Floating World Comics, Ninkasi Brewing, and Voodoo Donuts present: BRUTAL BEAUTY DVD RELEASE PARTY WITH ROSE CITY ROLLERS
Roller derby is an American contact sport that has seen a nationwide revival in recent years. Brutal Beauty: Tales Of The Rose City Rollers tells the story of Portland, Oregon’s league, the Rose City Rollers. For more than a year and a half, an embedded film crew documented the thrills and spills of derby life.
Through unlimited access to team bouts, practices and the private lives of the players, Brutal Beauty puts the viewer on the inside track to this high-contact, and sometimes dangerous, sport. In their own words, the Rose City Rollers tell how roller derby saved their souls.
Seven of the Rose City Rollers will be in attendance at this release party to meet fans as well as director, Chip Mabry. We will also have the new Jam: Tales From the World of Roller Derby anthology published by Oni Press available for sale. The party is sponsored by Ninkasi Brewing who will provide beverages.
View the Brutal Beauty trailer here: http://vimeo.com/12268825
LISTING INFORMATION:
WHO: Marollin Monroe, Madame Bumpsalot, Blood Clottia, Slambo (Pamela Rambo), Hurricane Skatrina, Caddillac and Glamour Hammer
WHAT: Brutal Beauty Special Edition DVD release party, sponsored by Ninkasi Brewing and Voodoo Donuts
WHEN: Wednesday, July 14th, 5-8pm
WHERE: Floating World Comics, 20 NW 5th Ave #101
BIO INFORMATION:
Brutal Beauty, sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink, is an embedded look at the 2009 Rose City Rollers season. The crew was allowed unlimited access to the Rose City Rollers during the team’s practices, bouts, their lives on the road, and away from derby over the course of the year. This cast features over a dozen characters from derby including athletes, managers, fans and retired players. The film covers the regular season of Portland derby, then follows the Wheels of Justice (RCR travel All-Star team) cross-country in their attempt to qualify for the WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) Derby National Championships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The twelve-person crew filmed every aspect of derby from January to November, compiling close to one hundred hours of raw HD footage. “This was a massive effort, much bigger than we anticipated. We set a high goal of independently-producing a feature documentary that reaches the quality of HBO Sports, ESPN as well as network television sports,” said Chip Mabry, Brutal Beauty’s Director / Producer.
Mabry served as Executive Producer / Producer of Rip City, a 2009 feature documentary that explored Portland skateboarding culture. Rip City currently airs on Fuel TV and was nominated for Best Cinematography, Editing, Original Music and Director at the 2009 X-Dance Action Sports Film Fest in Salt Lake City, Utah. Brutal Beauty is Mabry’s second Portland-based documentary since moving to the city in 2007 and debuted at the Hollywood Theater in January and the Doug Fir in February. It aired April 8, 2010 at the Portland Art Museum as part of the NW Film Center’s NW Tracking series.
The documentary showcases a wide array of local Portland production and musical talent, including editor Ben Meader with original music by John Askew and Boy Eats Drum Machine. The goal of this production was to create Brutal Beauty one hundred percent within the local creative scene.
www.brutalbeautymovie.com
http://wftda.com/featured-league/rose-city
Reviews and Awards:
Winner 2010 Crossroads Film Festival Presenters’ Award – Best of Show
Winner 2010 Indie Spirit Film Festival, Festival Directors’ Award – Best of Show
Willamette Week (January – 2010)
“Forget Drew Barrymore’s recent foray into roller derby: Chip Mabry’s Brutal Beauty gives an honest shot of girl-powered adrenaline in his documentary on Portland’s own Rose City Rollers.”
The Oregonian (February – 2010)
“The HD shot film balances testimonials of female empowerment and newfound identities with visceral game action.”
The Portland Mercury (January – 2010)
“There’s a thrill to seeing Portland’s scenery and people as director Chip Mabry follows the roller girls through last year’s season… the Rose City Rollers make for fun documentary fodder.”
Willamette Week (February – 2010)
“Without the contrived personalities or plotlines of Whip It, Mabry’s tattooed and bruised chicks are entertainment enough…”
Bitch Magazine (March – 2010)
“Brutal Beauty contextualizes the sport of roller derby and explores how participating in a full-contact sport can challenge our notions of traditional femininity.”