This program is free and open to the public!

Lesbian filmmaker extraordinaire, Madeleine Olnek, is finally becoming a household name. After years of acclaimed plays and Sundance-worthy independent films—most notably her hysterical absurdist works The Foxy Merkins (Frameline38 & Spirit Award Nominated) and Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (Frameline35)—her most recent project, Wild Nights with Emily (this year's U.S. Centerpiece), is taking the independent film world by storm. The film, which stars Molly Shannon as a defiantly gay Emily Dickinson, premiered to ecstatic reviews at SXSW this year—IndieWire called it "the best lesbian comedy in years"—and rightfully solidified Olnek's status as a gifted comedic auteur who knows better than anyone how to playfully reinvent mainstream modes of storytelling. At this particularly seismic, #TimesUp era shift in Hollywood, queer voices like Olnek's are as vital as ever. Frameline is thrilled to offer a free, open-to-the-public conversation and masterclass with Madeleine Olnek. Please join us for this fascinating look at Olnek's career accompanied by a curated selection of scenes from her films, segueing into lessons on working with actors and writing dramatic action. Bring your pen and notebook, and consider new ways of translating your queer vision of the world onto the screen.

— HARRY VAUGHN