Casting Pearls | Deep Stealth Productions

“Casting Pearls” London premiere on 5 April

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Mar 192008

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Above: Calpernia Addams in “Casting Pearls.”

Deep Stealth Productions’ short film “Casting Pearls” will have its London premiere on 5 April 2008, as part of the 22nd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

The Role I Was Born to Play

Transgender artists challenge Hollywood with stinging media critiques.

Casting Pearls (Dir. Andrea James | USA 2007 | 7min)

A punchy series of Hollywood auditions reveals the stereotypes faced by a transsexual actress.

The Role I Was Born to Play (Dir. Lukas Blakk | Canada 2007 | 9min)

A clever and heartfelt deconstruction of mainstream Hollywood genderbender flicks.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Slept Here (Dir. Jules Rosskam | USA 2007 | 25min)

A white FTM poet and a Black gay physicist question the limits of their intimate friendship during a weekend trip.

Godspeed (Dir. Lynn Breedlove, Jen Gilomen | USA 2007 | 16min)

A punk bike messenger’s devotion to his drug habit rivals the intensity of his relationship with his girlfriend.

Miggy n Lil (Dir. bug Davidson | USA 2006 | 17min)

A Texan butcher’s dreams come true when a sexy thief stops by for some steak.

Also playing on 4 April is Beautiful Daughters, about Deep Stealth’s 2004 all-transgender performance of The Vagina Monologues.

Beautiful Daughters

The empowering process of constructing and performing an all-trans version of The Vagina Monologues forms the basis of this uplifting documentary. Making the point that ‘queer issues and women’s issues are our issues’, the new monologues draw clear links between sexism, homophobia and transphobia.

The play featured in Ariel Jordan and Josh Aronson’s film was produced by creative duo Andrea James and Calpernia Addams, who together with the creator of the original monologues, Eve Ensler, work collaboratively with a diverse group of trans women to make an entirely new piece. As the day of the performance draws near, big life decisions get made, a vibrant piece of theatre is formed and a community finds a strong collective voice.

Beautiful Daughters is screening with the short “Whatever Suits You”:

Beautiful Daughters (Dir. Josh Aronson | USA 2006 | 61min)

A group of trans women collaborate to form a vibrant piece of theatre.

Whatever Suits You (Dir. Ashley Altadonna | USA 2006 | 7min)

The transformation of a suit to a dress reflects one woman’s physical, mental, and emotion transition.

Deep Stealth’s Calpernia Addams is scheduled to appear at both screenings. Please check Calpernia’s blog for the latest updates.

22nd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival website:

http://www.bfi.org.uk/llgff/

Casting Pearls named to Logo’s Click List Season 4 winners

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Mar 162008

Deep Stealth Productions’ short film “Casting Pearls” has been named a winner of Season 4 of The Click List: Best in Short Film.

Directed by Andrea James, Casting Pearls illustrates the difficulties transsexual women face in Hollywood via a hectic series of auditions endured by Cassandra, a transsexual actress (played by Calpernia Addams). Cassandra weathers the horrible, funny and cruel things said by various Hollywood professionals with plucky determination and professionalism, showing that decades of bias can’t hold back the real contributions of transgender people to the arts and media.

Casting Pearls to screen at IDEM Festival in Spain

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Mar 052008

Deep Stealth Productions’ short film “Casting Pearls” has been chosen to screen in IDEM, the International Gay-Lesbian Festival for Audio-Visual Art of Andalusia. IDEM will run from March 24-April 1.

Casting Pearls to screen at 22nd London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

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Jan 312008

Deep Stealth Productions’ short film “Casting Pearls” has been chosen to screen in the 22nd London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. The festival, organized by the British Film Institute (BFI), is the third largest film festival in the UK and attracts audiences of over 25,000. The LLGFF will run from 27 March – 10 April 2008.

Deep Stealth’s Calpernia Addams is scheduled to appear at the London event and to participate in a forum about transgender and media.

* London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

* British Film Institute

* Casting Pearls website

Casting Pearls listing in New York Times

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Jan 082008

The New York Times has added Casting Pearls to its film database. Their system allows reader ratings, so please vote for the highest-ranked trans-themed short film in the history of Logo’s The Click List: Best in Short Film.

