Female Eye Film Festival 2018 - Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger
Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger tells the musical tale of a renegade dildo runner in Texas when sex toys are declared illegal.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Jennifer Howd
Watch Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! I made this film for a couple of reasons, the first being that I felt like it was finally time for me to step into being a director. I’m in my mid-40’s, and I've had aspirations to direct since I was a teenager. I’ve focused mostly on writing and producing up until now. But, shortly after the Harvey Weinstein news broke and the #MeToo movement started gaining momentum, something went off inside of me telling me that it was finally my time to direct.
Having been a mindfulness facilitator for many years, I feel a certain responsibility to step into the directing role at this particular time because I finally have the maturity – and the ability – to hold safe and healthy spaces for folks. As a 15+-year veteran of the entertainment industry, unfortunately, I've spent very little time working in environments that I would have labeled safe or healthy.
So, now that I have a strong mindfulness practice in place and a more mature grasp on life, I feel an obligation to help model how things could be done in a healthier, more sustainable way. I don’t have to blindly follow the traditional system/historical way of doing things, because, as an independent filmmaker, I’m not beholden to any institutions driven by their bottom lines. I wholeheartedly believe in emphasizing process over product, and I find doing so a lot easier when the end result of what I’m creating doesn’t have the pressure of needing to make money.
Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger is a standalone music video of a song from a larger, feature-length comedy musical simply titled, Texas Annie, and it’s about a renegade dildo runner in Texas when sex toys are declared illegal. The second reason I made this film – beyond simply wanting to make sex-positive content – was because the subject matter feels, unfortunately, eerily relevant right now. And I feel like it’s important for folks to know that we might not be too far away from a scenario like what’s presented in Texas Annie happening here in the states.
The material for the short and the larger film is inspired by a real-life law in Texas called the “obscene devices” law, declaring anyone found selling – or in possession of 6 or more sex toys – can be charged with a felony. Although the law was overturned in 2008, it still remains on the books. Presently, you can (legally) own more guns than sex toys in Texas. Which is just asinine, in my opinion. And, from what I’ve been able to research online, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, and parts of Georgia all have versions of this law that are still being enforced.
When my writing partner on the film, Ross Mihalko, and I co-wrote the material back around 2011, Obama was in office. At that time, the subject seemed more of a far-fetched parody of a ridiculous law from the not-too-distant-past. I actually wasn’t even aware of the anti-obscenity laws outside of Texas at that point. But with the current administration in place, sadly – and frankly, scarily – the scenario in this film doesn’t seem quite so unrealistic.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you enjoy campy, funny, sexy, subversive musical numbers, Texas Annie's probably going to be your jam. It’s also only 2 minutes and 30 seconds long. So, if you’ve got a short attention span, we’ve got your back.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Infused within the flick’s fun, campy tone, there's a message of empowerment that speaks to both personal and universal themes. When sex toys are declared illegal, Texas Annie takes responsibility into her own hands and transforms from a shy sex toy shopgirl into a confident sex toy super heroine, delivering sex toys to people in need.
I can personally identify with “hiding” and shying away from my power. In the past, stepping into my power has felt like too big of a responsibility—almost a burden. To a large extent, I’ve been hiding for a good portion of my life. But having reached a certain point in my personal development—and seeing the state of our country and where it’s potentially heading—I’m feeling called to step into my power, to push through whatever sense of discomfort that might be a part of that. And to do what I can in order to help the people around me open their eyes to what’s going on in the world. Making this film was a huge step in me starting to do this.
From a more of a universal perspective, I firmly believe women are being called to come into their power and to stand up in ways that we haven’t in decades. Texas Annie definitely speaks to this.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
To help the short and song stand on its own, we came up with a scenario that’s slightly different from what happens when the song appears in the feature-length screenplay. The lyrics pretty much stayed the same.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve been getting overwhelmingly positive feedback from the folks who’ve seen it so far. In all the screenings I’ve attended, the audience has laughed in all the “right” places, and folks are walking away with giant smiles on their faces. I’ve been hearing quite consistently that it's a totally feel-good, entertaining, ridiculously fun ride.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Although this might change, to date, we haven’t been surprised or challenged by any of the feedback. It’s been super positive so far.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Community is such an important element in my life, so I’m actively seeking like-hearted filmmakers who are looking to connect and support each other. I’m also looking for folks who might be interested in helping get the feature version of Texas Annie off the ground. We Are Moving Stories seems like a wonderful platform to potentially help with both of these. Y'all also seem to have an intention to help promote female filmmakers. And I’m definitely all about that!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
All of the above!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d love for folks to be able to embrace the topic of sexuality and feel safe enough watching the film to really have fun with it. I’m also aiming to inform folks in an entertaining way that our sexual freedom in this country might not be as safe as we assume.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How is owning 6 or more sex toys more of a danger to society than owning a gun?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m currently contemplating the possibility of shooting another music video from the feature film to be crafted into a standalone piece, much like what we did with The Legend of the Moan Ranger. Also, in addition to the Texas Annie feature script, we also have a stage play version, and we're in the process of developing a limited series series pitch for streaming.
We're looking to attach producers, a music composers, cinematographer, and funders who would be interested in helping getting any and all of the various forms of this content out into the world. So, please feel free to reach out if you have any thoughts on how we could potentially work together to do so.
I’m also in the process of adapting a paranormal memoir about a prophetic African American woman who ends up freeing the souls trapped in a former plantation house in Louisville, KY. It’s a definite departure from Texas Annie!
Interview: August 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger
Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger tells the musical tale of a renegade dildo runner in Texas when sex toys are declared illegal.
Length: 2 minutes 30 seconds
Director: Jennifer Howd
Producer: Jennifer Howd & Ariel Benarroch
Lyrics by: Jennifer Howd. Ross Mihalko, John Woods
Concept by: Jennifer Howd & Ross Mihalko
About the writer, director and producer:
JENNIFER HOWD was recently featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition, and is an author, editor, indie filmmaker, and a Certified Mindfulness Facilitator through UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. For more information, visit http://JenniferHowd.com.
ROSS MIHALKO is a playwright, screenwriter, and lyricist living in Los Angeles, California. He’s written and co-written over a dozen feature films, including 6 feature-length animated movies for Lionsgate. You can learn more about Ross and his world of words at www.rossmihalko.info
JOHN WOODS has been composing music and lyrics for 25 years. He has performed at The Sydney Opera House, The London Hippodrome, and the Public Theatre NYC, and his songs have been covered by such diverse talents as comedienne Margaret Cho, “Drag Race” champion Jinkx Monsoon, and glam-punk singer and performance artist, Amanda Palmer.
Key cast: Jazzy Byner, Sister Dominia of the Immaculate Corrosion, Sister Kumonawanaleiya, Jennifer Bowman, Clem Jeffreys. Texas Annie Vocals by Pearl Lyon.
Looking for: producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Facebook: Jennifer Howd AND Texas Annie Musical
Twitter: @jennhowd
Instagram: @jennhowd AND @texasanniemusical
Made in association with: www.Nightpantz.com