Popular Women's Film Festival 'Lunafest' Returns to Campus March 27
March 21, 2013
Lunafest, the national fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women's issues and highlighting women filmmakers, will come to campus Wednesday, March 27, during Old Dominion's Women's History Month celebration.
The event, hosted by the ODU Women's Center at the University Theatre, features nine short films by women filmmakers that will compel discussion, make you laugh, tug at your heartstrings and motivate you to make a difference in your community.
The films range from animation to fictional drama, and cover topics such as dating, women's health, motherhood, body image, cultural diversity and breaking barriers.
"This is the sixth year that the Women's Center has brought Lunafest to ODU, and every year students, faculty, staff and community members comment that they laughed till they cried and were moved by the honesty that these filmmakers shared," said Gretchen Edwards-Bodmer, public relations and marketing coordinator with the Women's Center.
"These films remind us of the wonderful contributions that women make, not just to the film industry, but also to the world. Lunafest is also an opportunity to donate to two organizations that support women in their time of need."
The evening will start at 6:30 p.m. with cake and a raffle featuring prizes from local sponsors such as La Herradura, Moe's, Cogan's, Massage Envy, The Space Above Yoga Studio, the University Village Bookstore and more. The showing of the Lunafest films will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Here is the list of films that will be featured:
"Blank Canvas" by Sarah Berkovich - Going through chemotherapy, a woman turns her baldness into a blank canvas for self-expression.
"Chalk" by Martina Amati - A gymnast selected for an elite training camp makes new discoveries about bodies, boys and friendship.
"Flawed" by Andrea Dorfman - An animated tale about accepting yourself, flaws and all.
"Georgena Terry" by Amanda Zackem - How the founder of Terry Bicycles revolutionized cycling with bike frames designed for women's bodies.
"Lunch Date" by Sasha Collington - Getting dumped hurts, especially for a woman whose boyfriend sends his 14-year-old brother to break the news.
"Self-Portrait with Cows Going Home and Other Works" by Rebecca Dreyfus - A rare and soulful portrait of the ironically camera-shy Sylvia Plachy, a renowned contemporary photographer.
"The Bathhouse" by Jisso Kim - Escaping the streets of the modern city, a group of women are transformed by a bathhouse paradise.
"Whakatiki - A Spirit Rising" by Louise Leitch - A day at the river awakens the spirit of a woman held captive by years of broken promises.
"When I Grow Up" by Sharon Arteaga - A mother and daughter sell tacos and dream of a better life.
To view the trailer for this year's films, visit http://vimeo.com/47046613.
Tickets for Lunafest are available for purchase at the Webb Center Information Desk: $10 for general admission and $5 for students. Tickets will be $15 at the door.
All proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and the YWCA of South Hampton Roads. So far, Lunafest, created and funded by nutrition bar-maker Luna, has raised more than $556,000 for breast cancer funding and over $1,000,000 for other women's nonprofit organizations.