April Wright

April Wright is an American writer, director and producer. Her debut narrative feature as a writer and director, Layover, won the Silver Lei Award for Excellence in Filmmaking at the 2009 Honolulu International Film Festival.[1]

Early life and education

Wright attended the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University for her MBA, and Bradley University for her Bachelor of Science in Business Computer Systems. While at Northwestern University, Wright served as the Co-President on the board of directors of the Northwestern University Entertainment Alliance, and as Chair of the Advisory Board for Sigma Delta Tau sorority at the University of Southern California. Previously, April Wright worked in new media as an HR Business and New Media Consultant for Mattel Toys. Wright eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue film.

Career

A member since 2011, Wright is currently the Foundation Manager of Women In Film-LA (WIF). In addition, April is an independent consultant for clients like Real D, and is involved with programming for the Sundance Film Festival and AFI Fest.[2]

Killer Yacht Party

In 2006, April's film career began when she wrote and produced the horror film Killer Yacht Party, which was later distributed by Troma.

Layover

April's first narrative film, Layover, was the recipient of the Silver Lei Award for Excellence in Filmmaking at the 2009 Honolulu International Film Festival. Rotten Tomatoes called it 'a lovely little gem'.[3] The film premiered at the 2009 Cinequest Film Festival and also screened at the Reel Women International Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie

The production of Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie was a lengthy process for Wright. Growing up outside of Chicago, Wright loved to go to the drive-in with her family in the summer.[4] When drive-ins began to close down, Wright became fascinated with the abandoned structures. This motivated April to begin shooting the documentary, which took seven years to complete. During this time, Wright performed research on the history and cultural impact of drive-ins, including economic and sociological effects.[2] She took cross-country road trips to every state except Alaska, and shot interviews with the people who were the most prominent in the drive-in industry.[2] The documentary has been invited to festivals, such as the Independence Film, Art and Music Festival, Independence, MO, where it was the centrepiece film on August 9 and 10, 2013[5]

Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story

Wright directed the feature-length documentary Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story, produced by Cheshire Kat Productions, released on September 22, 2020.[6] It won the award for Best Documentary By or About Women conferred by the Women Film Critics Circle for 2020.[7] The film is based on a non-fiction book by Mollie Gregory.

Filmography
  • Killer Yacht Party (2006)
  • Layover (2009)
  • Beyond the Passion Pit (2010)
  • Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie (2011)
  • Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story (2020)

Awards and nominations
Award Year Category Recipient Result Reference
Silver Lei Award 2009 Excellence in Filmmaking Layover Won [8]
Route 66 Film Festival Award 2010 Best Short Documentary Beyond the Passion Pit Won [9]
"Women Stand Up and Shoot" Competition 2010 Comedic Film Competition My Boyfriend is a Blimp Won [10]

References
  1. "Honolulu Film Awards | Screenplay Contest | Script Competitions - 2009 Winners". honolulufilmawards.com. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  2. Gilmore, Susan (August 7, 2013). "Going Attractions: April Wright and Drive-Ins". Women In Film. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  3. Layover, retrieved 2015-10-05
  4. Khan, Shireen (2008-06-27). "Drive-ins: An American Classic Reborn". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  5. "Drive-in movie marks 75 years". BBC. 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  6. Abbey White (August 4, 2020). "'Stuntwomen' Trailer: Michelle Rodriguez Narrates Fiery Doc About On- and Offscreen Fights". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  7. Matt Neglia (July 3, 2021). "The 2020 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  8. Layover, retrieved 2015-10-05
  9. "Route 66 Film Festival". route66filmfestival.net. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
  10. "IndieFlix". IndieFlix. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
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