First off, on International Women's Day, Thursday March 8th 2007, the Ladyfest Leeds Film benefit event ( http://www.ladyfestleeds.co.uk/?q=node/54) takes place at The Common Place, on Wharf St in Leeds city centre. This film benefit, open to all, is being held in conjunction with International Women’s Day and the IMVF (Independent Music Video festival, Vancouver, Canada) and has the honour of screening the UK premiere of the IMVF film, 'Ladies Only', which celebrates and promotes music videos for female artists. A sister screening will occur on the same day in Vancouver.

Running from 5.30pm – late there will be around 6 hours of films, shorts, animations, music videos and documentaries screened by a combination of female filmmakers on a home-grown and International level. Bring your own food, drink, and cushions! Entry is £3.00 on the door and it is on a first come first seated basis. All money goes directly to Ladyfest Leeds.

British filmmakers Grace Alwyn Ashworth, Bee Barker & Kerrie McKinnon, and Rebecca Marshall & Lynne Monks are included, alongside Internationally acclaimed filmmakers such as: Juliana Luecking (USA), Amy Lynn Kazymerchyla (Canada), Kagendo Murungi (USA), Sadie Benning (USA), Eija-Liisa Ahtila (Finland), Katherine Sender (USA), and Donna Lee (Canada). There will also be a screening of a documentary by the NYC Radical Cheerleading Squad.

On Saturday March 10th, Ladyfest Leeds will be in attendance at FEM 07 ( http://www.femconferences.org.uk), a conference for women and men being held at Sheffield University Students' Union, where there will be discussions and debates about gender equality. As well as holding participatory art fun, two of Ladyfest’s own organisers, Julia Downes and Amy Brachi, will be delivering a workshop about DIY feminist cultural activism which can take the form of organising club nights, gigs, Ladyfests, dance troops, reading groups, distros, record labels, radical cheerleading squads as well as creating comics, art, music, fanzines, and crafts. The workshop will particularly focus on activism can be used to address and challenge inequalities in everyday situations. FEM 07 is free and open to all. There are also a limited number of free, on-site crèche places.

Next up, on March 13th, from 8pm-til-late, at The New Penny (The Calls, Leeds), there is OMG!!! 11 - A Ladyfest Leeds Benefit, a free club night extravaganza packing in more fun than an hour spent popping that oh so addictive bubblewrap! This will be a night full of electro, electronic noise, Nintendo-core and bleep-bleep pop featuring such delights as:

• Liverpool’s Vocoderxx - no nonsense dance-y laptop noise grrrl (www.myspace.com/vocoderxx)
• Leeds' very own Sow Sow (www.myspace.com/wearesowsow) who will be damaging the dance floor with their brand of seriously infectious 'electric in sound' pop and,
• Leeds’ Quip! with what promises to be an amazing upbeat electro/electronica set by the usually down-tempo (www.myspace.com/quipmusic)

There will also be a short and very interesting pole-dancing preview by Rachel Anstis (www.myspace.com/zebraqueenpoledancing), who does pole dancing for fun and fitness in Leeds. As if that wasn’t enough fun, the night also includes some spectacular visual art, guerrilla mobile-phone videos and silent short films plus raffles plus dancing to the DJ sounds of Violator and Ladyfest’s own deTRENTacon. This is looking like one not to be missed. Donations are very welcome and all go directly to Ladyfest Leeds.

Oh and just a quick mention for Suck My Left One, the clubnight from Leeds’ feminist and queer collective (www.manifesta.co.uk) which will be at the Commonplace on St Patrick’s Day, March 17th. It £3 in and the night kicks off at 10pm. There will be raffles and tee shirts, badges and all manner of things for sale that will be in aid of the Ladyfest Leeds, so pop down, shake your stuff and have a good old look! You are also more that welcome to bring your own booze to celebrate St Pat’s day in style, and should that run out there is always cheap beer, Guinness, cider and non-alcoholic drinks available from the bar.

So that’s your lot for March. LF x