By BetteAndTinaForever

WARNING: season 5 spoiler can be found in the last part of this report.

Each year the Annual Celebrity Power Premiere and Gala recognized companies and individuals for their artistic contributions, which helped to shape public opinion and social growth. This year Power Up recognized another 10 women for their success in showbiz.

Donna Deitch, who is know for her first feature Desert Hearts, starring Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau, received a 2007 Artistry Award, which is given to an individual who has exhibited courage, dignity and integrity through their artistic endeavors.

Among the Award recipients there were writer/director Lisa Cholodenko (High Art, The L Word), writer/co-producer Cherien Dabis (The L Word), President and Founder of MyBroadway.com and TMG Tanya Grubich, writer/producer Lori Kaye, Vice President of WBTV Danielle Knight, publisher Amy M. Lesser, director of programming for Frameline Jennifer Morris, LGBT cinema history expert Jenni Olson (WolfeVideo.com), Michelle Paradise (Exes & Ohs), and senior vice president of Warner Bros. Entertainment Lynn Whitney.

To introduce and present the awards to the recipients, the Power Up Premiere organizers invited many celebrities that were involved with TV shows or feature films, featuring lesbian relationships and LGBT issues.

PowerUp Red Carpet Arrivals

For me, personally, the Red Carpet arrivals are the most fascinating moments of the event because it is not only filled with glamour and beauty but also with laughter and warmth. I was at the end of the line again, waiting for the beautiful ladies and a few gentlemen to finish posing for pictures and come to me so I could interview them. The interviews will be coming next week, so watch for them to be posted on this site.

Usually, the Red Carpet area is secluded from the place where the actual event is taking place. This time the arrivals were happening right in the middle of the hall where the items for the Silent Auction were placed, so when the celebrities were done with pictures and interviews, they blended in with the guests and attendees, chatting, drinking and having fun, which you can see on some of the photos, posted earlier.

And, since the photos from this event are already posted on the site, I will introduce you everyone who was present in order of the images, so you can match the pictures with the names.

Helen Shaver, whom many of you recognized as Faye Buckley on The L Word and Vivian Bell in Desert Hearts; Guinevere Turner (The L Word, Go Fish); Sheryl Dunye, who directed Stranger Inside and The Watermelon Woman for the HBO; Jane Sibbett (Ross’ lesbian wife on Friends); Jim Dobson with Mariah Hanson and Shannon Kampa (Event Chairs); Lisa Thrasher and Stacy Codikow (Heads of Power Up); lovely Michelle Clunie and Thea Gill (Queer as Folk), Thea is also one of the cast members of Dante’s Cove; Daniela Sea (The L Word); Vincent De Paul (Poseidon); Donna Deitch, Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau (Desert Hearts); Michelle Paradise (Exes & Ohs), Michelle Wolff (Dante’s Cove); very pregnant director Jamie Babbit (Itty Bitty Titty Committee, The L Word); absolutely gorgeous Renee O’Connor (Xena); Jenny Shimizu (Dante’s Cove); Jill Bennett (Dante’s Cove), who was also one of the participants in this year's Vagina Monologs in LA together with Jennifer Beals and Rachel Shelley; Maeve Quinlan, Mandy Musgrave, Gabrielle Christian and Matt Cohen (South of Nowhere); Honey Labrador with a girlfriend.

There were just a few people I wasn’t introduced to and I didn’t have a chance to talk to them, so I’m not sure who they were. However, the majority of the celebrities from the photos had to pass through me and when I had a chance, I talked to them about their careers and their involvement with the Power Up, and with a few of them I even talked about The L Word. And before some of you think, ‘Oh, not about TiBette again’, let me assure you that I didn’t not ask anyone if they want Bette and Tina back together.

As I mentioned before, the interviews will be coming up soon and you will find out if Xena and Gabrielle were a couple; if Max will be happier in season 5; if Logo’s new show Exes & Ohs is another The L Word only funnier; why Helen Shaver was invited to play Faye Buckley after playing Vivian Bell; and finally, if there is a sequel to very popular Desert Hearts. So stay tuned for that.

Awards Presentations

The presentations began right after the Silent Auction was over, which was going on the whole time while we were taking pictures and talking to the presenters and guests. AfterEllen showed a short video montage of TV shows and films, featuring lesbians. The presenters introduced the awards participants with a lot of laughter, applause and short clips, including an introduction to Jamie Babbit’s new film Itty Bitty Titty Committee.

The final 2007 Artistry Award to Donna Deitch was presented by Thea Gill, who first told a story about falling in love with her female English teacher and high school and how, after watching Desert Hearts, she wanted to be in the movie directed by Donna. It was a great speech, honoring all of Donna’s accomplishments in movies and television.

Donna began her acceptance speech by reading a first few lines from the script to Desert Hearts II and told the story how the idea of the movie came to her and why she wanted to make a lesbian movie at the times when LGBT community was invisible.

While it was going on, I joined the table with the fellow photographers and other press representatives, and even had a chance to try an ice-cream dessert.

After Party

When the presentations were over, I stood by the door, waiting for Thea Gill, who kindly agreed to give me another interview because she didn’t have time do talk to me on the Red Carpet. While I was waiting, I got a tight bear hug from Michelle Clunie, promised Maeve Quinlan to watch season two of South of Nowhere, got a business card from a very cute girl, gave a hug to Patricia Charbonneau, and got a wink from Guinevere Turner. It was fun.

After the event I had an opportunity to do another interview with Thea Gill about her new show Dante’s Cove and after we finished, she invited me to a small gathering in the upstairs lounge with a few guests and celebrities. I met a few very interesting people and found out a little spoiler for The L Word without even asking.

I already posted it up on the spoiler thread on this site but I will repeat it here for those who don’t read the threads. And I would like to apologize in advance to all the non-TiBetters here, because the spoiler is about Bette and Tina. As some of you might remember, I learned a spoiler this summer that due to some jealousy on Bette’s part, she and Tina will have little somethin’-somethin’ in episode 504. Now, this spoiler was confirmed at the party. Bette and Tina will have something serious and, I’m assuming sexual, happened between them and in episode 505 they will talk about it and then Bette actually says to Tina that she’s in love with Jodi. However, there’s so much tension between them that the possibility of the reunion is still there.

I don’t really know what to make of this spoiler. I can only guess that Bette will try to protect her heart from hurting again by this admission because Jodi is safe. You can all speculate about it on the Spoiler Speculation Thread. We have less than two months until the season 5, so this will help to pass the time quicker.

Don’t forget to check back for the interviews from Power Up Premiere and stay tuned for more exciting reports from TLW Conventions.