This is the website of Penny Lane, maker of things. The kind of things you might like, if you like that kind of thing.

02/09/12 SUPER COOL!
THE VOYAGERS was included in Short of the Week's "Best of 2011" list. Super cool! OUR NIXON was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal, which was also super cool!

01/16/12 CREATIVE CAPITAL + THE RULES OF EVIDENCE
Brian and I just returned from a long weekend of receptions, meetings and orientation sessions having to do with our shiny new Creative Capital grant. The grant is to develop our newest feature film venture, THE RULES OF EVIDENCE. Read the press release and full list of grantees here. We are excited, honored and overwhelmed in equal measure. Yay 2012!

01/10/12 HAPPY NEW YEAR
THE VOYAGERS was featured in The Atlantic today, including an interview with yours truly. Over the past month, the film (which as I discuss in the interview was made as a wedding gift for my husband) has become a minor internet darling on Vimeo, which is suprising to me because it is both quiet and slow, and at 16 minutes a little on the long side for an internet video. But the comments I've been receiving from all corners of the world has been really gratifying - and more than a little humbling - to me. Brian will join the permanent faculty at the University of Kentucky Law School next year, so we will be off to new adventures in the summer of 2012. Stay tuned for even more better news about our new film project THE RULES OF EVIDENCE (in development!). Happy new year!!!

12/28/11 A SURFEIT OF GOOD NEWS
I am slighty embarrassed by the riches of 2011. In the past two months, Brian and I received support from the Tribeca Film Institute, Jerome Foundation, NYSCA and Cinereach for OUR NIXON. Along with our awesome Kickstarter campaign and some merchandise & pre-sales, this means we have now raised more than half of our budget and are well on our way to getting the film done! Toward that end, we recently nabbed a totally awesome editor (Francisco Bello) and he is working his magic even as I type this. 'Tis bliss.

11/14/11 AFI FEST + LOVE
THE VOYAGERS wins another award, this one at the fabulous and fancy AFI FEST. Honored by my honorable mention! Thanks to the jury.

11/02/11 OP-DOC: THE SILENT MAJORITY
Brian and I were commissioned to produce a short experimental documentary called THE SILENT MAJORITY for the New York Times.

10/17/11 SUNSHINE ON MY FACE
Well, I am super psyched to announce that Brian and I just got a Cinereach grant to help finish OUR NIXON! We are very honored. I am writing this in the shade of an umbrella next to a rooftop pool in sunny New Orleans. I am in town for the New Orleans Film Festival, where last night THE VOYAGERS won "Best Experimental Film!" So things are not too bad right now. Cheers!

10/03/11 THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
Independent Film Week was amazing. I learned so much in just a few days, and I think I made some connections that will really help the film find its wings. I wrote about my experience for Filmmaker Magazine's blog; you can read my reflections here. In the meantime, short film news: THE VOYAGERS will be at the storied Impakt Festival this November, and THE COMMONERS will be at the inaugural Greenpoint Film Festival the last weekend in October.

08/07/11 HOW TO BE PATIENT
This summer has been beautiful and busy, but also at times frustrating, frightening and frantic. I have much to do and much on my plate. With so many big projects in development and so much on the line, and given my famous lack of patience and propensity toward anxiety... I have to remind myself that only by taking big risks I can hope to achieve big goals. Which was, after all, the message of THE VOYAGERS. Which, incidentally, recently screened at Oberhausen and DOXA, and will play this October in the New Orleans Film Festival and the much-buzzed women's film festival Citizen Jane. Brian and I are editing, writing, talking, thinking... and taking the Nixon film to IFP's Independent Film Week this September. We are otherwise engaged in heavy fundraising to take it through the last pass of editing. The other two feature docs are in development and just entering post-production (respectively). And when I am not freaking out too badly I am able to see that they are really going well. I am really proud of the work I am doing and wish I could share it with the world sooner. But all in good time, my friends. In good time!

06/29/11 SUMMERTIME ROLLS
Peripatetic programmer Roger Beebe will present THE VOYAGERS at the wildly ambitious Microscope Gallery in Brooklyn this weekend. The show is a co-presentation with UnionDocs, one of my very favorite NYC organizations. Next weekend, Brian and I will show a clip from our work in progress feature documentary OUR NIXON at the 2nd annual Kickstarter Film Festival. The program really looks awesome (I can't wait to see some of these videos!) and is a co-presentation with Rooftop Films. The Brinkley documentary is rolling along with the help of my dear friend and incredibly talented writer/musician/funny person Thom Stylinski. I will be teaching a class at Bard College this fall. I just celebrated my first wedding anniversary and found another gray hair. All is well.

