Indie Film Shot In RI, Cape Cod Selected For Its First Film Festival

EAST GREENWICH, RI — A short film shot in Rhode Island, Cape Cod, and other locations in Massachusetts has been selected for its first film festival.

"She, Who Dared," a first of its kind biopic about "the greatest female filmmaker history forgot,"Lois Weber, will screen at the Valkyrie International Film Festival in Amherst, New York. Weber was one of the founders of narrative filmmaking in the silent film era and is responsible for somewhere between 200 and 400 films in her lifetime.

The festival takes place from March 21 to 25 at The Screening Room Cinema & Arts Café. It showcases cinema directed by women of all backgrounds, accepting films in all genres.

"The mission of this film has always been to raise awareness about Lois Weber," Director and screenwriter Gabrielle Rosson said. "So to be selected by a festival founded and run by women, for the purpose of shining a spotlight on women's voices, is a special honor. We are thrilled that new audiences will have the chance to learn about Lois and all she did for cinema."

Weber was the first woman to direct a feature in the U.S. and the first woman to own her own production studio. She was also the highest paid director in Hollywood — man or woman — at the height of her career, yet less than 20 of her films were preserved.

"It is always a thrill to get recognized anytime a group of people come together for a common goal and accomplish it," Executive Producer Mark Meagher said. "The passion, dedication, and professionalism everyone brought to set to tell a special story about a remarkable woman will always remain a special memory for me.

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