Author: Carolyn Mill

This will be the home of the new (official) Ferron Songs website.
Hoping to offer some songwriting workshops, and a little fun.

This might take a while so please be patient.

Indigo Girls on the History of Queer Women Musicians Who Shaped Them

https://www.advocate.com/exclusives/2022/9/15/indigo-girls-history-queer-women-musicians-who-shaped-them

“FERRON: girl on a road” winner of:

• Audience Award for Best Doc: Image+Nation, Montreal
• Elle Flanders Audience Award for Best Documentary, InsideOut, Toronto
• Audience Award for Best Doc, OutFilm CT
• Director’s Award, OutFilm CT
• Best Doc, Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival

(Release date: summer 2009.)

Before the Indigo Girls and before Ani DiFranco, there was Ferron, whose plaintive and poetic songs provided the soundtrack for an entire generation of lesbians. Nearing 60 and feeling the urge to reconnect with her audience, Ferron reunites with her band to perform a concert after nearly a decade away. Internationally award-winning director Gerry Rogers (My Left Breast) is there to capture the moment.

Part performance film, part biopic, Ferron: girl on a road traces, the life, the songs, the loves, the heartbreaks, and the pioneering path carved by a true folk legend. Intimate, and sweeping all at once, this film moves beyond “chronicle” and captures in word and deed, the essence of a visionary artist, and the soul of an icon. It is a celebration!

Opening on British Columbia´s Saturna Island, where Ferron welcomes her band mates into her home to rehearse, the action shifts to a stage in Victoria, where Ferron and the band perform some of her most adored songs — Shadows on a Dime, Girl on a Road and Snowin’ in Brooklyn.

Interspersed between tunes are interviews with the band members and with Ferron herself, who talks openly about her painful childhood, her rise and fall in the music industry, her past feelings of shame regarding her Native ancestry and, finally, about coming to terms with herself after a lifetime of struggles.

Documentary: 73 minutes ● Producer/Director: Gerry Rogers ● Camera: Peg Norman ● Editor: Lyly Fortin ● Music Editor: don db benedictson ● Release date: summer 2009 ● Phone 709-726-3472 ● Fax 709-726-5647 ● Email gerry@augustaproductions.com ● Downloads: Ferron: Girl on a road press kit (Word Doc or PDF) ● Ferron: Girl on a road DVD poster (PDF) and postcard (front – PDF).

Ferron: girl on a road — Our documentary’s Facebook group.
FerronOnline.com — The official Ferron website.

Sponsors and Credits

Upcoming Screenings

Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival Kingston, Ontario
Jan. 28 – Feb. 6, 2010
Screening Date: TBA

Past Screenings

Frameline: San Francisco LGBT Film Festival – June 19 – 29
Friday, June 19, 6pm at the Roxy

Inside Out/Toronto LGBT Film & Video Festival – May 14-24
Screening Sunday May 17 5pm at the ROM

New Zealand Outtakes Reel Queer Film Festival – May 21 – June 10
Auckland, Monday May 25, 6:10pm
Wellington, Sat. June 4th, 4:30 The Paramount
Christchurch, Sat. June 7, 2:45 Regent on Worcester Cinemas

Honolulu Rainbow Film Fest – May 21-24
Honolulu, Sat. May 23 6pm Doris Duke Theatre
Big Island (Kona), Fri. May 29, 5pm Aloha Theatre
Big Island (Hilo), Sat. May 30, 4pm Palace Theatre

Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival – May 22 – 30
Sunday, May 24th, 7:30 Cinestudio, Trinity College, Hartford

The Nickel Indepedent Film Festival, St. John’s, Newfoundland June 23-28
Screening date: Friday, June 26 7:30 pm Inco Centre , MUN

Philadelphia QFest – July 9-20th
Screening date: Tuesday, July 14th @ 5 pm, Ritz East 2

Vancouver Queer Film Festival – August 13-23
Screening date: Sunday, August 16th

North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival August 13-16
Durham, North Carolina

THE 1ST ANNUAL BOLD FILM FESTIVAL
Sunday September 13, 2009 9 pm Rio Theatre, 1660 E. Broadway @ Commercial Dr.

Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival Sept. 8-13, 2009
Screening Date: Sat. Sept. 12 @, 2:35 PM Alamo S. Lamar 1

Fresno Reel Pride
Sunday Sept. 20th @ 3 pm. Tower Theatre

2009 Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Screening Date: October 11, 2009 @ 5:00 PM
Tampa Theatre, 711 N Franklin St.

