Maria Gigante created the film Girls Room as her thesis for her Masters of Fine Arts in film from Columbia College Chicago.
It is a 10-minute short about a girl who is afraid to use the school bathroom, and the horrifying trip that results in her making friends with the girl in the next stall. It will screen Wednesday as part of the Athens International Film Festival.
The Film Festival began in 1974 to present independent films from around the world. The Festival is sponsored by the Athens Center for Film and Video, a project of the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University.
Gigante says she enjoys telling intimate stories about how people form connections to each other.
I'm looking to make a personal connection. In Girls Room
the main character eventually takes a big risk that in the end helps her solve her problem
and helps her find a like-minded friend
she said in a press release.
She was named runner-up for the 2007 MTV Movie Award mtvU Best Filmmaker on Campus. Her award-winning short film Girls Room is currently screening at festivals around the world, including Berlin International Film Festival, Chicago International and Montreal World.
Girls Room has found an unexpected audience in the LGBT community. LGBT film festivals around the world are requesting to have Girls Room screen at their festival. While not specifically intended to be a gay film, Girls Room has been called queer friendly
a description Gigante is proud of.
Before going to graduate school to become a filmmaker, Gigante graduated in 1997 from Ohio University with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in film. She was a volunteer at the Film Festival.
Currently, Gigante lives in Athens with her husband, Jason Frederick, also an OU alumnus. Gigante currently works for Ohio University in University Communications and Marketing.
Girls Room is screening at 11 a.m. on April 29 at as part of the Friends for Life short film program at the Athena Cinema.
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Culture
Jen Pontzer
