Last week Friday, Film Independent announced the 22 filmmakers and 10 projects selected for its 11th annual Fast Track program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fast Track Welcome Luncheon, during the ongoing Los Angeles Film Festival. 

The program is an intensive, three-day film-financing market, during which participants are connected with established financiers, production companies, agents, managers and other film industry professionals who can move their current projects forward.

I’ll be highlighting those projects that will be of most interest to this blog, starting with this one: Third Girl from the Left – an adaptation of Martha Southgate’s novel of the same name.

The project hails from exec producer Vincent Harris for Vantage Media Group, and producer Amy Hobby, for the Tangerine Entertainment production house.

Here’s a lengthy description:

THIRD GIRL FROM THE LEFT is the story of the other side of Hollywood in the 1970’s, of what it means to be black, sexy, smart and full of dreams in a land where “blaxploitation” is as literal as it sounds. Yet this is not a ‘black’ story. This is a vivid and dynamic story about families, all families; and not just the ones we’re born into, but the ones we make for ourselves. It is a compelling saga of love, family secrets and the ambitions of mothers and daughters. It is also a story about the movies and the hold they can have on us, sometimes even despite our better judgment. Angela Edwards, is the shining center of the film, around which we deftly shift points of view, weaving the stories of her mother Mildred and daughter Tamara. Angela and Mildred clash in the way mothers and daughters often do, but manage to forge a bond during many afternoons spent together at the local cinema. Angela yearns to be onscreen herself and eventually leaves her stifling hometown of Tulsa for Hollywood in 1972. It does not live up to her imagination. She does not make it big. Instead, she lands bit parts in campy blaxploitation pictures. In a world where sexual favors to men in power are commonplace, even roles like these require young actresses to offer up more than talent in order to get the gig. Angela dutifully complies. Angela doesn’t become a star, but the allure of movies has marked her for life, just as it did her mother, and just as it will her own daughter.

The project, which was also awarded the Millennium Entertainment Fellowship, a $10,000 production grant, currently lists Kerry Washington and Viola Davis as its stars. Although there’s no word yet on who exactly each actress will play.

There’s no director attached yet, although from what my research tells me, George C. Wolfe was once attached to direct the film. Whether he still is, I can’t say. But I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.

Also, I recall Cauleen Smith was said to be adapting the novel about a year ago, although none of the materials I found today lists her name as screenwriter.

All of this will be cleared up eventually.

The project is certainly attracting the right kind of attention via initiatives like Film Independent’s Fast Track, with a fall 2013 shoot hoped for, according to Vantage Media’s website.

The story is certainly intriguing, especially if the above casting holds. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the cast list will look like once it’s complete.

Stay tuned…

Anyone read the novel? If so, your thoughts please?