Lorenda Starfelt
Encyclopedia
Lorenda Starfelt was an award-winning independent
film producer
, as well as a committed political activist and blogger who famously dug up president Barack Obama
's birth announcement in an August 1961 edition of The Honolulu Advertiser while researching her documentary on the 2008 presidential election (The Audacity of Democracy).
. Starfelt and her son eventually settled in Los Angeles, where she began work as an interior designer, while maintaining an interest in politics.
feature film
comedy The Watermelon
, which premiered at the 2008 San Diego Film Festival. Directed by Brad Mays
, The Watermelon was written by Michael Hemmingson
and stars Will Beinbrink
, Kiersten Morgan, Elyse Ashton, Julia Aks, Steven Shields and Mike Ivy.
In 2000, Ms. Starfelt produced, in conjunction with Turman-Morrissey Productions, an independent feature film adaptation of Euripides' The Bacchae
. Her next project was an adaptation of William Shakespeare's
The Merchant of Venice
, entitled Shakespeare's Merchant, directed by Paul Wagar. She followed up that particular project with Schooled
, a drama written & directed by Brooks Elms, which portrays the unique difficulties facing both students and teachers engaged in alternative education. Ms. Starfelt's next film project was the documentary feature SING*ularity (2008), which examines the cutting-edge training of student and professional-level vocalists at Ann Baltz's world-renowned OperaWorks
program in Northridge
, California
.
In 2009, Starfelt's feature-length political documentary film The Audacity of Democracy
was released. The film offered an inside view of the 2008 race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, focusing in particular on the notorious PUMA
movement. In multiple Blog-Radio interviews, Lorenda Starfelt spoke candidly about her commitment to Hillary Clinton's presidential run, and the misogyny she personally encountered in various liberal political circles.
In addition to her film work, Ms. Starfelt has also produced for the Los Angeles stage, most notably The Bacchae in 1997 at the Complex, Marat/Sade
in 2000 for the Theatre of N.O.T.E.
. and a multi-media production of Anthony Burgess
' A Clockwork Orange
which was nominated for Best Direction, Best Revival Production, and Best Actress by the 2004 LA Weekly Theater Awards. Vanessa Claire Smith
won Best Actress for her gender-bending portrayal of Alex
, the story's music-loving teenaged sociopath. In a 2011 web radio interview with Priscilla Leona, Ms. Starfelt discussed a new comedy web series, Customer Diss-Service, that she and her husband Brad Mays were currently engaged in. Stressing the need for strong scripts and experienced, well-trained actors, she asserted that working within small budgets enables creative freedom, thus affording experienced artists a change to present their work in a completely unfettered form. Starfelt also discussed a number of new projects in the works, including the musical feature film Beginnging Blue, which she co-wrote.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, as well as a committed political activist and blogger who famously dug up president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's birth announcement in an August 1961 edition of The Honolulu Advertiser while researching her documentary on the 2008 presidential election (The Audacity of Democracy).
Background
Lorenda Starfelt was born on January 11, 1955 in Belleville, IL. According to her website biography, she and her brother were raised by their mother, who suffered from mental illness. During her high school years, a brief attempt was made to remove Starfelt from her mother’s care. While attending Belleville High School, Starfelt developed an interest in the theater, but circumstances prevented her from pursuing that passion until much later in life. Several years after graduation, Lorenda met and married an engineer named William Starfelt. The short-lived marriage produced a son, Graham, who remained under his mother’s care after his parents’ eventual divorce. Following a brief stay in Florida, Starfelt moved to San Francisco, where she quickly became involved in the political work of left-wing activist Tom HaydenTom Hayden
Thomas Emmet "Tom" Hayden is an American social and political activist and politician, known for his involvement in the animal rights, and the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s. He is the former husband of actress Jane Fonda and the father of actor Troy Garity.-Life and...
. Starfelt and her son eventually settled in Los Angeles, where she began work as an interior designer, while maintaining an interest in politics.
Career
Lorenda (Lori) Starfelt was the producer of the independentIndependent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
comedy The Watermelon
The Watermelon
The Watermelon is an independent feature film penned by Michael Hemmingson and directed by Brad Mays. It is produced by Lorenda Starfelt at LightSong Films in North Hollywood.The Watermelon is Michael Hemmingson's first produced full-length screenplay, and director Brad Mays' fourth feature...
