desertfilmsociety

presents the Palm Springs premiere of

DOUBLE DARE


Saturday, October 2, 2004

9:00 am - Camelot Theatres Doors Open
(Complimentary Coffee & Pastries)

9:20 am - Introduction of the Film
9:30 am - Screening begins
Q&A Session follows the Screening with
film-maker guests
Facilitated by Tom DeSimone, DFS Board Member

DFS Members present Membership Card
Guests & Non-Members pay $15.00 per person at the door.


Documentary on Stuntwomen
In attendance:   Producer, Karen Johnson and Stuntwoman, Jeannie Epper

As the 2003 AFI FILM FESTIVAL came to a close last November in Los Angeles, the AFI Fest Audience Award for Best Documentary went to DOUBLE DARE, a film by AMANDA MICHELI.  This amazing film has gone on to win even more awards at prestigious film festivals across the US including the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival, along with the Special Jury Prize and the Audience Award for the Independent Film Festival of Boston.  Festival -goers at sold out screenings at these festivals throughout the nation have created a buzz and a huge following of this action packed non-fiction film.  Now, Desert Film Society members and paying guests have the opportunity to see this incredible film.

DOUBLE DARE is a double-barreled, action-packed documentary about two Hollywood stuntwomen, Jeannie Epper and Zoe Bell.
Epper, who refuses to retire at the age of 62, was the double for Lynda Carter as "Wonder Woman" in the 70's, while Bell landed the coveted job of doubling for Lucy Lawless as "Xena: Warrior Princess" at the age of 18, and got the break of a lifetime auditioning to double for Uma Thurman on Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL.   Bell was recently the double for Sharon Stone in Catwoman and will double again for Stone in the upcoming Basic Instinct 2.

DOUBLE DARE is filled with amazing live-action stunt sequences and star-studded interviews, including Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Lucy Lawless, Ken Howard and Lynda Carter.  DOUBLE DARE takes a candid look at two strong, dedicated women who struggle to stay employed, stay thin and stay sane in male-dominated Hollywood.

DOUBLE DARE is directed by Amanda Micheli; produced by Karen Johnson and Danielle Renfrew, starring Jeannie Epper and Zoë Bell. For more information log on to www.runawayfilms.com.
RUNNING TIME:  82 Minutes

Tom Desimone, film and television writer-director, is one of the Desert Film Society’s founding members and currently serves on the board.  He is a graduate of UCLA with a master's degree in Film Production.  His first Industry break came when he directed CHATTERBOX, "the film that all of Hollywood is whispering about".   Released by AIP, it became an instant cult classic.

The title "cult film director" has followed Tom's career.  His horror feature, HELL NIGHT, starring Linda Blair and his send-up of women's prison films, REFORM SCHOOL GIRLS, with Wendy O. Williams, remain on everyone's list of genre classics.  Under a two-year development deal at New World Pictures Tom wrote and directed, ANGEL III, THE FINAL CHAPTER, the last of the successful "Angel" series at New World.

Moving from features to television, Tom continued to bring his special approach to series television on shows such as DARK JUSTICE, SHE SPIES, FREDDY'S NIGHTMARES, PENSACOLA:WINGS OF GOLD, THE BIG EASY, SUPER FORCE, SWAMP THING, and a live-to-tape soap opera, ACAPULCO BAY where he shot one-hundred-twenty consecutive episodes on location in Mexico City and Acapulco.

Tom's ability to work alongside actors and crew in a nurturing and congenial atmosphere earned him a "best director" statuette from the cast and crew for his three seasons on Dark Justice. An accomplished writer as well, Tom has sold three screenplays and is presently at work on two more.

RUNNING TIME:  82 MINUTES