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filmmaker Karen Everett
Karen Everett was born in Maine in 1961. After high school, Everett won a full
scholarship to Brigham Young University but later transferred to
Smith College where she graduated with high honors. In 1989, Everett
was admitted to UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism where
she met her mentor, filmmaker Marlon Riggs. Under Marlon's guidance
Everett produced her thesis film about lesbian fashion called FRAMING
LESBIAN FASHION. Featuring lesbian icons such as Sally Gearheart,
and JoAnn Loulann, the film played widely on the queer film festival
circuit. FRAMING LESBIAN FASHION received an outstanding documentary
citation from the American Film Institute.
After graduating from UC Berkeley with a master's degree in journalism,
Everett began the filming of her pivotal biography about the life
of her mentor and friend Marlon Riggs: I SHALL NOT BE REMOVED: THE
LIFE OF MARLIN RIGGS. At the time, Riggs has been diagnosed with
HIV/Aids and Everett began the emotional and difficult task of documenting
his death. The production was funded with several small grants from
community-based agencies including the Astraea Foundation, the Horizons
Foundation and The Pacific Pioneer Fund. The documentary aired on
PBS and won the Silver Apple Award from the National Educational
Media Association, the Chicago Filmmaker's Jury Award for Best Documentary,
a Best Documentary nomination from GLAAD, the Gay/Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation and the director's award at the San Diego GLBT
Film Festival.
Everett then turned her camera on her own life and made what would
become a trilogy of personal documentaries which included: MY FEMME
DIVINE, FRAMING LESBIAN FASHION and SWEET BOY. In 2000, Everett
began filming her circle of friends and lover Erin as they navigated
their friendships, love lives, and sex lives, including monogramy
and polyamory. Everett worked with Academy Award nominated filmmaker
and editor, Deborah Hoffmann, to assist her with the enormous task
of editing hundreds of hours of tape. The end result is her latest
film WOMEN IN LOVE which is now being screened widely on the film
festival circuit. |
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