This film documents the trials and tribulations of small-time rock bands composed entirely of women who happen to be moms. Momz Hot Rocks shows how this particular generation of women (now in their 40s) are mediating the identities of “mom” and “rocker” and shifting them at the same time. It’s best viewed while keeping in mind that male musicians have historically enjoyed the freedom of being as punk-rock as they want to be without the question of whether they’ve had a child being relevant. The documentary brings to light some juicy feminist questions about autonomy, female archetypes, generational differences and deeper cultural values and assumptions. Or, failing that, it features a few MILFs. (Becca Trabin) 
Philadelphia Weekly Read more: http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/screen/Whats-Up-Doc.html#ixzz1BVn4BKyG

MOMz Hot ROCKs Naples International Film Festival screens eclectic mix of indie gems BY NANCY STETSON nstetson@floridaweekly.com I was thinking about the Mom thing, and how Punked out, rockin’ mamas: MOMz Hot ROCKs screens at the Naples International Film Festival you’re shoved into this box, and you’re marginalized and silenced and alienated and exhausted, and you have all your resources stripped from you. And I was like: Damn! That’s like being a punk rocker! Rachel Yellow of Placenta I LULlabies and patty-cake, patty-cake, baker’s man, guess again, baby. Moms can be about strapping on a Fender Stratocaster, cranking the dial past 10 and blowing out the speakers. Sure, there’ve been rock stars who became mothers and continued performing: Bjork, Madonna, Patti Smith, Wynonna, to name a few. But “MOMz Hot ROCKs,” a documentary by Kate Perotti, looks at women who become rockers after they’ve started their families. These all-woman bands sport names such as Housewives on Prozac, Frump, Placenta, Black Flamingo, Candy Band (a play on the name Candy Land, a kid’s board game any mom will tell you they’ve played all too many times) and The Mydols (because after all, they reason, if there’s a band called The Cramps, why not The Mydols?). This inspiring documentary can be seen at the Naples International Film Festival at 11:30 a.m. and 8:45 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Silverspot Luxury Cinemas, with the latter show including a Q&A with the director afterward. The inner rock star Ms. Perotti was in the process of writing a narrative comedy about a fictional group of women who start a band when she read in the Wall Street Journal about real-life mothers who had created bands. She got on the Internet and looked up Joy Rose, who started Housewives on Prozac. “She called me right back and we talked for about an hour and a half,” she says. And suddenly, Ms. Perotti was making a film about groups of women across the country who were discovering their inner rock stars. These women are lively, talented, selfaware — and funny. Ms. Rose wears pink streaks in her hair, feather boas, a heart-shaped tattoo with “Mom” in the middle and “big-ass platform shoes.” After battling lupus, undergoing chemotherapy and getting a kidney transplant, she took a good look at her life and decided to follow her dream of starting a band. She loves her four children, but she knew motherhood was only one of her roles in life. Music, she says, was the difference between living and dying. Housewives on Prozac perform songs such as “Eat Your Damn Spaghetti,” “Mrs. President,” “I Don’t Think Like My Mom Anymore,” “Chemo” and “Gay Girls Make Great Moms.” The Housewives have played venues as diverse as the YMCA for Music for Mommies, a 9/11 fundraiser for Long Island firefighters, and the now-defunct CBGB’s in New York City. As she realized there were scores of other mom bands across the country, Ms. Rose — a woman who obviously doesn’t know how to dream small — started Mamapalooza, a festival of mom bands and like-minded women performers. Filmmaker Ms. Perotti was there for the first Mamapalooza organizational meeting, as were women rockers Rew, who has a band called Black Flamingo, and Alyson Palmer of the trio BETTY. Judy Davids founded The Mydols after Jack White (of the White Stripes, Raconteurs and The Dead Weather) played at her son’s school and talked about songwriting. He inspired Ms. Davids to learn how to play the guitar when she was in her 40s. Kara Rasmusen fronts The Mydols. Her husband, John, was in punk bands in the ’80s and writes many of their songs. The Mydols recently played with KISS in Detroit and will be on Gene Simmons’ cable show, Ms. Perotti says. “It was refreshing to me that they didn’t have an ego,” she says. “It was, ‘Oh, we’ll play anywhere.’ And they were able to cater to different audiences. The Mydols could play in the best Detroit bars, and play with KISS, and also play at the Detroit Zoo on a Saturday for Family Day.” Mamapalooza is now held in cities across the country. In addition to her band Black Flamingo, Rew has an Internet radio show called “Rew and Who,” and plays regularly in New York. Frump disbanded, but some of its members now perform as Mary and the Moodswings. ‘Refreshing to work with’ The entire “MOMz Hot ROCKs,” project took five years. Ms. Perotti filmed from 2004 to 2007, and she says it was one of the smoothest productions she’s ever done. The only problem she ran into was logistics: She’s based in Los Angeles, while the bands were in New York, Detroit, Nashville, Dallas. “I would’ve liked to have spent more time spontaneously with them,” she says. Calling the women bands “refreshing to work with,” she adds, “I love the sense of humor that basically everyone brought to the table.” The women in the film are alike in their love for music; most are moms, but some aren’t. They’re married, divorced and single, straight and gay, women with a wide variety of careers: lawyer, bartender, custom framer, schoolteacher, boutique owner, dean. Ms. Perotti intersperses old advertisements of moms cooking and cleaning with interviews with band members and clips of their rehearsals and performances. She named it “MOMz Hot ROCKs” in honor of the Rolling Stones’ album, “Hot Rocks.” Audiences love the film. At the recent Rhode Island Film Festival, “MOMz Hot ROCKs” won the Viola M. Marshall Audience Award for Best Documentary. And last month, when Ms. Perotti was in New York and met Gloria Steinem, she was surprised to learn that she had heard about the film. “The reactions have been lovely, a really rewarding part of it,” she says, adding it’s not just women who love the film. “Men love it. People have not had a bad reaction. Audiences have a great time. I love being in an audience when people are laughing out loud. ‘Inspiring’ is the one adjective I often hear.” She hopes the film helps people realize that it’s never too late to follow your dreams, and that, “It’s worth it to do something if it really makes you happy.  .. if you go >> Naples International Film Festival >> When: Nov. 5-8 >> Where: Various locations, all in Naples: The Philharmonic Center for the Arts, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd.; Silverspot Luxury Cinemas in Mercato, 9118 Strada Place; the von Liebig Art Center, 585 Park St.; and the Norris Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S. >> Cost: $12-$29 >> Information: www.naplesfilmfest.org >> More: “MOMz Hot ROCKs” will view at Silverspot Luxury Cinemas at 11:30 a.m. and 8:45 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, with a Q&A with director Kate Perotti after each screening.

MOMz Hot ROCKs (USA, 2009) Director Kate Perotti Sat., Aug. 8, 5 p.m., Columbus Theatre, 270 Broadway, Providence, (401) 621-9660 What's a mom to do when she's fed up with washing dishes, changing diapers and trolling the aisles of Walmart? She starts a rock band, of course, like Joy Rose, founder and lead vocalist of New York City mom rock band Housewives on Prozac who belts song lyrics like "Eat Your Damn Spaghetti or leave the room," wit punk-inspired angst. The film follows the unstoppable, tattooed, Blondie-esque mother of four as she gets Mamapalooza on its feet back in 2004, a mom rock movement with bands from across the nation including the Mydols, Frump, Black Flamingo, Candy Band and Placenta, who are, as Rose says, "reinventing what it means to be a modern mom." For some of the moms, they simply need to release their inner rocker, like Judy Davids, guitarist from the Mydols, who was inspiried to pick up a guitar after The White Stripes singer Jack White visited her son's school. Interviews and performance clips of the moms--one even sporting a neon green Mohawk--are juxtaposed with old footage of suffragettes and mid-century women dancing in new hosiery, which makes you reexamine motherhood and chips away at the bygone trope that women who have children should be seen, not heard. JENNIFER NICOLE SULLIVAN, Newport Weekely, August 2009.