, which premiered at the 2008 San Diego Film Festival. Directed by Brad Mays
Brad Mays
Brad Mays is an independent filmmaker and stage director, living and working in Los Angeles, California.-Background and education:...
, The Watermelon was written by Michael Hemmingson
Michael Hemmingson
Michael Hemmingson is a novelist, short story writer, literary critic, cultural anthropologist, qualitative researcher, playwright, and screenwriter.-Publishing History:...
and stars Will Beinbrink
Will Beinbrink
William Bates Beinbrink [aka W. Bates Beinbrink and Bill Bates] is an American actor who starred as Achilles Pumpkinseed in the romantic comedy The Watermelon, directed by Brad Mays and written by Michael Hemmingson. He has also appeared in supporting roles in Cellular as an L.A...
, Kiersten Morgan, Elyse Ashton, Julia Aks, Steven Shields and Mike Ivy.
In 2000, Ms. Starfelt produced, in conjunction with Turman-Morrissey Productions, an independent feature film adaptation of Euripides' The Bacchae
The Bacchae
The Bacchae is an ancient Greek tragedy by the Athenian playwright Euripides, during his final years in Macedon, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. It premiered posthumously at the Theatre of Dionysus in 405 BC as part of a tetralogy that also included Iphigeneia at Aulis, and which...
. Her next project was an adaptation of William Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, entitled Shakespeare's Merchant, directed by Paul Wagar. She followed up that particular project with Schooled
Schooled (film)
Schooled is a 2007 American independent drama film, written and directed by Brooks Elms, and produced by Brian Hennessy and Lorenda Starfelt. The film follows a traditional East Coast school teacher , who becomes involved with a non-traditional, alternative school in California, which leads to...
, a drama written & directed by Brooks Elms, which portrays the unique difficulties facing both students and teachers engaged in alternative education. Ms. Starfelt's next film project was the documentary feature SING*ularity (2008), which examines the cutting-edge training of student and professional-level vocalists at Ann Baltz's world-renowned OperaWorks
OperaWorks
OperaWorks is the registered trademark for an acclaimed opera training program, founded by program director Ann Baltz, and conducted in Northridge, California.-Description:...
program in Northridge
Northridge, Los Angeles, California
Northridge is a community located in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States.The 1994 Northridge earthquake is named for the place based on early estimates of the location of the quake's epicenter; however, further refinements showed it to be technically...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
In 2009, Starfelt's feature-length political documentary film The Audacity of Democracy
The Audacity of Democracy
The Audacity of Democracy is an independent documentary film produced by Lorenda Starfelt and directed by Brad Mays for LightSong Films in North Hollywood. The film, which was shot in New York City, Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas and Austin, Texas; and Denver, Colorado is an in-depth...
was released. The film offered an inside view of the 2008 race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, focusing in particular on the notorious PUMA
People United Means Action
PUMA was a political action committee in the United States that opposed the Democratic Party leadership and the nomination of Sen. Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for President in the 2008 presidential election. PUMA began as an effort of supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton who...
movement. In multiple Blog-Radio interviews, Lorenda Starfelt spoke candidly about her commitment to Hillary Clinton's presidential run, and the misogyny she personally encountered in various liberal political circles.
In addition to her film work, Ms. Starfelt has also produced for the Los Angeles stage, most notably The Bacchae in 1997 at the Complex, Marat/Sade
Marat/Sade
The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade , almost invariably shortened to Marat/Sade, is a 1963 play by Peter Weiss...
in 2000 for the Theatre of N.O.T.E.
Theatre of N.O.T.E.
Theatre of N.O.T.E. is an award-winning, critically acclaimed theatre company located in Los Angeles, California.-Description:The Theatre of N.O.T.E. describes itself as a non-profit democratic company...
. and a multi-media production of Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
' A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
which was nominated for Best Direction, Best Revival Production, and Best Actress by the 2004 LA Weekly Theater Awards. Vanessa Claire Smith
Vanessa Claire Smith
Vanessa Claire Smith is an award-winning actress living and working in Los Angeles, California.-Background and education:Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Vanessa Claire Smith attended Webster Conservatory for the Performing Arts in St. Louis, Missouri...
won Best Actress for her gender-bending portrayal of Alex
Alex (A Clockwork Orange)
Alex is a fictional character in Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and the film adaptation, in which he is played by Malcolm McDowell. In this film adaption, Alex's surname is DeLarge, in relation to Alex's reference to himself as "Alexander the Large" in the novel. This, in itself, is an...
