Reel Women in Austin is sponsoring a screening of EATING ALASKA and a documentary workshop featuring EA director Ellen Frankenstein and me on December 6. Both events will be held at THE INDEPENDENT, a screening facility located at 501 Brushy. The workshop will be from 1 to 3 pm and the film will screen at 3:30 pm (set your TiVo’s Cowboys fans!)


As many of you know, Eating Alaska is a funny and serious look at what’s on your plate. It’s the story of what happened when Ellen, a vegetarian, moved to Alaska, married a hunter and fisherman, and had to figure out what was the “right” thing to eat. The film is one woman’s fascinating exploration of her local food choices, from her small town grocery store to the women who hunt deer for meat in the nearby forest. While set in Alaska, this story will resonate with Texans who will recognize the dilemmas we all face in the ongoing quest to make healthier food choices that taste good, feel right and fit in with our busy lifestyles.

Ellen and I will lead a workshop called, CHICKS, START YOUR DOC. Actually, Ellen mis-heard me when I said “Kickstart” Your Doc, but then “Chicks Start” sort of stuck. It works for a Reel Women event, I think. We will talk about the preproduction process and taking an idea and developing it into a film project. We will use Eating Alaska as a case-study and show fundraising clips and discuss fundraising strategies.

Details and registration can be found on the Reel Women website: http://reelwomen.org