05/25/11 TWO INTERVIEWS
My last two interviews of the spring are both up over the Brooklyn Rail: Rebecca Richman Cohen and Vanessa Renwick. Enjoy!

05/24/11 SCREENS
On May 26, Roger Beebe will present THE VOYAGERS and other favorite selections from FLEX FEST at Director's Lounge in Berlin. On June 16 Rooftop Films will show the film at Brooklyn's IndieScreen in a fantastic program including a new film by the fabulous Sarah Christman. Later in June, it will show alongside Terry Gilliam and the Quay Brothers (!?) at The Norwegian Short Film Festival in Grimstad. In other news, HOW TO WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY recently won Second Prize in the experimental category at Athens International Film & Video Festival. Them's the updates. Now back to work!

05/24/11 KICKSTART MY HEART!
Recently we concluded a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for our first feature documentary OUR NIXON. In addition to raising $15,000, we were featured on The Front Row, Retro Thing, History New Network, Politico, and a whole bunch of other blogs. We are pleased as punch with our start - but it ain't over yet! If I am slow on updating this website, know that I have my head deep into production on that project. It's a biggun.

03/21/11 AROUND THE WORLD WITH "THE VOYAGERS"
My love letter continues its journey around the world with two April screnings: ICDOCS in Iowa City and the European Media Art Festival in Germany.

02/23/11 IN SICKNESS AND HEALTH
While Brian and I feebly attempted to care for one another through a terrible flu (wash your hands, people!!!),THE VOYAGERS won an award ("First place, long video") at FLEX FEST and some very kind words from Dave O'Gorman at Cinespect. I'm smiling through my pain...

02/17/11 PSYCHOGEOGRAPHIES ESSAY
This is an essay I wrote for the March Flaherty NYC show, featuring work by Jason Livingston, Kathryn Ramey and Joel Schlemowitz.

02/08/11 SNAKE BIRDS AND SEA COWS
The Voyagers has been selected to be part of the 7th Berlin International Directors Lounge later this month. Also, Brian and I are off to Gainesville, Florida to attend the fabulous FLEX Festival for the 2nd time. We scheduled in extra time to try and spot an anhinga or "snake-bird" and visit with some manatees or "sea cows". Did you know that the name manatí means "breast" in the pre-Columbian language of the Taíno?

01/22/11 AW SCHWAP
I added a mailing list function to the "Contact" page. Sign up if you'd like infrequent updates on my doings at random times. Also, y'all know I have a Vimeo page, right? You can subscribe to that, too. The future is now -- and I'm only like, 3 years behind it.

01/15/11 HAPPY NEW YEAR [THE FUTURE IS NOW]
Some screenings for The Voyagers comin' up: Rotterdam, Big Sky, FLEX, Available Light Screening Collective. Also, you must read my last interview with Jennifer Montgomery. It's definitely one of my favorites.

12/7/10 WINTER WONDERLAND
Could not be more thrilled to report that The Voyagers will receive its international premiere at Rotterdam. Maybe I'll even spring for a ticket to go, but airfare is not cheap and I am so busy. Speaking of busy, I don't know if making two feature length docs at the same time was the best plan I ever had, or the worst. Either way, it's definitely filling up the days! Brian and I are off to do our residency at Yaddo next week, where we will hopefully make crazy progress on the Nixon movie.

11/19/10 VERY MANY UPDATES – !
Two new interviews related to Flaherty NYC: one with Sam Green for INCITE!, and one with Eric Daniel Metzgar for the Brooklyn Rail. I recently had a really great time at The Nightingale, where Brian and I presented a double feature of our films. Thanks to Christy LeMaster and Patrick Friel for putting it on. Brian and I have started a production company, Dipper Films LLC, through which we are producing two upcoming feature documentaries on Richard M. Nixon and John R. Brinkley. And, today I woke up to snow. Happy winter!

10/07/10 NEW INTERVIEW
A great interview I did with James T. Hong for the Brooklyn Rail is now online.

09/01/10 LOVE STORY
The Voyagers will show at the ever-lovin' Dallas Video Festival *and* the ever-lovin' video_dumbo on September 25. Two screenings, two states, one day, one love. Love! Make my heart race.

08/30/10 NIXON PROJECT
New project, a collaboration with Brian L. Frye (my husband).

