by Mel Green

Out North is hosting a special one-night screening of the film Three Veils this coming Saturday, along with two other events with filmmaker Rolla Selbak and actress Sheetal Sheth.

We wrote about it in April; now it’s time for a reminder: Out North is hosting a special one-night screening of the film Three Veils this coming Saturday, June 11, and filmmaker Rolla Selbak will be there.

Better yet, Rolla will be joined by one of the film’s stars, Anchorage favorite Sheetal Sheth, who many of our readers met when she came to Anchorage last October for the local premiere of her movies I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen, also shown at Out North.

Best of all, they’ll be here for not only the screening, but also for two other Out North events: a Friday evening house party and barbecue (just before the Loud & PROUD all-ages dance) and, on Saturday afternoon, Rolla will present a talk about about what it takes to make it as an indie-filmmaker in the digital age.

I was delighted my friend Sylvia got to meet Sheetal last October: it was Sylvia who introduced me to her films I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen. I missed meeting her myself, and regrettably I’ll miss her this time as well, as I’ll be on my way to Portland, a side trip to see some friends on my way to Netroots Nation in Minneapolis next week.

But by no means should anyone else miss this chance to meet both her and Rolla Selbak, and to see a great independent film. Three Veils is a feature-length film dealing with the issues of arranged marriage, lesbianism, and love within the Arab-American subculture, aiming to portray its leading female characters as human beings first, women second.

Come to these events and support Out North and LGBT and independent filmmakers! Full details about all three events are below.

More about Three Veils

• On Location: Behind “Three Veils” (AfterEllen, 4/13/11). Includes a brief interview (on page 3) between Rolla Selbak and Sheetal Sheth.
• Three Veils website and Facebook page
• (Three Veils most recently screened at the Kashish-Mumbai Queer International Film Festival in India, which we mentioned in Bent News last Monday.)

Watch the trailer:

More about filmmaker Rolla Selbak

• Rolla Selbak’s website and Twitter feed

More about actress Sheetal Sheth

• Movies, Maxim and a Whole Lot of Mojo (Republic of Brown, 4/7/11). An interview with actor Sheetal Sheth.
• The Stunning Sheetal Sheth (The Hump Day Crew with Ginni & Bish, 6/1/11). A couple of Aussies with a recent audio interview.
• Sheetal Sheth’s website, Facebook page and Twitter feed

Out North’s Three Veils events

All three events will take place at Out North Contemporary Art House, 3800 Debarr Road, Anchorage (see map). For further information, see the event page at Out North.

Out North’s Three Veils events are sponsored by the Pride Foundation. Thank you, Pride Foundation, for helping to bring these great events to Anchorage!

Three Veils House Party and Alaska Barbeque

Come mingle with Three Veils director/writer Rolla Selbak and actress Sheetal Sheth in a fundraiser to support a new Out North film series that will investigate the intersection between culture and LGBTQ people and issues. This event coincides with the informal preview of the Pride exhibit in the Out North gallery.

• Date/time: Friday, June 10, 6–9 PM
• Cost of admission: $25. Cost of admission includes food, wine, beer, & beverages.
• Special note: RSVP by June 8 at 279-8099 or admin@outnorth.org.

Bringing Moving Pixels to Life: A Film Director’s Task

From a spark of an idea to bringing moving pixels to life, filmmaker Rolla Selbak talks about what it takes to make it as an indie-filmmaker in the digital age of the two-thousand teens. She wrote, directed and edited her first feature film, Making Maya, for $5,000. Her second and current feature film, Three Veils, has come a long way from her humble beginnings, and she is here to share her journey. When do you know a script is ready? How do you raise money and make a budget? What are 10 important things to keep in mind during a shoot? How do you promote yourself and your film? She will also hold an involved Q&A during the second half of the workshop.

Rolla Selbak’s work spans many genres and mediums, and is known for its bold approach to compelling stories and subject matter. Her next project is an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Death is a Lonely Business.

• Date/time: Saturday, June 11, 2–4 PM
• Cost of admission: $20 in advance or at the door

Screening of Three Veils

Three Veils is a film about three young Middle-Eastern women living in the U.S, each with her own personal story. Leila (Mercedes Masohn) is engaged to be married, but as the wedding night approaches, she becomes less and less sure of how her life is playing out. Amira (Angela Zahra) is a devout Muslim, but is dealing with her deep repressions about her intimate feelings toward women. Nikki (Sheetal Sheth) is acting out her promiscuity as she battles her own demons after a tragic death in the family. As the film progresses, all three stories unfold and blend into each other as connections are revealed between the three women.

• Date/time: Saturday, June 11, 7 PM
• Cost of admission: $10 general admission, $7.50 students/60+/military; available at the door only.