LUNAFEST has been empowering women creators since 2000. It has presented films from all over the world and has discovered women director’s work and talents. These directors, shown in prior events, have gone off to challenge the film industry and are changing the narrative in a male dominated industry today.
The film festival, not just specific to the University of Idaho, has been able to showcase films created by and for women. It was created by the makers of the Luna Bar and originally was developed to raise funds for breast cancer research. Now application fees and donations generated from the event hosted at UI, one of many locations, will help Chicken and Egg Pictures and the Women’s Center.
LUNAFEST has been run by the Women’s Center in collaboration with Nectar Restaurant and Wine Bar and the Kenworthy Performing Arts Center. Normally the film festival is a national touring Film Festival, hosted at the Kenworthy with a raffle and treats from Nectar.
This year, because of health concerns and limited space at the Kenworthy, LUNAFEST will be virtually held over Zoom at 6 p.m. March 2.
Lysa Salsbury, director at the Women’s Center, said they realized that doing the event in-person wasn’t an option and looked at virtual screening opportunities. Because the film festival is online this year, tickets will be free rather than its typical fee of $8-$12.
Salsbury says although LUNAFEST may look a little different this year, it will still be awesome.
During the film festival, they will be showing between seven to 10 films made by filmmakers all over the world. The films will depend on length, some will be short films, others will be animations and will all focus on stories about women and women’s experiences.
Because the film festival will be held online, the Kenworthy’s space will not be utilized to its full potential. The Kenworthy has been hosting the film festival ever since 2013, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, they cannot rent out the space for large events.
Jamie Hill, director of operations at Kenworthy, has found a way to participate in LUNAFEST other than hosting the large crowd. The Kenworthy will rent out the theater space for a small group of 20 people or fewer, so people can have a small version of LUNAFEST.
Nikki Woodland, owner and executive chef at Nectar, has been working with the Woman’s Center for LUNAFEST for six to eight years. Because there will not be a reception, the Women’s Center has partnered with Nectar to have a pre-sale reception.
The restaurant will make specially curated appetizer boxes people can pick up and take home to keep the same atmosphere of the event. Nectar will offer vegetarian and gluten free options as well and are working on a signature cocktail. The boxes are free to participants, and they can pick up their appetizers on the day of the event at 4 p.m., when the restaurant opens.
To register or learn more about LUNAFEST, visit the Women’s Center events page.
Emily Pearce can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.