Film ideas flow like coffee at PSWIFT's summer breakfast in La Quinta
Everyone knows how hot it gets in the desert in summer. However, the board of Palm Springs Women in Film & Television (PSWIFT) ignored the weather and held a summer welcome breakfast July 21 to introduce the board to new members and to encourage each and every one to become more involved.
The hosted coffee and pastry breakfast organized by Patti Gribow was held at the La Quinta Baking Company in La Quinta. There were 14 people in attendance, including board members Andrea Carter, president; Kate Spates, vice president; Cindy Shoemaker, treasurer; Mitch Blumberg; Gribow; and Elaine Church, who has been with the organization since its 2001 founding and has held various positions within the group.
Guests included Deborah Lowther, Joanne Horowitz, Megan Van Dyke, Riccio Watts, Julie Spira, Alan Gitlin and me. Following introductions, board members and guests had the chance to talk a bit about themselves. It was an interesting roundtable that provided an upbeat and interesting collection of stories, careers, backgrounds and talents, some of which I am sure will be put to good use in future short films.
The main point of interest was PSWIFT's Filmmakers Lab, which was founded in February 2020. Members created a short film committee with a mission to produce short films to be entered into the Palm Springs ShortFest.
"Accidental Date," from a story proposed by Spates, tells the tale of a young Russian woman who visits Palm Springs for a conference and misinterprets the word “date” in a humorous way. The 6-minute film is both endearing and funny. "Aftermath" was based on a story by Kim Waltrip and starred renowned soap opera actress and "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Eileen Davidson. The two shorts, already in circulation, were submitted to several short film festivals and received numerous accolades. A new talk show, "PS After Dark," hosted by Tristan Rogers, was added in summer of 2021.
The goal of Palm Springs Women in Film & Television is to empower filmmakers of all ages while bringing more production work to the Coachella Valley. The organization — which comprises a friendly, gregarious community of women and men dedicated to encouraging others, motivating creative minds and teaching their personal crafts — hosts screenings throughout the year as well as cocktail parties, grant events and much more.
A huge thank you goes to the board and to Gribow for re-opening our eyes to the endless possibilities right here in our own backyard. The breakfast was an up-close and personal way for new members to gather and get to know the board and make new friends.
To learn more about PSWIFT, or to donate, participate or join, visit pswift.org.
Carole Stephen-Smith has lived in the desert for more than 30 years. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, she began writing in London and has been a regular contributor to The Desert Sun for eight years.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Film ideas flow like coffee at PSWIFT's summer breakfast in La Quinta
