Thursday, March 14, Soroptimist International of St. Helena Sunrise will present the Napa Lunafest to be held at 500 First Street (formerly Copia Theater) at 7:00 pm. Lunafest is a traveling film festival of award-winning short films by, for and about women. This season, the program of nine films—filled with stories of reflection, hope and humor—will travel to over 150 cities and screen in front of 20,000 people. Each year, various organizations bring Lunafests to their communities and raise funds for local non-profits as well as the main beneficiary, Breast Cancer Fund. Established in 2000 by LUNA, the makers of the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women, Lunafest connects women, their stories and their causes through film. All guests are invited to stay for post screening dessert by C Casa and wine by Clif Family Winery. Tickets are available at www.lunafest.org/ napa. Tickets are $40 General, $25 Seniors and Students. The Soroptimist organization, a volunteer group led by President Maggie Friedrich of Angwin, supports both local and global programs that benefit the lives of women and girls. 100% of all Lunafest proceeds are donated to charity. Soroptimist of St. Helena Sunrise, which has showcased Lunafest in St. Helena for the past five years, has added Napa to this traveling film event. The 2013 local beneficiaries are Napa Eemergency Women’s Services (NEWS) and Girls On The Run Napa Valley. Lunafest by the numbers: $1,000,000 raised by Lunafest for local causes $556,000 raised by Lunafest for the Breast Cancer Fund 20,000 expected to attend Lunafest’s 2012-2013 season 950 films submitted to Lunafest each year $1,000 awarded to each filmmaker selected to participate in Lunafest 734 women’s nonprofit organizations have benefited from Lunafest 15% of every dollar raised goes to the Breast Cancer Fund 85% of every dollar raised goes directly to the host’s local charity of choice Films at a glance: “Blank Canvas ” | Filmmaker: Sarah Berkovich When Kim receives a devastating diagnosis of uterine cancer, her world turns upside down. Throughout her treatment, she struggles to cope with her changing body image in positive ways. Taking an unconventional route, she turns her baldness into a blank canvas for self-expression, and thereby makes a powerful statement that allows her to share her experience with others. “Chalk” | Filmmaker: Mart ina Amat i When a gymnast is selected for the National training camp, she discovers something new about bodies, boys and friendship. “Flaw ed” | Filmmaker: Andrea Dorfman Artist Dorfman’s drawings come to life as she animates the story of her long-distance relationship with a man whose profession — plastic surgery — prompts her to think about what makes a person beautiful. “Flawed” is less about whether a girl can get along with a boy than whether a girl can accept herself, imperfections and all. “Georgena Tery” | Filmmaker: Amanda Zac kem Georgena Terry, founder of Terry bicycles, revolutionized the women’s biking industry by creating a bike frame specific to a woman’s body. This is the story of how she got her start and the challenges within the women’s biking movement. “Lunch Dat e” | Filmmaker: Sasha Collington 2011 was supposed to be Annabel’s year. So why is she here, sitting in a restaurant, being told by a 14-year-old that her boyfriend, Thomas, doesn’t want to see her anymore? The small messenger is Wilbur, who has agreed to break the news as payment for borrowing Thomas’ tent. But dispensing with Annabel proves a bigger challenge than Wilbur had anticipated. “Self Portra it with Cows Going Home and Oth er Works” Filmmaker: Rebecca Dreyfus Richard Avedon wrote of fellow photographer Sylvia Plachy, “She makes me laugh and she breaks my heart.” Plachy is perhaps best known for her weekly photographs in the Village Voice, but her images have been widely exhibited in the United States and abroad. Her impressive body of work spans more than four decades. Her images have appeared in numerous publications such as Aperture, Art Forum and The New York Times Magazine. “The Bathh ouse” | Filmmaker: Jisoo Kim “The Bathhouse” is an animated short film that takes the viewer from the dark, polluted streets of the modern city into the sanctuary of the bathhouse. The women who venture into this place enter as strangers, weary from the toils of the city, but together they undergo an empowering physical and spiritual transformation. LUNAFEST is the first festival to screen this film. “Whakat iki-A Spirit Rising” | Filmmaker: Louise Leitch Kiri, an overweight Maori woman, takes a trip to the Whakatiki River, where she spent many summers as a girl. With her goes her husband, Dan, his friend Seb and beautiful newcomer Josie. The place awakens powerful memories for Kiri, and as tensions mount, she draws on her spiritual connection to the river to rise up and reconnect with her true self. “When I Grow Up” | Filmmaker: Sharon Art eaga Letty dreams of not one but several taco trucks so she can stop working at the restaurant and better provide for herself and daughter. But Michaela hates helping his mother sell tacos every morning before school. Driving past a wasteland of refineries in Corpus Christi, Texas, they both find hurt and hope during one of their morning routines. Film festival focuses on womens films and raises funds M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 3 51
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