*Casting Pearls listing on New York Times

*Casting Pearls on Logo

Deep Stealth Productions 2007 highlights

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Jan 032008

Here’s the annual summary of highlights from Deep Stealth Productions, co-founded by Calpernia Addams and Andrea James:

- Beautiful Daughters was made available free via Logo online

- Episodes of ‘The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch’ and ‘Cristina’ in which Calpernia and Andrea appeared were nominated for GLAAD Media Awards

- Coming Out Volume 2 was made available via Deep Stealth online

- Deep Stealth attended the historic Visible Vote 08 Presidential Forum

- Calpernia and Andrea appeared in the short film Laundromat

Deep Stealth’s short film Casting Pearls was the big project of the year:

- Picked up by Frameline Distribution

- Premiered at Frameline 31

- Played as part of Outfest 25’s Girls Shorts

- Screened at Gay Days Anaheim

- Screened at the Woodstock Film Festival

- Played as part of “best of” screenings in LA and San Francisco

- Played at over a dozen other festivals and screenings

- Had its television premiere on Logo’s The Click List: Best in Short Film

- Picked up by German distributor Salzgeber & Co. Medien GmbH

Calpernia and Andrea are currently filming an eight-episode competitive dating series for Logo called ‘Transamerican Love Story,’ scheduled to air in February. Thanks to all who made 2007 such a great year for Deep Stealth!

“Casting Pearls” short in German distribution deal

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Dec 132007

Frameline Distribution has announced that German film distributor Salzgeber & Co. Medien GmbH has made a deal to sublicense selected Frameline content, including the short film “Casting Pearls.” Frameline picked up the 7-minute short for distribution rights prior to its premiere.

“Casting Pearls” stars Calpernia Addams and is directed by Andrea James. It illustrates the difficulties transsexual women face in Hollywood via a hectic series of auditions endured by Cassandra, a transsexual actress. Cassandra weathers the horrible, funny and cruel things said by various Hollywood professionals with plucky determination and professionalism, showing that decades of bias can’t hold back the real contributions of transgender people to the arts and media.

Since 1981 Frameline has been the leading distributor of LGBT media. Frameline’s collection has more than 200 titles, which can be seen online, on-air and in theatres as well as purchased for institutional or home use.

* Casting Pearls catalog listing via Frameline

“Casting Pearls” screenings set for Rehoboth Beach Film Fest

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Nov 062007

“Casting Pearls” will be screening three times as part of the ‘10% Shorts’ program at the Rehoboth Beach Film Society Independent Film Festival in Delaware.

- Friday November 9 @ 7:45 pm (sponsored by Notting Hill Coffee)

- Saturday November 10 @ 8:50 pm (sponsored by Camp Rehoboth)

- Sunday November 11 @ 10:15 am

All films will be screened at the Movies at Midway complex, 29 Midway Shopping Center, Route 1, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

From the 10th anniversary program:

While the GLBT community has become known for many things, fashion sense, high levels of discretionary income, great host/hostesses, ability to discuss Broadway shows till the cows come home and other equally disturbing stereotypes (even if some are often true), the next thing to be added to the list will be that of great filmmakers. These shorts are evidence that GLBT films and filmmakers are certainly a force to be reckoned with. Innovative, funny, thought provoking, silly and real are all adjectives that could be used to describe what you are about to see.

- Prada Handbag (directed by Stuart Vauvert, 2007, 22 mins) IMDb listing

- Casting Pearls (directed by Andrea James, 2007, 7 mins) IMDb listing

- Airplanes (directed by Jen Heck, 2006, 10 mins) IMDb listing

- Kali Ma (directed by Soman Chainani, 2007, 14 mins) IMDb listing

- The Saddest Boy in the World (directed by Jamie Travis, 2006, 15 mins) IMDb listing

- Pariah (directed by Dee Rees, 2007, 29 mins) IMDb listing

For more information, visit their website:

* http://www.rehobothfilm.com

Or download the PDF program guide

“Casting Pearls” MySpace page updated

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Oct 192007

The “Casting Pearls” MySpace page has been updated with previously unpublished production stills and behind-the-scenes photos. The short film starring Calpernia Addams and directed by Andrea James is scheduled to premiere on Logo as part of ‘The Click List: Best in Short Film’ on Wednesday October 24 at 10pm Eastern. Check your local listings.

External links:

* Casting Pearls MySpace page

* Production stills and behind-the-scenes photos

“Casting Pearls” to air on Logo’s Click List 10/24 @ 10pm

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Oct 182007

“Casting Pearls” has been scheduled to air on the Logo series ‘The Click List: Best in Short Film’ on Wednesday October 24 at 10pm. Check your local listings.

Now in its 4th season, ‘The Click List: Best in Short Film’ showcases emerging LGBT filmmakers. “Casting Pearls” stars Calpernia Addams and was directed by Andrea James. The 7-minute short follows a transsexual actress as she endures a hectic series of auditions, showcasing some of the difficulties trans women face in Hollywood.

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