Ileana Douglas talks about Hollywood and Connecticut at PSWIFT event
You’ve heard the name “Women of Palm Springs” in film and television, and what comes to mind? A group of women going to see movies? Or a group of women who appeared in films? This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Women in Film and Television (PSWIFT) movement began in Palm Springs 23 years ago at a time when filmmakers and Hollywood celebrities were rediscovering affordable Palm Springs and arriving in droves to buy vacation homes. Then some of them made it their permanent residence.
Futurist and founder of PSWIFT Leanna Bonamici met actress Elaine Church. They both saw the need to encourage others to learn about filmmaking, including directing, producing and writing.
PSWIFT today is about much more than just a few women. It is a collaboration between many women and men of all ages. The organization has a filmmakers’ lab and has produced several short films. In addition, it hosts masterclasses, workshops, fundraisers and a monthly speaker series.
January’s guest speaker was actress, director, producer and writer Ileana Douglas. For over an hour, this amazing lady wowed guests with behind-the-scenes stories about how women are treated in the film world. Douglas, whose grandfather was the famous Melvin Douglas, spoke about the people she worked with, the people she liked and the people she didn’t like. She also gave her perspective on the #metoo movement, and found time to talk about her latest offering, a coffee table book called Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia.
The book is full of photographs and personal anecdotes and takes readers on a fascinating journey across many decades, offering a fascinating look at many films we may have forgotten over the years. Each guest left with a signed copy.
In the Q&A session at the end, an audience member asked Douglas: “Of all your accomplishments, what gives you the most satisfaction?”
“If I’m on set, all I can think about is going back to the trailer and writing and writing,” Douglas said of Writing.
To learn more about PSWIFT or to join, visit pswift.org.
Carol Stephen Smith began writing in Scotland for a women’s weekly magazine at the age of fifteen and then covered American celebrities for the London Evening Echo. Upon arriving in the desert, she wrote for Desert Woman magazine in the 1990s. Carol focuses on charities that help women as well as medical issues, especially breast cancer awareness, and all aspects of child abuse.