MOMCULTUREONLINE.COM You know that game where you say what you’d be if you could be anything? With the exception of my pre-teen years when I wanted to be Julie McCoy, cruise director on “Love Boat,” my answer has long been “rock star.” And now, along comes Kate Perotti’s documentary, “MOMz Hot ROCKs,” to show me that it may not be too late!! (watch the trailer below) The narrative is hugely entertaining and full of every emotion — it’s very clear why “MOMz Hot ROCKs” won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival! The film, a compelling exploration of the lives of moms and their rock bands, culminates in the music fest Mamapalooza. Though I haven’t bought my amp yet, watching the women in “MOMz Hot ROCKs” ignites my courage to pursue all the things I’m passionate about. Kate Perotti Kate, a mom living in California and New York, is a creative powerhouse. She’s got some interesting new projects on the horizon (as you’ll read in the q&a) — and if any of you can sing on a surf board she’s interested in doing a surf musical! The MOMz Hot ROCKs trailer above has surely left you yearning for more. At the MOMz Hot ROCKs website you can buy a DVD of the film to do your own viewing party – or keep an eye out for the film as it travels around the country (at film fests in Naples and Tampa, FL in November.) For immediate gratification, the Kate-directed videos for the Mydols and Housewives on Prozac in the interview will give you a shot of adrenaline and a laugh for your day. enjoy! -lm ___________________________________________________ How did you decide to do a documentary on mom rock bands? One morning in June 2004, I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal called “Mommy Loudest” about mom rock bands. I started writing notes all over the newspaper and called my best friend and former “punk air-band bandmate” in Ohio to tell her about the article. I thought, “Wow, these women actually exist!” When I got home I googled everybody mentioned in the article and sent an email to Joy Rose of the band Housewives on Prozac. Joy also founded Mamapalooza and had put on the first Mamapalooza in 2002 in New York (Mamapalooza has since become a multi-platform business.) She called me back within 10 minutes and we talked for two hours. While we were talking, I told her I was coming to New York for the Avon Walk in October and we agreed to meet. Although I’d been working on writing a fictional comic account of a group of women friends who accidentally create a mass hit on the internet, I decided I just had to do a documentary on these rocker women because I had never heard of anything like it. The excitement was mutual – Joy said “I’ve been vibing the universe for a filmmaker to come my way!” Did you set out with a certain goal in mind when you started this project or did that goal evolve as you got to know the mom rockers? From the beginning, I did plan “MOMz Hot ROCKs” pretty much as it turned out. The goal was to follow the women and their music, build awareness of this social/cultural phenomenon and end with the Mamapalooza concerts in May in New York. Within the first month (July 2004), I knew the bands I wanted to concentrate on. I figured I’d go into production (shooting) for a year. During that time, I’d follow bands in various cities and follow Joy as she got Mamapalooza ready for the May 2005 concert. As I met the bands around the country, it became a goal of mine to introduce and gather them in one spot – New York. Some had emailed or seen each other in the news, but they really didn’t know each other. By February 2005, the Mydols and CandyBand from Detroit, Placenta and Tiffany Petrossi from Oakland and San Jose respectively, Frump from Dallas and Sue Fabisch from Nashville were all on board to meet the New York bands – Housewives on Prozac, Black Flamingo (now Rew) and Alyson Palmer of Betty. Their first gathering at Mamapalooza in May 2005 is in the film. My production timeframe did change. Though I got most of the story in the first year, I continued to follow the subjects for another 3 years to fill in pieces of the narrative. I was following real lives, so as things came up I wanted to include them in the film. I finished editing October 9, 2008 and sent the film the next day to the Jacob Burns Film Center in New York for a preview screening on October 20, 2008 at the Celebrating Women Filmmakers Series. In terms of structure, the film did basically hold what was intended. I’d written a plan early on and when I dug it up after the 3+ years of shooting I found that it was surprisingly similar to the result. So Mamapalooza factored big into your plans when you began shooting? Yes. The idea was always that “MOMz Hot ROCKs” would build towards the Mamapalooza events that Joy Rose was planning for May 2005 at the Cutting Room and Riverside Park in New York. As I went around the country and met the moms in the other bands, I