Rockers,

Though we wish we had a guitar to give to everyone who entered the contest and bought a DVD, we did have to pick an actual winner...Fortunately, Professor Farrugia was most happy, planning on rocking out herself and then strapping it to her infant when she gets old enough (probably a year or two, max). Thanks again to everyone who participated!

One thing we can give everyone who buys a DVD on our website is a free Girls Rock T-Shirt, which we'll be doing until the end of April or we run out of shirts, whatever comes first. You can go ahead and purchase those here.

If you'd like to be helpful (and who doesn't!), it would be great if you'd  review and rate our movie at Netflix, even if you're not going to rent it cause you've seen it already.

If you're in Portland, be sure to check out the rock camp's Spring Party on April 25...they're rocking it Ladies Rock Camp style! If you live in the Bay Area, registrations for the May 1-3 Ladies Rock Camp are running out, so hurry up and sign up...you know you want to! And if you live in neither of those places but want to see what your local camp is up to, you can see links to their sites here.

And thanks to all of you who checked out our new production company, Mission Pictures, and sent us nice comments and stuff. Business has been sizzling lately so your good buzz has probably helped much!

Hope you all are enjoying the spring,

Arne and Shane

Girls Rock Fans,

We are proud and happy and excited to finally announce that our movie is now available on DVD! As of today, you can buy it in our new online store on our new website...lots of NEW going on, perhaps in honor of our new president and the new year and all the general newness.

For those of you who've seen the movie already, aside from getting to have your own copy of the movie, you'll get to plunge into a veritable smorgasbord of extras features...we catch up with all the main girls three years later, there're full on-camera interviews with Carrie Brownstein and Beth Ditto, camp skits, history of Riot Grrrl and more!

And for a limited time (until March 1), if you purchase the movie on our website, you will be automatically entered into a drawing for the last of those "Girls Rock!" customized Fender® Stratocaster guitars! This will be your last chance to get one of these beauties...

Please forward and post this good news wherever and however you can, as the more people who buy the movie directly from our site the closer Shane and Arne get to digging themselves out of debt enough to make another movie!

We especially encourage our fans and friends at universities and schools to get their libraries and schools to buy a copy, as Girls Rock! has proven to be a great learning tool at a lot of levels. Here's what a professor at Western Kentucky University wrote us, completely unprompted:

"All I can say is "Wow!!" Without question one of the very best documentaries I've seen in 22 years of teaching at the university level. You achieved a very rare blend of humor, pathos, and poignancy. My students and I were enthralled. Having now seen the entire movie (I only watched about 10 minutes of it after it arrived yesterday), it's clear that I'll also need to use it in my sociology of gender and socialization courses."

We've gotten lots of great reviews, which you can see quotes from on our new site, but it's still these kind of emails that blow us away. So be sure to let us know how you feel...

You can also reserve a rental copy at Netflix, which is very helpful to us even if you're going to buy a copy for yourself. It let's them know how many people are excited about our film so they can feature it more. And be sure to rate it highly and review it there!

Glad to be in touch with you all again,

Arne and Shane

PS. Not only is the DVD release almost here, but the soundtrack is now available! It's a benefit for the camp, with them getting %100 of the proceeds, so be sure to buy a copy!

We're gonna be attending several screenings in the next couple weeks after a bit of a lull, so be sure to come out and see us! First of all, Shane is going to Chicago to open the CineYouth Film Festival on June 21. And then we'll both be at the Temescal Outdoor Cinema in Oakland for a FREE outdoor screening with music on June 26. And then finally Arne will hit Albany NY the weekend of June 28 for a screening and discussion at The Linda.

Hosted By: Girls Rock!
When: Friday Mar 7 and beyond, 2008
at all times
Where: Everywhere
Near You
Your hometown, United States
Description:
Girls Rock!

Click Here To View Event

For all you budding rockers out there, Fender® has generously sponsored the giveaway of a few special, limited edition "Girls Rock!" emblazoned Fender® American Standard Stratocaster® in Olympic White. That's right, you're not dreaming. Top of the line Strats®. You won't be able to buy them, they're available only during the movie opening!

You can enter by going here:

http://www.girlsrockmovie.com/special/contest

To increase your chances of winning, if you are in Chicago, Portland, Seattle or New York, you can also win a guitar by going to the theaters showing "Girls Rock!" on opening weekend, March 7. Those theaters--the Angelika in NY, Music Box in Chicago, Cinema 21 in Portland and SIFF Cinema in Seattle--are each giving away a guitar exclusively to folks coming by their theaters March 7-9.

If you'd like to help us get the word out about the movie, read below...and post this in other places if you like!

"GIRLS ROCK!" OPENS NATIONWIDE MARCH 7
NY, LA, San Francisco, Berkeley, Chicago, Portland and Seattle on Opening Weekend.

