1) Firstly, she'll be attending the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas this
weekend where Knots will premiere on Sunday (March 14th). The official release date for
the film has yet to be determined, but Annabeth will advise as soon as she knows the date.
2) Secondly, she has been working once again on a project for PBS, doing narration for a documentary
called, "America's Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie." It has yet to be completed,
but you can check out the Web
site. Annabeth says,
"It's a
beautiful project that has emerged from the folks in Iowa."
3) Third, she sent along her own note of thanks to everyone for the recent donation to
Futures for Children:
-----
Hey all,
Thanks for the beautiful donation from the ATA community to Futures For Children. I
am honored and excited by the generosity of you all. You guys keep amazing me! Futures is an important
organization and if any of you are interested in mentoring a Native American student, you should check out the
website. It's incredibly rewarding. Thanks again and much love and light to
everyone!
-----
4) Lastly, Annabeth sent along her answers to the most recent set of
questions.
Name: Amanda
Question:In your long career as an actress, have there been any actors or actresses that you have worked with,
or even just run across, that have given you advice that has made you the actress your are today?
Annabeth's Answer:
Oh, that's really the gift of the gypsy life of an actor isn't it? So many morsels of wisdom to be received.
And of course everyone has advice... But to be quite honest, for me it's always been more of what people do
(their actions) than what they say (their words) that leaves a stronger impression. It's the actors who live their
life a certain way, as an example to follow, which proves what works and what doesn't, and ultimately what I want to
emulate.
I've spoken before in interviews of the letter I received when I was 12 years old from Lillian Gish.
Most of you know her, but for those of you who don't, she was one of the first silent film stars, later an actress in
the "talkies" who was legendary. Her advice in the letter (I'm paraphrasing) was to stay away from Hollywood,
to stay where people loved me. In Hollywood there was "too much talent and not enough work" and it was a rigorous and
painful career to pursue. Everything she said was/is absolutely true. Everything. And there are some days when
I wish I would have listened to that wisdom - certainly had I been a teacher or a doctor, there would have been a
more reliable lifestyle to take comfort in ... However, and with no disrespect to Lillian Gish, I didn't heed her
advice. I was driven to follow this path and now I'm on it. The interesting fact is that I would probably say the
same things to any young woman, earnest and wholesome, who wanted to come out here and do this ... My point is this:
advice is information to process. The MOST important driving force in anyone's career is their very own heart and
passion. That is the true compass to follow. (Jeez, did I suddenly get totally cheesy?! )
----------
Name: Loralyn
Question: Let's say that you're asked to provide a commentary for one of your movies for a special edition DVD.
Which movie would you select and why?
Annabeth's Answer:
I suppose I'd love to do that for my very first feature, Desert
Bloom. It would be great fun
(and potentially painful at times) to go back and comment on my fumbling, nubile "process" emerging at the tender
age of 13 when I couldn't have been any more verdantly green. At that age, there was really no process or craft,
just authenticity and heart and a desperate hope to please the people I was working for/with, especially since
I knew nothing about filmmaking. To be asked to step into that particular crowd of professional, deeply committed,
unrelenting actors was a huge challenge for me, and one that surely changed my life and set the tone for a kind of
work ethic I would carry into my career. Also, I just have so many wonderful memories of the location, Tucson, the
crew and awakening to the entire movie making process for the very first time.
