide belt. I thought it's appropriate both for the event and for the summer weather. My roommate thought it was dressy but professional. Great, representation goals achieved.


At the after-party however, while shouting to get my voice heard over the loud music, I was asked by a cinematographer I just met, for the name of the film that my date (who was standing right next to me chatting with another person) made at the film festival. It took a split-second for what occurred to register in my head. The guy totally assumed I was just here as someone's date and not as a participant in the festival. Man, I should have just worn the dress with a plunging neckline. Clearly it didn't matter that I made an effort to look pro.


The interesting truth is that unless clarified, in this community, people will assume that I am just a girl in a dress. I have been told many times before that the film industry is a boys club of sorts. Yep. Never felt as concrete as it did just then.


Oh well, what are you gonna do? I can complain about it or just understand that this is the reality that I have to deal with and just run with it as best I can.


And so what is a girl to do in a situation like this? With the most feminine of smiles I simply said, "Oh I'm actually the filmmaker. My film will be showing next week. This guy is actually my date." Then I pursed my lips, batted my lashes, and giggled delightfully as I watched the cinematographer blush.


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