THE MOVIE (rated PG)

At Rock 'n' Roll Camp, girls ranging in age from eight to 18 are taught that it's OK to sweat like a pig, scream like a banshee, wail on their instruments with complete and utter abandon, and that "it is 100% okay to be exactly who you are." They are taught by indie rock chicks such as Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney various lessons of empowerment from self-defense to anger management. At the end of just one week, all the bands perform songs they've written with their new bandmates for over 700 people. "Girls Rock!" follows several campers: Laura, a Korean adoptee obsessed by death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of meth addiction and gang activity; Palace, whose heavy metal sneer belies her seven years, and Amelia, an eight-year-old who writes experimental rock songs about her dog Pipi. What happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being sexualized, analyzed and pressured to conform is truly revolutionary.

THE TRAILER

http://www.girlsrockmovie.com/special/trailer

THE FILMMAKERS

"Girls Rock!" is truly a labor of love. Shane King and Arne Johnson are Portland kids who grew up and relocated to the Bay Area, where they found a home and support amongst the great documentary filmmaking community there. They've mortgaged houses and cashed out retirements to finish their first film, about a group of very courageous girls, while other folks have donated time and finances.

HOW YOU CAN HELP!

Opening weekend will be crucial in the process of getting the word out about the camp's important work with girls. Every person who comes on March 7-9 will multiply exponentially the number of daughters, moms, dads, brothers and friends who get to see it. Movie theaters in smaller towns, where girls don't have as much access to alternatives, will only program "Girls Rock!' if they see it bringing in audiences on opening weekend. So please go yourself, bring friends, and help get out the word! Here are some tangible steps you can take:

*Take a group. Bring your class or workplace or other group. If you get a group of over 25 people, you'll get discounted tickets for everyone, and movie and camp schwag. Contact us at info@girlsrockmovie.com for more info.

*Spread the news. Tell all your friends in our March 7 cities—Seattle, San Francisco, Berkeley, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland and New York—to go see "Girls Rock!" March 7-9. Pass along this email.

*Post on mailing lists. Put this email or your own pitch on all the news groups, mailing lists, newsletters, blogs, social networking sites and anything else you belong to on the web.

*Sign up on our website at www.girlsrockmovie.com and blog your thoughts about women, girls, music, culture. Help us build a community that will impact beyond the film!

*Put a poster up in your business. Email us your snail mail at info@girlsrockmovie.com and we'll send you one. They're big and movie-sized (like you'd see at a theater) and look fantastic.

Hello Rockers,

Sorry it's been so long since our last missive, it's been a strange mixture of quiet news and lotsa busy. But things are really picking up now that we're getting closer to March, and there's much to report.

Firstly, some of you may already know this, but our trailer has been playing in front of Juno in a number of theaters. Since Juno has turned out to be a big indie hit about a whip-smart teen girl (who also rocks the guitar), we've been getting a fair amount of emails from folks saying the trailer actually made them cry! Very cool...

Also, we decided to submit our film to the ratings board (very rare for a documentary), because it's gonna be such a great experience for kids. Though we've heard of some strange things coming from the ratings board (we fretted about whether the band name Bikini Kill was too provocative), we got what we were hoping for, a PG! It's perfect, because after all we really want parents to go with their daughters...

We've been finalizing our long lead (magazine) press too, and it's looking good. Be sure to look for a big feature in the March issue of Venus Magazine about the movie, a review in Bust Magazine, a Culture Pick in Marie Claire, and more fun stuff...We've also had a broadcast offer on "Girls Rock!" which we're considering...

Our website has undergone a bit of a transformation, though there's still lots of great content by girls and women on there. There's just a bunch more information about the film, our new trailer, ways to get involved, etc. Check it out at www.girlsrockmovie.com.

Lastly, we've been hearing from a lot of people that they want to bring their class/workplace/band, etc to the movie, and so we're putting together a Girls Rock! Band Member program. If you bring 25 or more people to a screening at one of the opening weekend cities (NY, LA, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Berkeley), you'll get substantially discounted tickets, a nice schwag bag of t-shirts, posters, stickers, discussion guide and such-like. We'll also add you to our Band Member page with a big thanks! For info and to get a group package, please contact us at info@girlsrockmovie.com.

With a squealing guitar,

Arne and Shane Girls Rock! The Movie..

Hey Rockers,

Well, all of the many (many many many) threads that come together to make a theatrical run happen are starting to twine themselves into something resembling a sturdy, usable rope. The movie doesn't even open for 3 1/2 months, but it seems to have already begun. Preparing press packets, making new posters, having theatrical trailer done, doing film prints and all the other stuff really gives you a feeling that this is really going to happen!

Speaking of that, we have a new trailer that's going to show in actual theaters! But you can check it out here before anyone else...

Click here for the higher resolution but slower download (highly recommended if you have a good internet connection):

High Quality Girls Rock! Trailer

Quicker Download of Girls Rock! Trailer

We're really happy with it. It's weird after all these years of making trailers (sometimes it seemed like we were putting more work into that than our movie!), but it's really great to see someone else's take on our film.

