Production set to begin on "Zen Room" this Spring
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Reel Chicago February 23, 2021
Production of new single-cam, mockumentary style comedy series Zen Room is set to commence early March after news of Cheri Oteri (former SNL cast member, Grown Ups 2) joining the cast as lead, executive producer, and writer.
While plenty of film production has been shuttered due to Covid-19, actress and writer Ashley Joyce (Gilmore Girls, Everyone is Doing Great) forges boldly ahead with a strong female crew. Tapped to direct is Chicago, and now LA-based, up-and-coming director Layne Marie Williams (Scutly, Blanche). READ MORE |
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Chicago Women in Film & Video That You Should Know
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2East8th Productions January 3, 2021
Okay, so Layne Marie is one that Chicago lost to the West Coast but we couldn’t not include her in this list because of the fact that she built the foundations of her directing prowess right here in the Windy City. “I have every intention of making movies in Chicago forever. Some of my all-time favorite collaborators, rental houses, and post houses are there! It is a wonderful place to create and cultivate. It’s such a powerhouse community. ”
...So yeah, that hustle she speaks of is real and quite present in Layne Marie. You can’t help but be inspired by someone like her. She walks the walk and in so doing, has built a powerful entourage of creative women to walk along beside her. “Support one another, create opportunities to grow, and celebrate one another’s work. It’s why being an artist around other artists is so much fun.” READ MORE |
Entrepreneur & Filmmaker Layne Marie Williams
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SimplySxy May 30, 2020
SimplySxy has the pleasure to interview Layne Marie Williams, filmmaker and founder of Women of The Now (WoTN).
Learn about what inspires Layne Marie, how WoTN is striving to provide more opportunities for women in the entertainment industry and who she’ll love to collaborate with if given the opportunity! READ MORE |
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Short Film Launched Female Filmmaking 'Femme Pyre' In Chicago
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Patch.com Dec 11, 2019Wrapped in a hot pink mini-dress with lips painted to match, director Layne Marie Williams embodied the playful, neon-pastel esthetic that's become her filmmaking calling card at a private screening of her latest project.
Williams' short film, "Scutly," bound for the indie film festival circuit, is a mystical tale of intergenerational friendship between the "Pastel Girls," a trio of quirky teenagers, and an old man they meet while volunteering at a retirement home. READ MORE |
Filmmaker Layne Marie Williams shows us her insides with “Scutly"
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Cinema Femme May 12, 2020
Layne Marie Williams is a filmmaker and leader in the industry. A womxn of strength and tenacity. A womxn who leads a pack of queens in pastels of blues, cotton candy pinks, and purples. Ok, I added the color element, but after you see her films, you’ll understand that reference, specifically her latest, “Scutly”.
As a filmmaker, Layne oozes creativity. Her films are unlike anything else, a splendor of visual and sound. We discuss her latest film “Scutly”, which is about a quirky senior citizen and his relationship with a girl group called The Pastel Girls. The film is about to go through the festival circuit. READ MORE |
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Layne Marie Williams Makes a Big Name for Herself in Short Order
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The Establishing Shot Feb, 2, 2020
Even if you’ve never met filmmaker Layne Marie Williams, you can feel her unbridled enthusiasm in every frame of the short films she’s made. The multi-hyphenate – writer, director, producer, actress, even voice-over – loves cinema and it shows in the passion, care, and craft she infuses into her work.
You can also tell that she has a broad appreciation for the many ways to tell stories on screen, as the short films she’s created in her career so far are vast and varied. She’s done music videos, commercials, and a handful of short films that run the gamut from musical fantasy to unsettling science fiction. I’ve been fortunate to see a number of her short films which are making a splash at film festivals throughout the nation. READ MORE |
Acting Alum’s Short Film ‘Scutly’ To Take Chicago Film Circuit
University of the Arts Dec 3, 2019“The monocled man full of insight: Scutly,” the voiceover says as bright green, whimsical text drips over a pastel background in the newly released trailer for Scutly, written and directed by Layne Marie Williams BFA ’13 (Acting). A private screening of Williams’ film took place on Thursday, Nov. 21 at Chicago’s Indie Co-lab; the proceeds from non-crew members’ contributions to the screening will go toward the film’s anticipated festival run.
