By Phil Devitt

Fall River Spirit Editor

Len Kaplan couldn’t help but smile as he waited outside the BMC Durfee High School auditorium. His girls were in town — all 22 of them. And his pageant had hit the big-time.

“Whoever thought we’d be in the movies?” the founder of the Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant said. “You could say it’s like a dream come true.”

Ladies age 58 and older from across the country are in Fall River this week preparing for the 34th annual pageant, rehearsing dance numbers, talents and graceful walks in high heels. They have come to show the world that, despite a few wrinkles, they still have plenty of youthful spunk.

Accomplishing that just got a little easier with the release of “Pretty Old,” a feature-length documentary about the colorful contestants and the equally colorful Kaplan, a longtime Fall River businessman in his 80s who works with a dedicated team of volunteers year-round to ensure the show goes on. The film, which has captivated audiences at the Santa Barbara and Nantucket film festivals, premiered in Fall River Oct. 21, complete with a red carpet arrival for the stars.

Tamara Swihart, 73, was one of them. She said she has been competing in pageants for roughly 20 years. The film follows the Michigan woman and Betty Boop impersonator, along with three other contestants, as they vie for the crown in the pageant’s 30th year.

“It’s been so exciting,” Swihart said of the attention the film has received from audiences and critics alike. “I love it. Being in pageants, you develop a family-like bond with all these people you would not otherwise know.”

For Swihart’s friend, six-year contestant Charlotte Ambrose, every viewing, like every pageant, brings new validation that she is part of something special.

“Fall River is like coming home,” the 77-year-old Michigan resident and retired art teacher said. “The entire community greets us with open arms. They give us a hug and we return that love.”

Despite recent reconstructive surgery on her foot, Ambrose said she is “grateful” to participate and refused to sit out this year.

“Many women my age choose to stay home and not really look for opportunities, but I am opening doors and walking through — running through.”

The film also features the story of Ida White of the Virgin Islands. Confident and comfortable in her own skin, White sees the pageant as a way to rise above the racism she endured growing up in New York as an African-American. At the same time, she must confront the downside of aging as her husband copes with dementia.

“I cry every time I see it,” said White, who was 73 when interviewed for the documentary.

The film, while quirky and lighthearted at times, confronts weighty issues. It is dedicated to the memory of one of its stars, 67-year-old Frances Christian, a Texas widow battling late-stage ovarian cancer as she gears up for her turn on stage. Another contestant, 83-year-old Phyllis Chickett, rebounds from a heart attack and the pain of losing her husband to Alzheimer’s to prove life can be meaningful at any age.

“There’s such a big market for baby boomers and nothing being geared to their interests, so now they can see something about themselves,” said Walter Matteson, the film’s director, writer and producer. “(The film) shows you can have a fear of death, face tragedy and be very grounded, smart, learned women who are still proud to be on stage.”

Matteson, a New York filmmaker, said “Pretty Old” has received “really positive” reactions from people of all ages and backgrounds. The film is scheduled for at least two more screenings this year, including the Boston Jewish International Film Festival Nov. 11. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker is the executive producer.

After watching the documentary, this year’s contestants plunged right back into rehearsals for the quickly approaching Oct. 28 pageant. They will perform several routines together, but each woman also will get a few moments alone in the spotlight.

Athena Milewski of Michigan, a first-time competitor, is banking on a Middle Eastern dance to touch the crowd and judges.

“God has given me a talent and I want to share it with other people,” she said. “When I dance, it comes from my heart.”

Return contestant Celine Dilbert of the Cayman Islands said whether or not she gets the crown, she already feels like a winner.

“I’m living the highest vision I ever had about who I am,” the 61-year-old singer said. “By doing things a little out of the ordinary, we’re inspiring other women to go for their highest vision. Don’t hold back. Be yourself. I want to tell people they can do this. Despite what anybody says, you can come out of your shell.”

The Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant of America will take place Oct. 28, 1:30 p.m., at BMC Durfee High School’s Nagle Auditorium. Admission is $5.

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