Will Jones
Anna Fishbeyn of “He’s Got The Look” at the special screening event for Galaxy 360 at the Gardena Cinema in Los Angeles on June 15, 2025. Photo courtesy of Movement 360 Inc.
Forget your gentle Malibu dreamscapes. In the audacious, wildly imaginative world of Anna Fishbeyn’s “Galaxy 360: A Woman’s Playground,” the year is 2195, and the patriarchy? Well, it’s been thoroughly, deliciously, and hilariously inverted. Imagine a world where women call the shots, lead corporations, and yes, judge men in elaborate beauty pageants. Sound intriguing? You bet your gender-bending boots it is.
Fishbeyn’s brainchild, a genre-bending cocktail of sci-fi, satire, and unapologetic feminist utopia, first flickered to life in New York City last September at the Angelika Film Center. The timing, serendipitous or perhaps cosmically ordained, placed it squarely in the zeitgeist of the “Barbie” summer. The inevitable comparisons arose, and Fishbeyn, who conceived of this vision back in 2018 and meticulously brought it to life over five years, complete with all the futuristic bells and whistles, offered a tantalizing response: “Think of ‘Galaxy 360’ as ‘Barbie’ After Dark – with a sexy twist.”
Fishbeyn is no stranger to provocative, conversation-starting work. Her previous off-Broadway solo show, “My Stubborn Tongue,” which played at the New Ohio Theatre, earned her acclaim in outlets ranging from HuffPost and TimeOut to Broadway World. This track record of sharp, insightful commentary now finds a new, expansive canvas in “Galaxy 360,” proving her voice isn’t just for the stage but for the cinematic universe as well. This isn’t some fleeting curiosity; it’s the culmination of a career built on challenging norms.
While the film first premiered on the East Coast, Angelenos have already had a taste of Fishbeyn’s futuristic vision. This past March, “Galaxy 360” enjoyed a weeklong run at Laemmle Theaters, kicking off with a premiere at the Royal before settling in at the Glendale location. But Fishbeyn didn’t stop there. In a stroke of satirical genius, she hosted a special Father’s Day screening this June at the iconic Gardena Cinema, complete with a live pop-up male beauty pageant, “He’s Got The Look.” The event, featuring performers Kev Martinez, Farrah Hines, Ki-Jana Marquis, Daniel Armella, and Fishbeyn herself, brought the film’s premise to brilliant life. That pageant, by the way, will also soon be streaming on her Movement 360 site.
Now, after building significant local buzz, the project is ready for its global debut. The official launch party for both the film and the new streaming platform, Movement 360, will take place in New York City on Saturday, August 23rd. But while the champagne pops on the East Coast, Angelenos won’t be left out. That same day, “Galaxy 360: A Woman’s Playground” will become available to stream worldwide, allowing LA audiences who caught its theatrical run to relive the experience, and inviting new viewers to finally enter Fishbeyn’s satirical future from the comfort of their own homes.
But “Galaxy 360” is more than just a clever thought experiment. For Fishbeyn, this film is deeply personal, a testament to resilience forged in the fires of adversity. A survivor of domestic violence from an abusive marriage, she speaks with a raw honesty about how creating this film became her pathway back to her own voice. “It was about reclaiming my power,” she explains, her passion palpable even through the screen. “It was about imagining a world where women are unequivocally in control, not as a fantasy of revenge, but as a space to explore what true equality and empowerment could look like.”
This isn’t just about flipping gender roles for comedic effect, though the satire is undoubtedly sharp and promises plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. “Galaxy 360” delves into the nuances of power, desire, and societal expectations when the traditional script is torn up and rewritten by women. What happens when men are judged on their looks and charm, vying for the attention (and perhaps a lucrative marriage proposal) from powerful women? Does the dynamic simply reverse, or does something more complex and ultimately more equitable emerge?
Fishbeyn isn’t just creating entertainment; she’s igniting a dialogue. Her journey from silence to filmmaker is an inspiring narrative in itself, and she is determined to use her platform to empower other women to find their own strength, regardless of their chosen field or aspirations. “Don’t ever let anyone take your voice away,” she insists, a message that resonates with a fierce urgency. “Your dreams, your power – they are yours to own.”
As we navigate a world still grappling with gender parity, “Galaxy 360: A Woman’s Playground” arrives not a moment too soon. It’s a bold, sexy, and satirical invitation to reconsider our assumptions, to laugh at the absurdities of ingrained biases, and to perhaps, just perhaps, envision a future where the playing field is truly level.
So mark your calendars. While the official party is in NYC, Anna Fishbeyn is bringing her whole new galaxy into homes across LA. Get ready to have your perceptions delightfully, and perhaps uncomfortably, challenged.
“Galaxy 360: A Woman’s Playground” premieres on the Movement 360 streaming platform on August 23rd, 2025.