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Long-awaited Chicago-made adventure tale reflects collective film community effort
Reel Chicago Nov 21, 2019Chicago filmmaker Layne Marie Williams released the trailer for her long-awaited short film, Scutly, earlier today. Scutly tells the story of three young ladies who call themselves The Pastel Girls. Wearing complementary outfits of pink, blue, and purple, the trio accentuates their colors with astounding bursts of vocal harmony. On a summer whim, they befriend the title character, an eccentric and monocled senior citizen named Scutly.
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Stereo Embers’ TRACK OF THE DAY: Gracie Martin & The So Beautifuls’ “10%”
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Stereo Embers.com Oct 30, 2019"The lush and quirky video that comes replete with some Wes Anderson-like touches, is a perfect compliment to the number, which is a comprehensive journey through the self in the aftermath of a love gone wrong." - Stereo Embers
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Adirondack Film Festival - Part 1
No Coast Cinema Oct 21, 2019On this edition of No Coast Cinema, Tom travels to Glens Falls, New York for the Adirondack Film Festival. Featuring filmmakers from across the country, the Adirondack Film Festival brings together some of the best in independent cinema in a community-oriented extravaganza.
“This was the short that made me feel most involved,” says Tom. “I felt [like I was] part of this and really in the world that was being displayed on screen. I was very much entranced." READ MORE |
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Adirondack Film Festival wraps up with record numbers
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The POST*STAR Oct 20, 2019Filmmaker Layne Marie Williams returned to the film festival for a second time this year with her film, “Veiled Tractate,” a short film that seductively explores sometimes dark and hidden insecurities of womanhood. This film invites viewers to unveil a mysterious void, perhaps their own, on this film journey. Through mind-blowing visuals and mesmerizing dance moves, “Veiled Tractate,” offers a release from the stereotypes and conventions of traditional societal norms.
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Adk. Film Fest is this Week; here's just 1 of the 135 films.
The Chronicle (pg. 18) Oct 17, 2019Festival curator Jess Levandoski suggested one movie and its makers. We chat- ted via email with producer Amy E. Powell and director Layne Marie Williams about their experimental film Veiled Tractate.
Veiled Tractate is her first experimental film, she said. “There is something very freeing about creating a film that beats to the tune of your own drum, or in this case Layne Marie’s drum. My strategy in producing this film was to encourage Layne Marie to follow her instincts and her voice, regardless of the sense it made.” READ MORE |
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The Other 50%
Herstory of Hollywood Podcast
Episode 116
“Layne Marie is a Director and Filmmaker in Chicago, the Founder and Executive Director of Women of the Now,
a media and production company, and the Co-Founder and Director of Development of the Women’s Film Festival
in Philadelphia. And she’s not yet 30. This woman makes things happen.”
a media and production company, and the Co-Founder and Director of Development of the Women’s Film Festival
in Philadelphia. And she’s not yet 30. This woman makes things happen.”
WoTN x Counterfeit Madison:
"I Hope It's Alright" Music Video
AFROPUNK Nov, 10, 2017Throw all your cares to the MF wind in rock artist's whacky video: "I Hope It's Alright" directed by Layne Marie Williams.
Nigerian-American Columbus-based rocker Counterfeit Madison explains why she doesn’t have to give a sh*t in her vibrant new experimental video. READ MORE |
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The POST*STARFeatured while attending The Adirondack Film Festival
for feature film Rendezvous in Chicago “Sometimes it is just “movie magic,” said Layne Marie Williams, during a Spot Coffee interview on Thursday evening as she tells the story of the final day and the final scene of shooting “Rendezvous in Chicago.”
‘Nina Ganet was throwing a Blu-Ray DVD (player) out the window, but we only had one player,” said Williams, who produced the film along with writer and director Michael Smith. We had to nail it, it was our one and only shot. It was beautiful chaos, it’s my favorite scene.”’ |
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