08/02/10 NEW FAVORITE HOBBY: TALKING TO FILMMAKERS I LIKE
I've been doing some interviews this year, and it's really fun. I think I'll keep it up. Here is a link to an interview with Jim Finn. Here is an interview I did with Jackie Goss. More coming up with Benj Gerdes & Jennifer Hayashida, James T. Hong, Sam Green, Eric Daniel Metzgar, and Adele Horne. I learn a lot from these conversations, and hope that other people will find them interesting also.

07/27/10 NEW VIDEO, YO
This video will teach you how to write an autobiography, with examples from the narrator's own life.

07/19/10 FLAHERTY NYC
I am very excited to be programming this monthly series, presenting risk-taking documentary films for the Flaherty Seminar. Events are at Anthology Film Archives, beginning this September!

07/05/10 NEW MOVIE NEWS: THE VOYAGERS
This summer I began a hopeful journey into the unknown. The Voyagers is a love letter to my fellow traveller.

03/30/10 SPRING SCREENINGS & SPRING CLEANINGS
The Commoners is showing around a lot this spring, including at Athens International Film & Video Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, and at Director's Lounge in Berlin. Okay, that last one already happened. Also, She used to see him most weekends is playing in Albuquerque this weekend. I am learning how to grow plants from seeds, planning my wedding, and working on a new new new video about outer space and falling in love.

01/16/10 MILLENNIUM
I will be doing a screening at Millennium Film Workshop (January 30th, 8pm). I will be showing some new things and some old things. Hope to see you there!

01/10/10 MONTANA
Happy new year! I will be off to Missoula in February to attend the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. The Commoners is showing on Feb. 16th. Brrrr!

10/02/09 AUTUMN IS FOR LOVERS (OF VIDEO)
More festival double headers: Dallas Video Festival (The Commoners + She used to see him most weekends) and Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (The Commoners + Sittin' on a Million).

09/15/09 PREVIEW TIME: BRINKLEY!
I've posted a short teaser for my new doc on Vimeo. Check it. I hope it will be done in late 2010. We shall see, my friends.

09/15/09 TAPES TAPES TAPES! AND MORE TAPES!
The Commoners is showing at video_dumbo on Sept. 26 at 5:30 in a program called "Bird Days." Men Seeking Women is showing at Impakt Festival in the Netherlands this October. Also in October, Men Seeking Women & The Commoners will be showing at Antimatter Film Festival in Canada. Sittin' on a Million and some other shorts of mine will be on display at the Arts Center of the Capital Region (Troy NY represent!) September 21-27. And V TAPE is now distributing all my work... TAPES TAPES TAPES! AND MORE TAPES!

07/31/09 UPDATE TIME (NOW SPONSORED BY "THE INACCESSIBLE ISLAND FLIGHTLESS BIRD")
What an awesome summer. I got engaged, bought a house in the Catskills, vacationed in Alaska, saw a ton of new birds, finished one movie and made really good progress on many others. I'm looking forward to getting back to work at Williams in a few weeks and hoping for some fun film festival times this fall with the new movie. And if you want to plan my wedding for me, now's the time to step up!

06/19/09 LESSONS IN THE SKY
The Commoners premiered a few days ago at "Lessons in the Sky: A Filmic Tribute to Audubon," curated by Andrea Grover and hosted by the Dia Art Foundation outdoors under the stars (such as they are, in Washington Heights) at the site of John James Audubon's former farm. It was a beautiful program at a beautiful place. Some pictures of the event here and here. Some of my favorite work in the program was by Julia Oldham, Nina Katchadourian, Emily Kuehn and Guy Ben-Ner.

06/08/09 THE COMMONERS
I told you I'd have a new movie in June. It's done! If you'd like a DVD (with ultra-fancy 5.1 sound courtesy of Sir Jesse Stiles, cazique of De Ruyter) email me.

04/24/09 MOST BADASS
Sittin' on a Million received the "Most Badass" Award at the Iowa City Documentary Film Festival this month. Very honored! Wish I could have been there. From the judges' statement: "your dip into the minds of the elderly about the overtly sexual subject matter made us smile and recognize the importance of remembering (or maybe even imagining) more risqué moments of history."

04/09/09 MAKING MOVIES
Working away at three new movies, wishing I was done with at least one of them so I could show you. Give me until June, okay? I'll see what I can do.