encouraged them to do their own Mamapalooza’s in their local cities, as well. They ended up doing these local festivals (under Joy’s Mamapalooza umbrella.) Mamapalooza has taken off in New York, around the U.S., Canada, England and Australia. As a documentary filmmaker do you have to be a disconnected observer of your subjects or do you naturally form a bond and get emotionally connected because you’re getting people to open up in front of you? I don’t know about everyone, but for me, I find a way to connect with people. In general, I like stories with an empathetic/compassionate view. I think film is the only medium that has the capacity to truly put the viewer in someone else’s shoes by incorporating all of the other art forms. I became friends with the women in the film and was inspired by them. It was a breath of fresh air to work on a film with women, most of them mothers I could relate to and vice versa…at any moment the phone could ring and one of us would have to go pick up a kid or field some sort of a “crisis.” What were some of the best and worst moments while shooting? Some of the best were when I was shooting and knew exactly where the material would go in the film. For example, I knew that the scene with Gillian Crane and Kyleann Burtt from Housewives on Prozac goofing at the piano would end the film. I thought that moment was just hilarious. Another favorite moment is when Joy and the Housewives rehearsed a stripped down version of “Chemo” — that was emotional and I knew where it needed to be placed in the film. That’s one of the first songs I heard and it still makes me cry. It’s quietly powerful and affects people in different ways. A least favorite moment would be missing Christmas 2005 with my family because I decided to fly to New York on December 23, 2004 to shoot the Housewives and Black Flamingo at CBGB’s. I didn’t even know then that CBGB’s would soon close for good – I just thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a band promoted as a “momband” play there. Unfortunately, a snowstorm arrived and there was an United Airlines baggage strike. I was rerouted all day and arrived at my dad’s house late Christmas night. In general, though, making the film was a great experience. There’s a lot of focus on punk bands. I’m assuming you love music — especially punk? Yes, I love music and I love punk. In “MOMz Hot ROCKs,” I do feature a few different kinds of music, including Sue Fabisch, a country singer/comedian mom in Nashville. Also, Housewives on Prozac is more theatrical rock, always great energy, both a crack up and poignant. I consider Placenta, Black Flamingo (now Rew), Frump, CandyBand and the Mydols to have the punk vibe. Part of what draws me to the mom punk bands is the juxtaposition of the kind of music they play against the life they lead outside of their music (e.g., a mom in the suburbs trying to hold together family, work, life, music passion.) I personally love the guts and attitude of punk — that’s what it takes to be a mom sometimes. (watch Housewives on Prozac video directed by Kate) What’s one of the most important things to figure out before you begin shooting a documentary? It’s really vital to determine what you want to cover and in what amount of time…and to allow for the unexpected. Sometimes it takes time to let the story unfold, as was the case with “MOMz Hot ROCKs.” There are some stories that you can shoot in 3 weeks, but this film didn’t happen like that. Were your conversations with your subjects spontaneous or did you tell them ahead of time what you’ll talk about? I did not let my subjects know questions ahead of time. There was no crew – just me – so we all felt free and at ease. The camera was intentionally small so it wouldn’t seem so disarming after a while. There was also a lot of trust from the beginning — I was a mom like them and I just wanted to tell their story. Everyone was very busy and I actually had to bust in on people’s lives, so that also made it very spontaneous. There were definitely moments when I had to film as I ran alongside them or as I sat next to them in the car as they did errands. I just had to insert myself into their lives — it was very real and un-staged. And most of these women were unaccustomed to being on camera so they just talked very normally and honestly about their lives and their music. How do you get people to see “MOMz Hot ROCKs?” I’ve entered as many film festivals as possible. The film has screened at Dances with Film in Los Angeles, the Muskegon Film Festival, the Reno Film Festival, the Philadelphia Idependent Film Festival, the Ventura Film Festival, the USA Indie Fest at Disneyland, the LandLocked Film Festival in Iowa, the Naperville Independent Film Festival and the Rhode Island International Film Festival where “MOMz Hot ROCKs” won the Viola M. Marshall Audience award for Best Documentary. In November, the film will screen at