It's also been incredible to see what "Girls Rock!" looks like on film with a 5.1 surround mix...It's going to be like seeing the movie all over again...especially since the film lab people discovered, much to our embarrassment that we'd misspelled Portland not once, but two times! You might think it was a simple process to fix a misspelling, but you'd be wrong...

We've recently set up one of these new "pages" they have on Facebook, so be sure and check it out and become a fan if you're on Facebook!

Also, we're going to be doing all kinds of shows and street teams and things to get ready for the film opening, with free shirts and movie tickets and other special musical gifts being given out to volunteers who join the effort. If you're interested, and especially if you live in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco or Berkeley, you can click here to sign up, or if you're not in one of those cities, you can request a screening in your town at that same page.

The Camp and it's affiliates in the Girls Rock Camp Alliance have really been gearing up for the movie, and also putting on some amazing shows themselves. Be sure to check out the 50 Shows in 50 States Benefits if there's one in your town!

Heading down the home stretch!

Arne and Shane

Lotsa good stuff happening, lotsa work and more festivals...Firstly, the best
news of all:

We're now booked in seven cities for our opening on March 7! Many of these are
very prestigious, and we're a little overwhelmed at how many theaters are
coming on board...If you don't live in one of these locations, don't worry,
we're rolling out everywhere eventually! If you'd like to increase the chances
of Girls Rock! coming to your town, put your zip code in the screening request
box (there's a map image on it) at http://www.zinester.com/lr/1026686/10111701. This is just our
opening roster:

New York - Angelika Film Center

Los Angeles - NuArt Theatre

Portland - Cinema 21

Seattle - SIFF Cinema

San Francisco - Either the Embarcadero or The Bridge

Berkeley - Shattuck Cinemas

Chicago - Music Box Theater

Also, I (Arne) was in Iceland for the Reykjavik International Film Festival,
and it was amazing. We sold out the first screening, and a bunch of cousins I
just met for the first time came to the second screening. The reception was
great. During the Q&A several women let me know very clearly that the girls in
the movie are not confronting an American phenomenon, that they could relate.
This made me happy, of course, that they could relate to our film, but also
sad. I had hoped in some ways that women here would say things like "yes, your
movie was fun but I didn't get all this stuff about the hardship of being a
girl". The tentacles reach far.

Mostly this has been a great experience, and we even got great press, though I
can't be sure since it's in Icelandic!

(http://www.zinester.com/lr/1026685/10111701)

This woman says our movie was the most important chick flick she's ever seen!
(http://www.zinester.com/lr/1026684/10111701)

We're winding up our festival schedule, but there will be a few more between
now and March. Be sure to check our website for an updated schedule.

From the whirlwind,

Arne and Shane

Hello Girls Rock fans!

Well, this has been a very news-full and exciting month! We're starting to put the pieces in place for the big theatrical opening, which is now locked in at March 7. We've already booked some of the theaters, and it looks like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland will be the cities for our opening weekend. In the meantime, you can see Girls Rock! at these fine festivals, many of which have just been added:

Nevada City Film Festival, California - August 16-19 (we'll be there!)

Sound Unseen, Minneapolis, Minnesota - August 22-26

Milwaukee International Film Festival, Wisconsin - September 20-30

Helsinki International Film Festival, Helsinki, Finland - September 20-30

Montreal Pop, Canada - October 3-7

Copenhagen Gay And Lesbian Film Festival, Denmark - October 19-28

Gijon International Film Festival, Spain - Nov. 22-Dec. 1

Also, we're gonna be in an ABC News Nightline show about alternative summer camps that airs this Wednesday (August 8), so be sure to tune in. They're using some of our footage and mentioning a little bit about the film!

We're also excited to announce the release of a new CD by Blubird, Una Rose and Katie Alto's band. They're both in the movie, and now at the ripe old age of 13 they've released their debut. You can check out samples and buy the CD at their really cool website.

Our website continues to get great traffic, and I just want to urge you again to contribute your thoughts there, as it's building up to be a great body of writing about rock, social issues and personal diaries about the struggle of being a girl in our current culture. Newsletter subscribers can skip the formal process and become full fledged members by emailing info@girlsrockmovie.com and putting "Girls Rock Site" in the subject and your requested login name in the body.

Be sure to become our myspace friend at myspace.com/girlsrockmovie too, as we've got music by the girls there and other cool stuff.

Also, our shirts are dwindling, especially the kids sizes, so get yer rockin' tees soon at our online store.

Anyway, looking forward to every screening, we're still totally in awe that this is happening at all. Thanks for your support!

Arne and Shane

Well, from the sold out screenings to the amazing concert the girls put on to the awesome reviews, it was an amazing weekend at the Seattle International Film Festival. I'm still on the road, so I don't have much time to blog and tell you the whole story, but will do more later. In the mean time, read Laura's insider view in the blog "Seattle, WA" on our website (http://girlsrockmovie.com) and check out these links:

Top Rated and Featured in the Seattle Times!

The Stranger Recommends!

This Story Was on the Seattle PI front page!

Stranger Blog, read the cool comments!

Harp Magazine Covers the concert

Anyway, that's just a taste!