The Women’s Center hosted its fourth annual Lunafest Breast Cancer Benefit Film Festival on March 25 at 7:30 p.m., located in the Schmucker Building.The evening showcased eight short, independent films that were garnished with hope, humor, reality and perseverance. This year, ticket proceeds reached $500, and was donated to the Chester County Fund for Women and Girls.
Lunafest, running from October to March, is a national traveling festival of short films by women for women. During five months, Lunafest is shown and hosted by more than 100 venues nationwide and is seen by over 20,000 viewers.
Since its inception and debut in 2000, Lunafest’s events share their power to build awareness and funds for important causes, compelling conversation and change in our communities. Lunafest is completely funded by LUNA, the makers of the whole nutrition bar for women. Luna, a small, dedicated group of employees proudly stand behind their product.
One hundred percent of all proceeds are donated to charity, 15 percent to the Breast Cancer Fund and the remaining 85 percent of proceeds go directly to hosting community organizations.
Lunafest has grown from a single annual event to more than 100 festivals each season. LUNA’s commitment to this worthwhile program has grown as well. To date, Lunafest has raised over $250,000 for worthwhile women’s organizations, while raising hope and awareness for the stories of women everywhere.
LUNA simultaneously promotes women filmmakers, raises awareness for women’s issues and supports worthy women’s nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The Breast Cancer Fund is dedicated to eliminating the environmental causes of breast cancer. Through public education, policy initiatives, outdoor challenges and other innovative campaigns, The Breast Cancer Fund mobilizes the public to secure the changes needed to stop this devastating epidemic. To date, Lunafest has raised over $150,000 for the Breast Cancer Fund.
All of the featured films had various perspectives, yet shared the ability to relate on a simple, human level that all individuals venture through.
In ‘My Other Mother’, the film’s setting was shot in South Africa, where we were offered a glimpse of Margo, a young girl who witnesses the grief that paralyzes her mother, following the sudden, mysterious death of her baby sister. The family nanny demonstrates the power of grieving and provides subtle strength for everyone to move ahead.
‘Make a wish’ takes the audience to the world of a young Palestinian girl who does whatever it takes to get money, including making strangers believe that her younger sister is blind so she will be able to buy a birthday cake in memory of their deceased father.
‘Happiness’ illustrates what all women ultimately seek. Through this corky, short film demonstrates that a pair of high heels has the ability to make Iwona stand a little bit taller.
‘Family Reunion’ tells us about Katrin, a young woman who temporarily leaves New York as well as her in-the-closet- girlfriend, to visit her native home of Iceland. Once home and reassimilated with her surroundings, Katrin learns that her grandfather is gay and realizes that her little secret does not need to be a secret any longer.
‘The Guarantee’ is a hilarious depiction of a male ballet dancer’s story about his prominent Italian nose and the effect it has on his visually artistic career.
Robin Garrett, the director of the WCU Women’s Center, hosted Lunafest. She felt that over all the evening’s outcome went really well. “We made over $500 from ticket proceeds, which go directly to charity and it’s all for a really great cause.”
For more information about LUNA and Lunafest, visit www.lunafest.org.
Kerry Barth is a student at West Chester University majoring in professional studies with minors in journalism and health sciences. She can be reached at KB358328@wcupa.edu.