In its first-ever Eugene appearance, LUNAFEST, a national touring film festival produced by, for and about women, will show films tonight to help empower women and highlight female filmmakers.
The proceeds from tonight’s program will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and the local nonprofit organization WomenSpace.
The program starts at 7 p.m. in 129 McKenzie and features eight award-winning films that address a wide range of topics relevant to women in the 21st century.
“It’s really trying to spread awareness about women’s issues and celebrate women in all walks of life,” said junior Kara Linse, who is the University campus representative for LUNA bar. “I really think that it benefits not only the viewer, but also the money goes to a great cause.”
Founded in the college town of Berkeley, Calif., LUNAFEST began five years ago as a promotion for LUNA bar, a branch of Clif Bar Inc., and has since taken on the role of helping empower women, Linse said.
LUNAFEST began in 2001 with just eight stops and now celebrates its fifth anniversary, visiting more than 100 venues this year
LUNA boasts a partnership with the Breast Cancer Fund and, to date, the film festival has raised more than $75,000 for the organization through ticket sales. LUNAFEST strives to not only raise awareness about women’s issues, such as childcare, sex and cultural pressures, but it also brings women together, according to the LUNA bar Web site.
ASUO Women’s Center spokeswoman Stefanie Loh said she looks forward to this year’s event and believes the Eugene community will receive LUNAFEST positively.
“I think especially in Eugene the climate in this town is such that people care about issues like that and they’re willing to support women’s issues,” she said.
Loh stressed the importance of having a film festival that centers entirely on women, embracing any race, religion, gender and sexual orientation. She believes LUNAFEST empowers female filmmakers, displays their talents and helps them gain recognition in the film industry.
“I think it’s kinda cool that it’s a women’s film festival,” Loh said. “It’s not often that you have a women-centered film festival like this.”
LUNAFEST features eight films that have been hand-picked from more than 200 submissions and have gone through several judging panels, including the LUNAFEST Board of Advisors, a panel of women in the fields of film, media, marketing and women’s advocacy. These films have won various awards, including awards at the Sundance Film Festival, the Victoria Independent Film and Video Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Montreal World Film Festival.
Topics in Tuesday’s screening include a female soldier’s struggle to find someone to watch her children while she serves in the Middle East, a daughter trying to relate to her mother, a mother who searches for her missing daughter and a humorous look at menopause. Films range from animated shorts to documentaries.
Linse said she chose WomenSpace as the recipient of the funds because she has worked with the organization before and agrees with its mission. WomenSpace hopes to end violence against women and children by empowering them and reforming community standards.
“I think that they have a great cause and it was a top priority for me that they were women-centered,” she said. “I thought that would attract people who support their organization too.”
Linse and Loh said LUNAFEST is not just for women. Men are encouraged to attend and take advantage of the chance to understand women a bit more by watching these diverse films.
“If you’re watching films by women, for women, you get to know a bit more about the way their minds work,” Loh said. “It’s not anti-guy.”
The program will last about two hours and will feature an intermission with a raffle and free LUNA bar samples. Admission is $5 for students and $7 for non-students. Visit www.lunabar.com/lunafest for more information.
Linda Gampert is a freelance reporter for the Daily Emerald