02/25/09 A MISCELLANY OF UPDATES (NOW SPONSORED BY "CORPORATE WATER")
Lots of April screenings: Images Festival(Men Seeking Women, April 2-11, Toronto), Wisconsin Film Festival (She used to see him most weekends, April 2-5, Madison) Anthology Film Archives (Sittin' on a Million, April 14, NYC), Experiments in Cinema v4.2 (Men Seeking Women, April 17, Albuquerque), Iowa City Documentary Film Festival (Sittin' on a Million, April 11, Iowa City). New favorite filmmakers: Jim Trainor, Brian Springer, Su Friedrich, Jennifer Montgomery. More new movies on new subjects: starlings, Lydia Pinkham, Central Park, Christian Science, the cosmos, Lynn Massachusetts. Enjoying life, looking forward to spring!

02/02/09 TURN AND FACE THE... STRAIN?
I moved to New York City. Come and find me there...

01/13/09 HOGTOWN, HERE I COME!
The good people over at FLEX have programmed She used to see him most weekends and Sittin' on a Million. Excited to check out the program and tour Gainesville (home of Gatorade and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, oh my) for the first time. The festival is February 20-26. Sunshine!

01/06/09 NEW MOVIE NEW MOVIE NEWS
I've been travelling around Kansas and (soon) Texas doing archival research, location shooting and general planning for the new movie, tentatively called The Life of a Man. This will be my first feature length documentary and it's about the preposterous life of Dr. John R. Brinkley. I've started fundraising and writing and couldn't be happier with how well it's all going. I'm shooting on HDV, using lots of archival film images and making lots of animations... more firsts. Here's to firsts of all kinds in 2009!

01/01/09 RESOLUTIONS
Other than the obvious ones (have you ever been to a gym in early January? total madhouse), my resolution is to do more things for the first time in 2009. I'm very happy and comfortable so maybe I have room for a little more risk taking. Happy new year!

11/09/08 CUCALORUS 14 THIS WEEKEND
Off to Wilmington NC this Friday for the last 2 days of Cucalorus. Showing Sittin' on a Million Saturday morning. Good times in the "First in Flight" state. If you're in NYC check out the WOMEN BEHIND THE LENS program at Anthology this Tuesday. Oh!!! And I've started a new movie. Maybe I'll even tell you about it. Maybe then I won't shut up about it, either.

10/19/08 THE ABORTION DIARIES
...received a nice shoutout in Jennifer Baumgardner's fantastic new book Abortion & Life. Which reminded me that Grayson Dempsey and the fine folks at Backline wrote a really excellent discussion guide for the movie, which is totally worth checking out. The movie, which I released in the fall of 2005 and stopped actively promoting over 2 years ago, is really still alive out there in the world. What more could I want?

10/10/08 THE SANCTUARY FOR INDEPENDENT MEDIA
I am one (of many!) volunteers who make this thing happen in Troy. Part microcinema, part media access facility, part performance venue, part art gallery, part production studio, part gigantic living room (there's usually a pot of coffee on and there's actually a bed in the basement that I've slept in), it's just a place I like to go. Sometimes I program movies there, like this or this. And the world premiere of The Abortion Diaries happened right there (my MFA thesis show) in the very first season of events! Please check out the Sanctuary if you are ever in Troy; you will be impressed. And then you'll feel a sudden and urgent need to contribute!

09/14/08 NEWS-Y TYPE THINGS
Sittin' on a Million is re-airing on WMHT Oct 2, this time at 7:30pm (which required the removal of a few choice lines about particular sex acts to fit FCC fregulations for this time slot). It will also be showing at video_dumbo (NYC premiere!) Sept 27-28 and FilmColumbia (Chatham NY) Oct 17. The Wren is showing at Proctor's in Schenectady this Friday night as part of the ever-amazing C. Ryder Cooley's aprawling Animalia exhibition, and then at Anthology Film Archives on Nov 11. In other news, I have started my new exciting gig at Williams College, am eager to get back to the art-making thing (I took the summer off for brain re-organization, birdwatching, travel and income-generating freelance work), and am thinking about buying a house (!!!).

08/15/08 MAME FAYE ESSAY
I was invited to write a short essay for On The Issues magazine about Mame Faye. This month's issue is about prostitution & sex work and there are lots of interesting things up there. I think Mame is an interesting, if offbeat, addition to the topic. (What I initially wrote ended up being waaay too long for the magazine -- but you can read the pre-chopped-in-half version here if you like).

08/12/08 JUST SAYIN' HI
Hi. Uneventful summer, as fas as "internet updates" go!

07/01/08 YAY
I am just happy.

06/16/08 MAME FAYE FINALLY GETS HER DUE
Well, after 2 sold out shows and a last minute encore matinee screening, I'd say that we gave Mame Faye quite a weekend of celebration. The local news media freaking loved it, although not always for the reasons I would prefer. I think that Danielle Furfaro wrote the best article about the movie that I've seen yet. After I've gotten lots of sleep, I'll hopefully be more able to strategize ways to use the movie to provoke more radical discourse and less nostalgic titillation. But for now, no complaints from me as I bask (*actually basking!) in the success of this two-year project.

