11th Annual LunaFest Short Films Festival

If you consume powerbars, you'll no doubt be familiar with Clif and Luna bars, but you may not know this same company is in the film biz. In 2000 they created LunaFest a short film festival by, for and about women.

It's a traveling, one night film festival; this year (Friday, March 2, 2012) one of the stops was Chestnut Hill, PA (30 minutes outside Center City Philadelphia for any non-local readers). One of Tinsel & Tine's missions is to highlight film and food events around the city; this one was of particular interest because it was located in my own backyard, and served as a community fundraising event.

Here's how it works: If you are an organization looking to do a fundraising event, contact Lunafest and fill out an application to be a host.

Last night's host was Chestnut Hill Hospital who will in turn donate the proceeds to St. Catherine Laboure Medical Clinic, whose mission it is to provide compassionate, high quality, comprehensive, primary medical care to those without health insurance.

Lunafest is also in a fight against breast cancer, so 85% of the profits will go to the host/clinic and 15% is donated to The Breast Cancer Fund.

I thoroughly enjoyed: talking to the attendees (view slide show above), the spread catered by fresh, local, natural Weavers Way Co-op and most surprisingly, the short films selected.

Truth be told, I really didn't expect the shorts to be good. I figured the emphasis would be on bringing women together on a Friday night, for food, laughter, networking and donations. The films I assumed would be banal at best. Not so, the screening consisted of award winning filmmakers, every piece well-produced, imaginative, informative and an example of excellent storytelling.

My favorite - I'm a Girl by Susan Koenen (Amsterdam)
The film featured a series of interviews with a 13 year-old "girl" Joppe, who was actually born a boy. Sure, we've seen this story before, especially for those of us that attend QFest. 
However, this young girl has such a handle on this issue, you'll feel ashamed at not being more accepting of your own imperfections.  (Visit my musings blog Book of Hours, for more on this film).

2nd favorite - Worst Enemy by Lake Bell (USA)
Off-beat comedy about a quirky, single woman struggling with Lactose intolerance and anxiety. The true genius of the film is comedic actress, Michaela Watkins.

The other films screened:

Every Mother Counts: Obstetric Fistula by Christy Turlington Burns

How to be Alone by Andrea Dorfman

Lady Razor Backs by Laura Green

Missed Connections by Mary Robertson

 Life Model by Lori Petchers

A Reluctant Bride  by Shideh Faramand

 The Wind is Blowing on my Street by Saba Riazi

LunaFest Committee: Cathy Brzozowski, Joanne Rosenbaum, Anne Workman, Sylvia Studenmund, Kathleen Welsh Beveridge


In Kind Donations: Brossman Center, Brewers Outlet, Edwin Slogoff Photography


Raffle Donors: Avenida Restaurant, Chestnut 7 Restaurant, Cin Cin Restaurant, Iron Hill Brewery, Kitchen Basket, Trolley Car Diner, McMenamin's Tavern, Morris Arboretum, Woodmere Art Gallery