English

Michelle Ehlen, USA, 2007, 84 min.

Struggling actress Jamie thinks she knows what casting directors want. She joins the L. A. masses in her best skirt, heels, and jewelry at audition after audition hoping to catch her big break.

There’s just one problem – Jamie’s playing a character before she even steps in front of the camera. She’s really a spiky-haired butch dyke, not a femme fatale! When Jamie finds out that her roommate’s petcat- actor Howard is getting more work than she is, that’s the last straw. So Jamie decides to throw in the acting towel, but she is determined to go out with a bang.

Taking her funny and sarcastic best friend David’s advice, Jamie goes to her last audition as herself: wallet chain, leather bracelets, and all. Much to her surprise, she is called into the producer’s office and offered the lead role – the male lead role! As tempting as the opportunity to break into the business seems, it will take some convincing once Jamie learns that no one can actually find out about her true identity on or off the set!

With no other work lined up, and her acting career in danger of ending before it starts, Jamie reluctantly agrees. Fake facial hair and men’s wardrobe in place, filming begins and things seem to be going well enough. That is, until Jamie’s relationship with the straight female lead takes a romantic turn. What will happen if Jamie’s leading lady learns the truth?

This hilarious gender-bending comedy features a great soundtrack including lesbian artists Sarah Bettens, Gaye Adegbalola, and The Munchers, and was filmed in nearby Albany, NY. With her feature-length writing/directing/acting debut, Michelle Ehlen (Jamie) brings tons of laughter and a little silliness to the discussion of gender roles, social assumptions, and learning to be yourself.

“Ehlen, in the role of the title character, Jamie, is so bangon- the-money good... [Butch Jamie is] an irreverent and often hilarious ride with the right blend of pathos and slapstick to make it well worth the watch. ” --CJ Johnson, Los Angeles Journal 07/14/07