"Miss Representation" to be screened at The Ridgefield Playhouse on April 30

MISS REPRESENTATION AIMS TO END SEXISM IN THE MEDIA AND EMPOWER WOMEN DOCUMENTARY FILM TO SCREEN ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 AT THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE

Presented by Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Ridgefield Service Unit

Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Miss Representation exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media's limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful.

Local Screening: There will be a local screening of Miss Representation on Wednesday, April 30 at The Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Ave, Ridgefield, CT at 7 pm. Tickets are being sold at Squash's Office Supply and Books on the Common, located on Main Street in Ridgefield. After the screening, there will be a panel discussion featuring Terese Younger, Executive Director of the Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women and Mary Barnaby, CEO of Girl Scouts of CT.

The media is invited to attend the screening and cover the post-screening panel discussion. If you would like to attend, please contact Carol O'Connell at oconnellcarol1@gmail.com, Cell: (203)770-0458.

About Miss Representation

Miss Representation includes stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists, and academics like Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Katz, Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem. The film offers startling facts and statistics that will leave audiences shaken and armed with a new perspective.

Miss Representation was selected from the Sundance line-up to be part of the OWN Documentary Film Club. "Through personal stories and provocative interviews, Jennifer crystalizes the relevance of the media and its portrayal of women in today's society," said Lisa Erspamer, Chief Creative Officer for OWN. In addition, ro*co films distributes Miss Representation and its accompanying educational curriculum to educational institutions (K-12 institutions, universities and libraries) worldwide.

The distribution of the film Miss Representation has been the catalyst for a social action campaign led by The Representation Project, formerly known as MissRepresentation.org. The campaign seeks to empower women and girls and provide them with new opportunities to realize their full potential.

The Representation Project is a movement that gives voice and visibility to gender injustices by mainstreaming the conversation through feature-length films, interactive social media campaigns and education. By disrupting the status quo, The Representation Project makes connections between mainstream culture and the marginalized, challenging current norms and inspiring change. Join the campaign at www.therepresentationproject.org.