06/14/08 THE ABORTION DIARIES
It is pretty cool to be included on this list.

06/10/08 NEW DVD FOR SALE
The Sittin' on a Million DVD is very beautiful. Extra special love/thanks to Thom Stylinski for his excellent graphic design.

05/19/08 MISC SUMMER UPDATES
I am trying to cultivate my birdwatching hobby this summer. The Wren is about a bird, and it will be showing on EyeAm this July. Sittin' on a Million will be aired on WMHT (local PBS affiliate) this summer. I've just been hired as editor for A Steady Grind, directed by Victoria Kereszi. I am moving into a new apartment just next to Washington Park, one of only two privately owned urban ornamental parks in the United States (the other one is Gramercy). And finally... will I see you at Flaherty?

04/19/08 SITTIN' ON A MILLION PREMIERE JUNE 14 IN TROY!!!
Oh man it's finally true... as I write this Jesse Stiles is mastering the sound for Sittin' on a Million. You know what that means? IT MEANS IT'S DONE! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee. So, June 14 is the funtimes Troy premiere of this long-awaited documentary about Troy's most famous madam. DVDs are available for sale now.

04/11/08 I LOVE THEM IN TORONTO
She used to see him most weekends got a nice review in a Toronto newspaper during the amazing Images Festival last week.

03/27/08 ATHENS OHIO & FUTURE PLANS, PART TWO
She used to see him most weekends, The Wren and Men Seeking Women are screening at the 35th Athens International Film & Video Festival April 25-May 1. Athens, OH was once designated the alternate Capital City of Ohio in the event that Columbus was wiped out by a Soviet nuclear strike. Unrelatedly, I will be teaching video at Williams College next year, so I'll finally be back to living in Troy full time -- this time with a sweet commute through the Berkshires. Come visit!

02/27/08 ABORTION IN POP CULTURE, PEOPLE
A cool blog post about my abortion stories timeline project. Cindy Cooper even called my writing "snappy." Awww... shucks.

02/27/08 PHILADELPHIA & FUTURE PLANS
She used to see him most weekends is screening at the Black Lily Film & Music Festival May 1-4 in Philly. Also, I'm sad to report that I'll be leaving Hampshire at the end of this semester. We'll see what comes next for me. Yikes? Yay? Yeah!

02/17/08 THEY LOVE ME IN TORONTO, ALSO
She used to see him most weekends is screening at the Female Eye Film Festival on March 29 and Images Festival on April 7.

12/27/07 THEY LOVE ME IN NORTH CAROLINA
She used to see him most weekends is screening at the Carolina Film and Video Festival in Greensboro NC. The festival is Feb 20-23. Did you know that the Venus flytrap is the official Carnivorous Plant of North Carolina?

12/20/07 SITTIN' ON A MILLION UPDATE
Sittin' on a Million is screening a couple of times in January... sneak preview of the movie in whatever almost-hopefully-almost-done state it's in. I'll be showing it at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn and Time and Space Limited in Hudson NY. Super awesome bonus: Jesse Stiles is playing music too! He promises banjos.

09/29/07 CUCALORUS
She used to see him most weekends and Men Seeking Women are showing at Cucalorus 13 (Nov 7-10) in Wilmington NC. I'll be there! Cucalorus is way fun & the program looks really good this year.

09/02/07 UPCOMING SCREENING
She used to see him most weekends on EyeAm, Episode 12 9:30-10:30pm
Time Warner #34/ RCN #82 (in Manhattan) & streaming live at Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

08/15/07 SCREENING
The Sittin' on a Million rough cut screening at The Sanctuary for Independent Media was amazing!! Over 150 people came out and we sold about 40 advance copies of the DVD. It was a completely enthusiastic and supportive crowd. See awesome pictures here. The movie should be done in January and I am planning a wicked awesome tour in collaboration with Specific Recordings of Troy, NY. Pre-order a DVD here! And stay tuned for tour plans!

06/10/07 YAY FOR FUNDING
Annmarie and I received two grants recently to support the completion of Sittin' on a Million, a documentary which tells the sometimes-true story of Mame Faye, a world famous madam from Troy, NY. Super psyched to get this movie done - this winter sometime... we think! Thanks to the LEF Moving Image Fund and the Experimental Television Center for their support. This summer will be mostly devoted to this movie. Oh my.