the Tampa Independent Film Festival and the Naples International Film Festival where they are planning a special Saturday evening “Ladies Night Out” screening. Festivals are great not only because people come see the film, but also because sometimes the press covers the film. In Rhode Island, I was on the front page of the Warwick Beacon and got a review in the Newport Mercury. Philadelphia had good listings, as well. I’ve done my own pr and marketing, but I’m still looking for interns for social networking (and would welcome any help!) There have been some random fun things that come out of festivals that also help with exposure. For example, in Philadelphia some kids put my film in a skateshop because they liked it. I thought that was cool. What’s the deal with the title and the “Z” in momz? It’s a reference to the Rolling Stones’ Hot Rocks album…I love the Rolling Stones. The “z” came about because way back in 2004 when I first read that Wall Street Journal piece and was making notes on the newspaper, I scribbled Momz with a “z.” It was kind of an homage to the Beastie Boys – a band I also love – who early on sometimes used a “z” instead of an “s” in Boyz. What advice do you have for aspiring documentary filmmakers? Tell the story you want to tell and one you’ll stay interested in. When I started making films, the advice I took to heart was “wake up each day and be thinking about it.” You also want to ask yourself if you can maintain your life and still shoot your film. Any advice to shoot home movies of the kids? Think of the energy of the moment and don’t interfere with your subjects. What would you like to do next? I’d like to direct commercials – I used to work on production for commercials. I’d also like to do a surf musical, several narratives, a documentary on George Clinton of P-Funk and short-form, stop motion films. I also have an opportunity at the moment to Executive Produce an upcoming narrative feature with an amazing, well-known production team in place that has great promise. Proust Questionnaire for Kate Perotti: my favorite snack is: oranges and bananas (but when i need something stronger, I go for Doritos) don’t ask me to: do the laundry I would put in a time capsule my: pictures of my son my favorite place is: on my surf board when i have a creative block: I go on a walk or go surfing my favorite mantra is: “if it doesn’t kill you it only makes you stronger” (watch the Mydols video directed by Kate)

Fast Media Magazine Photographer and filmmaker Kate Perotti Posted by Deb Henderson on November 30, 2009 · 2 Comments My Creative Director and I recently met filmmaker Kate Perotti at PhotoPlus New York. We were really impressed with her creativity in filmmaking and photography and were intrigued to hear about her project “MOMz Hot ROCKs: the women of Mamapalooza” which is a feature length original music documentary following moms in rock bands. The film has been really well received at many film festivals and recently won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. I find the whole project a real inspiration, from the rocking moms to Kates tenacity in making the film happen. I caught up with her to find out how it all came about and what she’s going to tackle next … The moms in the film seem liberated by their involvement in these bands. Was one of your aims to show the empowerment of women through music? Most definitely. In all cultures, music is a form of accepted expression. It can be simple or layered with multiples of meaning. Rock and punk have traditionally been dominated by men. Independent women have made marks in music no doubt, (Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Patti Smith, Exene Cervenka to name a few). This film aims to give voice to the most door matted members of society, mothers and caregivers. Collectively, the film and women of mamapalooza spread the now popular Live Out Loud. I hadn’t really heard of the phenomenon of mom bands until MOMz Hot ROCKs, how did you come about the idea to make the film? Six years ago, I had not heard of any either. I was writing a fictional comedy about a group of women (based on my air band best friends from high school) who have a reunion midst full lives and start to send lyrics in emails. One thing leads to another and they add track by track. The song is intercepted, put online and becomes an anonymous hit. The women are hesitant to show themselves, go on a “spa retreat” and record the rest of the album. More hits follow, they do the “KISS” thing, perform in disguise, eventually do the big reveal at a packed Madison Square Garden show. CUT to June 2004, I am waiting in the car to pick up my son from summer school, reading the Wall Street Journal and see a full page spread “Mommie Loudest” featuring 5 of the bands in the film. Frump, the Mydols, Candyband, Placenta and Housewives on Prozac. After googling all of them, I send Joy Rose an