ImageOut 2009-Rochester Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival, Oct. 9-18, 2009
Screening Dat & Time: Monday, October 12, 6:15pm @ LITTLE THEATRE

Siren Nation, Nov. 5-8, 2009 Portland, Oregon
Screening Date: Sat. Nov. 7th, 2009, Noon – 5:30 p.m. The Hollywood Theatre

Inside Out Ottawa-Gatineau LGBT Film & Video Festival
November 20 – 22, 2009, National Gallery of Canada

Director:
Gerry Rogers

Camera:
Peg Norman

Editor:
Lyly Fortin

Additional Camera:
John Vatcher
Mo Simpson
Cal Garingan

Lighting:
John Vatcher

Live Music Recording:
Ron Cote

Sound Recording:
Peg Norman
Gerry Rogers
Derm Carberry
Lisa Kolisnyk
Christine McDowell

Set Decorator:
Debbie Vatcher

Production Assistants:
Chris McDowell
Ian Vatcher

Music Edit & Mix:
Don db Benedictson

Sound Editor:
Paul Steffler

Sound Mix:
Don db Benedictson

Assistant Editor:
Phillip Cairns

Transcription:
Kelly Dooley

Closed Captioning:
Lyly Fortin

Online & Colour Correction:
Steve Cook

Thank you, thank you:
Cari Green
Diane Boehme
Paul Pope
Pope Productions
John Vatcher
Debbie Vatcher
LSPU Hall
Maria Popacostaki
Ellen Balka
Wendy Williams
Pat Hogan
Jean Smith
John Kramer
Shelagh Rogers
Frank Fagan
Mary Gauthier
Issa
John Vatcher
Bill Coultas
Sandy Morris
Danielle Dumesil
Theresa MacKenzie
Jeanne O’Brien
Debbie Hynes
Sylvia Hamilton
John Doyle
Frank Fagan
Debbie McGee
Chris Darlington
Lynne Fernie
Lorraine Segato
Amelia Curran
Patricia Pin
Russell Floren
Gigi Rodriguez
Harvey Hyslop
Lori Clarke

Thank you to all those whose support helped to make this happen.

All songs written by Ferron:
“O Baby”
“More Than That”
“Girl On A Road”
“Snowin’ In Brooklyn”
“Higher Wisdom”
“Shadows On A Dime”
“Indian Dream”
“Testimony”
“Our Purpose Here”
“In The Mean Time”
“Ain’t Life A Brook”
“Girl On A Road”

Archival Video Footage with the generous permission of Shawn Preus

Archival Photos used with the generous permission of:
Gayle Scott
The Foisy Family Collection
Wynn Berry
Jody Boyman

E&O Insurance:
Premiere Insurance

Legal:
Rogers Bussey

Associate Producer:
Jill Knox-Gosse
Producer
Gerry Rogers

NOVEMBER 2010

hey, happy happy…
my best news is to say that my health is greatly improved but i don’t think i’ll be leaping over fences anymore. oh well, all the fences are gonna have to come down anyways! Some of you have probably noticed that there are no shows on the horizon. I am indeed trying to think of new ways to be present with my writing and not be on the road. Wish me luck in this endeavour. The wall hangings with my lyrics on them is going great guns. I’m pretty busy with that since I make them all inch by inch. I’ll be putting up new photos soon but at the bottom of this letter is the link to view some that have already sold. If you have any ferron lyrics that you think you could imagine hanging on your wall, I’m the girl to get in touch with. My friend wilma told me that the fen sanctuary web page is definitely not our Fen. We are excited to announce that Girls In the Wild, a vision quest program for girls 10-16 will be using the Fen as their central building. It is still finely decorated, still availabe for day, week, weekend rental and my next event there is March 26th. TRET FURE will be singing there that night and I’m hoping those of us who can will show our Michigan spirit and maybe even bring a cake. I’m hoping to have enough hangings to decorate some walls at the Fen by then.

Of course the documentary Girl ON a Road came out the same year I had to take a rest. It has gone to many film festivals now and has won several awards. So hey, getting older and still feeling pretty good , that’s a sweet thing. I’m working on the next cd and should have it out for the beginning of summer. And I’m available for writing workshops so give me a call at ferronferron@gmail.com Hope we all have an fine, level headed year. love ferron

january  2009

The Suprise Of A Lifetime…
….was discovering that yes indeed i was having all the signs of a heart attack. But we made it to the emergency in time and i was put on nitro glycerin which expands the arteries and so no damage was done to the heart muscle and after a long night was taken to the operating room and they put a stent in my left descending artery coming at it curiously enough from my right groin. I got out yesterday afternoon and am on bed rest for a bit to make sure i don’t open the incision as I could ‘bleed out’ as the nurse so tactfuly put it. i have a bit of a limp from the operation which will go away once the incision heals. I have great difficulty being taken care of and am not allowed to pick up more than 5 pounds. This is life changing stuff. had a good run on the wild side but I guess all rides come to an end. I feel happy and peaceful and only sorry that I couldn’t have the operation and be at the shows I committed to. The doctor looked at me like I was nuts when i asked if I could fly the next day. This is a good story with a happy ending even though it includes taking heart pills daily. gag me with a spoon. Thank you for all your concern and love. Still here, love ferron