Locally filmed production, Women's Studies is now available on DVD!

Women's Studies

Ningen Manga Productions

By Patrick Michael Strange

Available now from R-Squared Films' Big Bite Entertainment label, Women's Studies is the story of a pregnant grad student and her friends who become "guests" at a women's academy where female empowerment is taken to murderous extremes.

FILM SYNOPSIS:

At the Ross Prentiss Women's Academy, they take female empowerment to murderous extremes. Women's Studies explores cults, groupthink and how a blind belief in a one sided dogma can create a terrorist. It's a social horror film that explores what makes one person fall over the edge into terrorism while others take a more peaceful route to change.

Mary, a graduate student in Women's Studies with a bright political future has just discovered she's pregnant. She's an independent woman and is torn between her Catholic background and her desire for a career in politics. Being an idealistic woman, she believes that change can occur along side peace.

On their way back to school, Mary, Beth, Zack, and the insecure Iris get their car stolen and are picked up by a group of four students from a nearby academy who take them to their isolated campus. Once there, they discover the academy is a "girl's only" school emphasizing women's studies, business, political science, and genetics.

The ringleader, Judith, politically inclined, has a gentle side that Mary identifies with. They seem to be identical in so many ways, and as Mary's confusion over her future grows, so does her friendship with Judith.

However, Mary soon discovers that Judith and the academy have a darker side: indoctrinating women into their apocalyptic sect and then sending them out into the world to strip men of power and status and enslave them.

Slowly, Mary begins to realize that Judith and the cultists will do anything to fulfill their dogma . . .  including murder. Mary then must choose her path: join or fight, before they make her choice for her.

THE DVD RELEASE:

One of the hardest thing for an independent filmmaker is getting distribution and thusly it is a tremendous accomplishment for Northern Virginia based Ningen Manga Productions first feature film, Women’s Studies.  Personifying the phrase “never give up”, they recently inked a deal to distribute the film. Who’s distributing? R-Squared Films, an Arizona based company who launched their first titles last year with a focus on new media, VOD, pay-per-download, and broadcast as well as traditional DVD release.  Not only do they have a new distributor, it’s also a new version of the film.

The cut that R-Squared released on June 15th, 2010 is streamlined: 10 minutes shorter than the initial cut of Women’s Studies, though footage and scenes have been added back in. Additionally, a voice over by the character of Mary, runs throughout the film, telling the story in a different perspective.  Director, Lonnie Martin, and his post-production crew went back and re-edited the film in August of 2009.

“We were back at square one. The indie market faltered. Our first distributor pulled out. Needing to search for distribution all over again, we figured having a new product to show couldn’t hurt,” says Martin. “We’d all had a year to think about how the movie could be made better, so it was a blessing really, to be able to go back in and make some of the adjustments. I think the new cut is closer to my original vision. I’m pleased.”  And Ningen Manga Productions couldn’t be more pleased with R-Squared Films. “I’m excited to work with the team at R-Squared”, says Cindy Marie Martin who plays Mary in the film and co-produces with Lonnie. “They are very communicative, and their excitement about the film is contagious. Of course we’re excited about it, it’s our first baby and we know how much love and sweat went into it by all the cast and crew. With R2, we feel like they share our excitement about the film and we really feel like they believe in it. It’s in good hands.”

Cindy is also the marketing director for Ningen Manga Productions. What does she have in store for the lead up to the long anticipated Women’s Studies release? “We’re going to do some conventions, of course”, says Martin. “Our first convention is HorrorHound Weekend March 26-28 in Indianapolis. I’m already set to attend the convention as Helena, Hussy of Horror (www.HussyofHorror.com) and take part in the Vampira Tribute they’re having, so we’ll take some Women’s Studies material with us. More convention appearances will be posted on the website as we confirm them.  “I get a lot of emails about when the movie is coming out,” adds Lonnie. “It’s really awesome that audiences are finally going to get a chance to see Women’s Studies.  ”

More details on Women's Studies as well as current information on promotions and convention appearances can be found at www.AreYouALadyKiller.com.

THE DVD:

In addition to the movie, the DVD includes the following special features: