A Move in the Right Direction

The Scene: An airplane hangar at Santa Monica Airport festooned with faux palms and ceiling fans--hence the “Rio Fiesta” theme--where 400 people showed up Friday night in support of the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women. Producer Gale Anne Hurd (“The Abyss,” “Aliens”) underwrote the event, and $40,000 was raised.

Who Was There: Men and women representing all aspects of filmmaking, from film editors to assistant agents to D-girls. Others included Hurd’s fiance Brian De Palma, Lee Grant, Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, Sean Penn (who was entirely unnoticed by the paparazzi ) and Robin Wright, Martha Coolidge, Raffaella De Laurentiis, Polly Platt, Lynda Obst, Dana Ashbrook, Michael Biehn, David Hoberman, AFI director Jean Firstenberg and dozens of DWW alumnae.

Quoted: “I have no aspirations to direct,” swore Gale Anne Hurd, sporting her new emerald engagement ring.

The Buzz: The William Morris defections, a bogus Jeffrey Katzenberg sequel memo that just started circulating, the De Palma-Hurd romance and speculation on how they met (the consensus was through business, not on a blind date), and when, if ever, the ratio of women and men directors will even out. “Not in this century,” Firstenberg offered.

Dress Code: Hardly anyone complied with the invitation’s suggestion for Latin-theme attire and, as usual, everyone went their own way. A trend, however, was spotted among the pretty young things who wore bra tops, crop tops and halter tops with super-short circle skirts. (Midriffs are in.) Everyone else wore black or “Twin Peaks” variations.

Chow: Empanadas, chili onion rings, tamales, frozen chocolate-dipped bananas and what no Hollywood event would be complete without: pizza.

Glitch: Where are sound-effects professionals when you really need them? Airplane hangars and live rock music are an unbearable acoustical equation.