The Courthouse Girls continue to wow audiences around the country. Most recently three of the women, Wanda Grove, Iraida Davis Lietch and Garneta Amburn, along with co-producer Larry Francer and director Norman Klein, traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah for a special screening hosted by the Salt Lake City Film Center on November 17th. After the film we held a panel discussion about historic preservation with local preservation experts and activists and the women were kept busy signing their new calendar for fans afterwards.

Most recently we learned that the film has been accepted into the Heart of Gold International Film Festival in Gympie, Australia in March. We working on finding a way to get a few of us over there for that event.

The women also traveled to Decatur, Illinois recently for a screening of the film at a historic preservation event, and the film was shown in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual conference and has been requested for a historic preservation event in Minnesota next spring.

For those of you in the Santa Fe area, I hope you'll add the film to your festival agenda. It's a fun film that always generates cheers and laughter and makes people feel pretty darned good about the human spirit--especially when it is packaged in seven women who are as charming as they are courageous.

Hope to see you there! Angela

We're Headed for Tacoma!

Greetings. We are delighted to report that our little film has been accepted into the Tacoma Film Festival and will screen Saturday, October 4th at 3:15 pm in the Tacoma Art Museum. If you're in the area, please do join us. We also managed an Honorable Mention at the Washougal International Film Festival in August and have had the privilege of screening at Breckenridge (where the film won the top audience award) and at the DC Independent Film Festival in Washington, DC.

In addition, the Salt Lake City Film Center is planning to present the film this fall. No promises, but some of the "girls" may come out for that event. We also hope to combine this screening with a panel discussion about the importance of historic preservation in communities. More details as they are available.

Our Courthouse Girls' ringleader, Eileen Herron, who fell at Breckenridge and broke her hip, is doing well. She's being very cautious but rumor has it she's been making some forays without a walker or a cane. We're hoping she'll be back at the bridge table soon. Ermel Gordon also had a mishap this summer. She fell down 17 steps in her house and broke her ankle but is on the mend.

And don't forget--the DVD is now for sale! Visit our Web site (http://www.courthousegirls.com/) to order or call 765-468-6958.

If you attend one of our screenings, please introduce yourself and let us know what you think of the film. If you are involved with historic preservation or work with seniors, let us know; we'd be happy to provide the film for one of your special events to help emphasize how important it is for people to get involved in their communities--whatever the cause.

All the best, Angela Soper (co-producer/co-writer and daughter of Miss October)

Meme is Home and Doing Well

My mother, known to most of the world as Meme, is home from Colorado and doing well. She even chose to fly home, which is a major step for her given she is terrified of flying. Her friends who traveled to Breckenridge with her recently traveled to Ohio to support a local group's efforts to save their historic courthouse which is being threatened with demolition. They were, once again, a big hit and spent the afternoon signing their new calendar. They are inspirations wherever they go, proving that you are never too old to make a difference in your community.

Courthouse Girls Are Festival Favorite

Our weekend in Breckenridge was fantastic, with one not so fantastic part (more later). The "girls" were the hit of the festival and garnered smiles and conversations everywhere they went. The topper? The film received the first place Audience Award Sunday evening during the awards ceremony. Talk about excited women--and producers!

Now, about that not so fantastic part. My mother (and ring leader of the girls), Eileen Herron, fell opening night and broke her hip. However, she had surgery that night at the most amazing hospital any of us have ever seen and we were told the surgeon is one of the best orthopaedic surgeons in the country. They had her up the next day and she is doing great and will be returning to Farmland in about a week after she's had a little more time to heal and regain her strength. My sister, Anne, is staying with her and they will fly home. But my mother has one heck of a great attitude and although she was mad that it happened, she is dealing with it and she has shared the fun and excitement of having our film at the festival and winning this wonderful award. Most of all, she is so touched by the outpouring of support and love shown to her by all of the people in Breckenridge, especially the festival team.

We will have some new photos on the site asap from the festival.

Best, Angela

Courthouse Girls Headed for Breckenridge!

Greetings Breckenridge Film Goers,

We are delighted that our documentary, Courthouse Girls of Farmland, is screening at the Breckenridge Festival of Film. You can catch this new 51 minute film and meet five of the "Girls," the real stars of this project, during the All Day Indies at 12:58 pm at Town Hall and again Saturday, June 7th at noon at the Speakeasy Theatre. The film has generated laughter and enthusiastic applause at previous screenings and we believe will make you feel pretty dang good about the human spirit--especially ones that have been around for nearly a century. Want more information? Visit our cool new Web site: http://www.courthousegirls.com/. Be sure to look for us zany filmmakers, too; we'll be the ones wearing the Courthouse Girls t-shirts and passing out my brother's to-die-for caramels. Hope to see you there, Angela (co-producer/co-writer and daughter of Miss October)