"The Foxy Merkins" Comes to Atlanta Film Fest

Merkins are lurkin' on the streets of Atlanta this week and the public can catch a glimpse during a screening of the much-anticipated lesbian movie, "The Foxy Merkins" at the Atlanta Film Festival on April 3 at The Plaza Theatre.

"The Foxy Merkins" is one of the LGBT films featured at the Atlanta Film Festival. The film is also one of the nominees for the Atlanta Film Festival's Pink Peach award. The Pink Peach spotlights some of the LGBT shorts and feature films. It is the second film for writer/director Madeleine Olnek.

The film is a comedy about lesbian hookers who stroll the streets of New York to pick up women. Margaret is a down-on-her-luck lesbian hooker in training and Jo is a straight woman from a wealthy family who considers herself an expert on picking up women.

"The duo hit the streets where they encounter bargain-hunting housewives, double-dealing conservative women, husky-voiced seductresses, mumbling erotic accessory salesmen and shopaholic swingers. Navigating the bizarre fetishes and sexual needs of their 'dates' brings into focus the hilarious and pathetic disparity between the two hookers, as fellow travelers who will share the road together but only for a while," says the film's website.

Olnek fashioned the movie after her favorite male hustler movies and added a female twist to the genre of films most known for its male characters. She and other female fans of the hustler films often projected themselves into those leading male roles. But with her latest film, she did more than day dream about leading female characters -- she wrote a hustler film of her own with two leading female characters, and she made it goofy and comical.

"Think of it as a homoerotic movie for the entire family," Olnek said in an interview with EDGE.

The two leading female characters are played by Lisa Haas and Jackie Monahan. The two also helped to write the film. In an interview with EDGE, Haas recalled that before she knew the full concept of the movie, Olnek asked her if she would be game for shooting a film. Then, Haas learned that she would be playing a lesbian hooker.

"I thought it was a fantastic idea," Haas said of the role. She was also happy to work with Monahan and Olnek again. The two had worked together on Olnek's first film, "Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same."

For Olnek, "The Foxy Merkins" will take the audience on a comedic journey.

"I think really good comedy has the power to make people make sense of their own lives and not be overwhelmed by it," said Olnek. "We don't have to be so overwhelmed by our circumstances."

According to Olnek, some -- especially those in the LGBT community -- may feel powerless or feel that others have power over them, but "comedy empowers and it help people to discover their own power as individuals."

Since its release, Olnek said they have received positive reviews and some have called it her best film yet. Her first film three years ago, "Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same" tracked the adventures, misadventures and experiences of three aliens from the planet Zots, sent down to Earth on a mission to rid themselves of romantic emotions, which are considered toxic to their planet's atmosphere.

"The Foxy Merkins" recently received the Independent Spirit Award: Someone to Watch Award and received accolades from its screening from the Sundance Film Festival. Winning this award was an unexpected delight for Olnek and Haas. While they have been pleased by the awards and positive reviews, they were surprised to see many people return to see the movie twice during screenings.

"We've only had two public screenings and it's been pretty amazing," Haas said of the attendance. She was more surprised by the demographics of folks who showed up to see the film during the Sundance Festival. "The demographics were different ages, men, women, and the people who were more aggressive, fighting their way through the crowd to come talk to me, were straight women who were in their late 40s, 50s and 60s," she recalled.

Although it's a film with a lesbian theme, everyone is welcome and all types of people have enjoyed the film. But Olnek said she values her gay and lesbian audiences because "they are a very discerning audience, educated, and they know what's funny." But she admits that it's harder to make a gay audience laugh.

"Gay people have seen and heard a lot of gay comedy and if they laugh you know it's funny... Straight people, and all types of people and persuasions can relate to what we are doing," she added.
"I don't think about who I'm making it for," Olnek said of her movies. "If you stay true to the story and characters anyone who loves comedy will love our productions... We promise a good time to be had by all."

A mixer will be held before the screening, at 7 p.m. at Caf� 640, located at 640 Highland Avenue. It's an opportunity to meet, greet and munch with one of the film's co-stars, Lisa Haas. Appetizers will be provided and a cash bar is available.