Press
What People are saying about erin...
...and what she's saying about people
Directed by Erin Rye and Jessica Sherif, Lady Parts follows Liz (Rye), a struggling actress who deals with sexism in a male-dominated production. Rye’s humor and relatability make her a standout, from her dancing in a tampon costume to her culminating monologue where she releases her anger onto the production team. The film also does an excellent job in spotlighting how frustrating male-dominated media productions are for women. However, “Lady Parts” is different from the other films shown through Lunafest, as it doesn’t offer a hopeful ending for the future, but rather, acknowledges the absurdity of men as the crew just looks for a new woman to replace Liz. This film, thanks to the ending, will make you laugh while forcing you to think differently the next time you see something on television.
-Eythen Anthony, The Emory Wheel
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Erin Rye is one of the featured female filmmakers. Rye said she loves what Boundless Brilliance [a local organization supporting women and girls in STEM] is doing.
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“That’s what my film is about. It is about being a woman in a male-dominated space, and how alone you can feel. And that’s what they’re trying to counter with their programming for these kids,” she said.
Read THE DIVERSITY TIPPING POINT, an article to which Erin was a main contributor. She offers both inspiration and actionable solutions to diversity issues in the world of indie film.
One of the filmmakers, Erin Rye, had agreed to appear at our event until the COVID isolation orders came in. Her film is one of my favorites this year. It's called 'Lady Parts' and it shows the sexism that women still face in the entertainment industry, with a hilarious and important take on the subject.”
-Liz Spear, Patch.com
Above, Erin moderates a panel for Tallgrass Film Festival 2020 with fellow multi-hyphenates Aliee Chan and Rowan Russell.
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Below, a conversation about women in film for the Satisfied Eye film festival with comedian Maureen Younger and composer Trinity Vélez-Justo.
“We really did start from a place of my frustrations in the industry. Just playing the same kinds of roles over and over and none of them being very exciting or interesting to me and also that experience of being the only woman in the room just over and over and over. We wanted to write the fantasy version of what every woman wishes she would say in that moment and really tell them off. It’s not, in the end, a fantasy because I like that hint of realism and edge and it’s like, 'What would really happen to that woman in that situation?' She’s not really going to come out on top right? They’re just going to say, 'Alright, let’s just get another one in.' So I wanted to juxtapose the old Hollywood glamour and the façade of show business and how glamorous it feels at the beginning with the darker reality underneath.”
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Being an actress and now a filmmaker, which way does the future pull Rye? Referring to her filmmaking capacity she explains, “When I did step into that role, I felt a lot more powerful. And I felt like, 'Oh, I can actually tell my own stories!' I don’t have to wait, sit around and just take what comes my way. I can actually take some of that power back. As far as my future, I have a lot of things in the works right now. I have some writing projects that I’m doing and some directing projects that I’m thinking about. As far as the acting goes, I’m always available for that. You know. if it’s a good script or good money. We all love commercials. But really, I am focusing on my path for a writer, director, a filmmaker and being able to share the stories that I think are important.”
-Rych McCain's Hollywood Notes
Erin Rye’s short film “Lady Parts” looks at a struggling actor who suffers humiliation while auditioning for what she thinks will be her big break, but then she has to decide if she is going to stand up for herself and use her voice or stay quiet and suffer more humiliation to get ahead in her career.
Rye, a Silver Lake resident, said situations like that happen a lot to women and people in marginalized groups.
“When you're the only one in the room things are happening to you and you're looking around like, am I taking crazy pills, is nobody else understanding what is going on here?,” Rye said. “So it's important to me to use comedy to kind of point a finger at these situations because that’s what I have to offer. I think it's a fun way to kind of disarm people.”
“Lady Parts” was shot in June 2018 in Los Angeles, and premiered at LA Shorts International Film Festival in July 2019. After winning some awards, including Best Narrative Short at the HollyShorts Film Festival, “Lady Parts” continued on the film festival circuit until March when the film was part of the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival in the Bay Area and the whole thing was shut down due to COVID-19,” Rye said.
“It’s been an adjustment figuring out what that means moving forward,” Rye said. “But I am so grateful for the festivals that have gone online because it actually allows an opportunity for even more people to see the film.”
Rye said that during this time, she has questioned herself on what she can do to make a difference as an artist and as a filmmaker.
“For me that's to shine a light on areas in our society where we can be kinder and more respectful to all people, no matter what their background is, or what their life experiences are,” Rye said.