, the story's music-loving teenaged sociopath. In a 2011 web radio interview with Priscilla Leona, Ms. Starfelt discussed a new comedy web series, Customer Diss-Service, that she and her husband Brad Mays were currently engaged in. Stressing the need for strong scripts and experienced, well-trained actors, she asserted that working within small budgets enables creative freedom, thus affording experienced artists a change to present their work in a completely unfettered form. Starfelt also discussed a number of new projects in the works, including the musical feature film Beginnging Blue, which she co-wrote.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Function | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Bacchae The Bacchae (film) The Bacchae is an independent film adaptation of Euripides' classic play, produced by Lorenda Starfelt and John Morrissey, and directed by Brad Mays.-Production:... |
Producer | Screen adaptation of Euripides Euripides Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most... ' classic play, filmed roughly two years after Mays' acclaimed Los Angeles stage production. |
|
| 2004 | Shakespeare's Merchant | Producer | Adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic... , adapted and directed by Los Angeles stage director Paul Wagar. |
|
| The Trojan Women The Trojan Women The Trojan Women is a tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides. Produced during the Peloponnesian War, it is often considered a commentary on the capture of the Aegean island of Melos and the subsequent slaughter and subjugation of its populace by the Athenians earlier in 415 BC , the same year... |
Producer/Actress | Documentary Film of Brad Mays' 2003 Los Angeles stage production of Euripides' classic tragedy, produced by the ARK Theatre Company. | ||
| 2007 | Schooled Schooled (film) Schooled is a 2007 American independent drama film, written and directed by Brooks Elms, and produced by Brian Hennessy and Lorenda Starfelt. The film follows a traditional East Coast school teacher , who becomes involved with a non-traditional, alternative school in California, which leads to... |
Co-Producer | ||
| 2008 | SING*ularity | Producer | Documentary about the world-famous OperaWorks OperaWorks OperaWorks is the registered trademark for an acclaimed opera training program, founded by program director Ann Baltz, and conducted in Northridge, California.-Description:... training program for classical vocalists, filmed in the years 2006 - 2007. |
|
| The Watermelon The Watermelon The Watermelon is an independent feature film penned by Michael Hemmingson and directed by Brad Mays. It is produced by Lorenda Starfelt at LightSong Films in North Hollywood.The Watermelon is Michael Hemmingson's first produced full-length screenplay, and director Brad Mays' fourth feature... |
Producer | Oddball romantic comedy, written by Michael Hemmingson Michael Hemmingson Michael Hemmingson is a novelist, short story writer, literary critic, cultural anthropologist, qualitative researcher, playwright, and screenwriter.-Publishing History:... . World premiere at the 2008 San Diego Film Festival. Released July 7, 2009. Received the California Film Awards 2010 Diamond Award. |
||
| The Audacity of Democracy The Audacity of Democracy The Audacity of Democracy is an independent documentary film produced by Lorenda Starfelt and directed by Brad Mays for LightSong Films in North Hollywood. The film, which was shot in New York City, Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas and Austin, Texas; and Denver, Colorado is an in-depth... |
Producer | Documentary Film of the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary, shot in Dallas, Princeton, Washington, D.C., and Denver. Released in 2009. | ||
| 2011 | Customer Diss-Service | Co-Producer | Web Series directed by Brad Mays and starring Frank Noon and Johnny D'Agostino. | |
| 2012 | Beginning Blue | Producer, Writer | Feature film about an all-girl rock band determined not to trade on looks or gender appeal. |
External links
- Lorenda Starfelt IMDB page
- Official Website for Schooled
- Reel Grok Lorenda quote
- Huffington Post Will Bower discusses The Audacity of Democracy
- Turner Classic Movies (TCM) page
- YouTube trailer for The Watermelon
- A Clockwork Orange Stage Production
- Production Photos and other information from Lorenda Starfelt's 1997 Los Angeles production of Euripides' The Bacchae, directed by Brad Mays
- Basement Angel: Lorenda Starfelt's Political Blog Page
- Official Website for film "Beginning Blue"
- Online obituary for Lorenda Starfelt, American Producer