email, ten minutes later we are talking for over an hour. She says, “I’ve been vibing the universe for a filmmaker to come my way.” I say, “I’m the one.” We finally meet in October when I extend what began as a trip to do the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I borrowed a camera and started filming the night we met. That organizational meeting for Mamapalooza 2005 is part of the film. I knew I had to just start, it was happening, these women were doing it. No time to find proper funding, I ended up financing it myself thanks to the LA housing bubble. It was personally liberating to shoot most of the footage myself. I did however have a great crew for larger performances. Shout out to Liz Rubin, an up and coming cinematographer, she rocked. What advice would you give to other aspiring filmmakers who want to get started on a project? As far as advice, there are no rules, follow your heart and don’t take no personally. If you can maintain some sort of balance in your life (I almost laughed out loud), good luck. This film did fall into place as I did not stop. I did sometimes get the picture in my head of “one foot on a banana peel, the other on a roller-skate while jumping through a hoop of fire juggling swords…” Before MOMz Hot ROCKs did you make any other films? What is your background? I got my MFA in Film/’Video from CalArts in 1993 and have done just about everything behind the camera for various features, commercials and music videos. I was a still photographer in NY and worked for a special effects house in NY before that. I am proud to say that I completed the first digital media thesis in the CalArts film school, thanks to Eric Martin of the art department who let me use their computers before the film school had any. This is my first feature film. I have done many shorts and music videos for a lot of still unknown bands. Music has always been a driving force in my life; I was in a band at CalArts and in Iceland in the early nineties. You have submitted some great images to moodboard, do you still find time for your photography with all the film making/promotion going on? I am just getting back into still photography. I have missed doing it for years. When I demoed the Canon Markll 5D at the Dances with Films festival last spring, I got more excited by that camera than I have in years. The camera does HD video as well as stills. I have always used Canon cameras, loving the ergonomics for someone my size and flexibility of the lens system. When I got the chance to move to NY in September, I bought the camera the first week I arrived. You seem to have such a busy schedule, how do you manage to juggle family life with filmmaking and promotion? I love what I am able to do and have wonderful people in my life. My son turned 18 last June and went to college in August, freeing up a chunk of time this year. During the production, he was the best, supportive from day one. My friends are my family and they helped enormously. In my film, Alyson Palmer restates Hillary Clinton’s “it takes a village” concept. I definitely know that to be true. Any exciting new projects in the pipeline you can tell us about? I would like to make a surf film that has an actual story line…I have something in the glacial works with George Clinton of P-Funk…I am developing several projects from books…Currently I have the opportunity to Executive Produce a narrative feature dealing with immigration in LA. It’s with an A-list team, funding sources anyone? What would you say has been your favourite memory from the whole process of making MOMz Hot ROCKs? The best part is not over yet. I have developed some lifelong friendships with some of the people in the film and because of the film. I will say that my son was key. When I got home from first meeting Joy Rose, Lisa Ludwig, Jen/Ed, Alyson Palmer and Tina DeVaron, The Surreal World was a popular show that cracked my son and I up. While viewing the footage of the Mamapalooza meeting, I noticed my son standing next to me; he watched the entire two-hour reels. He was 13 at the time and was laughing out loud. I realized that if a teenage boy could be entertained by these women, I had something special. Deb Henderson is an Art Director with photo library moodboard in London. Having studied film and photography at university she went on to pursue a career working with images and has previously worked at Getty Images as a Picture Researcher. Deb has worked on moodboard’s blog the factory since October 2008 featuring interviews and showcasing the work of artists and photographers from all over the world. Moodboard is a UK based stock photography company that delivers simple search, clear price pointing and optimum quality images. It was launched by Mike Watson (who was CEO of the award winning royalty free agency Digital Vision which sold to Getty for $165m) and a number of other ex-Digital Vision senior personnel.

Front Page of the Warwick Beacon RI Film Festival flick features Rockin' Moms by Jennifer Tremblay Aug 06, 2009 | 1126 views | 0 | | 15 | | Kate Perotti has worked over 15 years directing and producing films, but her latest, which she shot and edited mostly herself, is the one that’s turning heads. “MOMz Hot ROCKs,” is a 90-minute musical documentary following mom rock bands and members of Mamapalooza – a community and movement founded by Joy Rose that encourages mothers to rediscover their creative selves. The film was given early acceptance to this year’s Rhode Island Film Festival. Perotti started filming in October 2004 while in New York for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. She stayed in town a few extra days and started filming after a Mamapalooza meeting inspired her. She originally started writing a narrative feature comedy about women of a certain age who knew each other from high school. After reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about five bands of moms throughout the country, her interest turned to middle-aged women who started rock bands. Some of the bands featured include the Mydols, Placenta, Motherlode Trio, and Rose’s band Housewives on Prozac. She found the mothers “a hoot” and “thought the lyrics were hilarious.” She describes the rock bands as a “good way to express yourself in a clean, fun environment.” Over the course of two years, Perotti traveled throughout the country to Detroit, Oakland, Nashville, Dallas and Austin to focus on more bands. She enjoyed making the movie and even made some friends along the way who appear in the film. “It’s a combination of family and friends, film and fun that makes it go around,” she said. “It was really about inspiring and empowering women that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. It’s really for yourself; whether it’s knitting or cooking, that allows you to give more of yourself.” The film captured some memorable moments, including a grandmother playing drums in a punk band, a woman in MENSA with green-spiked hair and the closing of CBGB – a well-known New York City music club that shut down in October 2006. This was particularly special, as Perotti always loved the club and the experience turned out to be historical. When she started filming almost five years ago, she said people looked at her like she had three heads for following these women around. People react similarly even now, but they might recognize Perotti from appearances she’s made on CNN and Good Morning America throughout her journey. “Someone might be watching this and say, ‘Oh yeah, I remember that’,” she said. A Los Angeles resident, Perotti has roots in Rhode Island since her family moved to Greenville when she was 2 years old. “It’s been one of the most challenging and fulfilling things I’ve ever done. To be in Rhode Island is just icing on the cake,” she said. She attended the first day of the film festival on Tuesday. She describes it as, “so well respected,” and praised event organizers for their hard work. During the festival, she looks forward to seeing her friend Doug Pray’s film “Art & Copy” and the Providence Roller Derby Girls’ film “Not Your Mama’s Roller Derby.” She’s in town until Monday and has enjoyed her stay at the home of Warwick resident Bill Nixon, whose historical home is nicknamed, “Crime Castle.” She watched the fireworks display on National Night Out at Oakland Beach and said she had the best view. It’s no wonder then that another stay in the Ocean State might be in the cards for Perotti. “I want to do a film in R.I.,” she said. “I always wanted to do a movie about Crime Castle.” She’s also waiting to see what bands come out of Warwick Neck. She jokes, maybe the “Rocky Points.” Her film screening can be seen at the Columbus Theatre Arts Center, located at 270 Broadway in Providence, on Saturday Aug. 8th at 5 p.m. The festival runs from August 4 to 9. Read more: Warwick Beacon - RI Film Festival flick features Rockin Moms