LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Film festival features short films by, for and about women


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Sometimes 10 minutes of film can pack a powerful punch. Created by the owners of Luna Bar in 2000 as a way to showcase short movies by, for and about women, the LunaFest short film festival is a gift to the community: Clif, the current owner of Luna Bar, selects nonprofits interested in screening the movies and all proceeds go to charity. This year, the Intuitive Writing Project was selected for screening LunaFest in Lamorinda. It will be presented one night only at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, March 22 at the Orinda Theatre.

This year's festival features nine short films, each about 10 minutes in length. Lisa Wood, who sits on the Intuitive Writing Project board and has seen all the movies says she loves the variety they offer: entertainment, amusement, food for thought, emotion and creativity. Inspiring women from throughout the world were selected for this year's lineup. "They cover such a wide range of topics told by a diverse array of women," she says. One is a comedy about Sarah who manages a Korean-owned nail salon, another tells the story of a girl following her dream, one presents the tale of a girl who survived the Boko Haram kidnapping in Nigeria, and another talks about overcoming grief. Wood also liked the tribute to silent film director Lois Weber. She says that after watching the movies with was inspired, educated, touched and proud.

Clif Bar spokeswoman Juliana French-Arnold says that there are about 200 hosts this year screening the festival across the country. She adds that Clif Bar is thrilled to have the Intuitive Writing Project choose LunaFest to be part of their fundraising event, because Clif Bar's mission aligns with the charity's, and Orinda is in the Emeryville-based company's backyard.

The founder of the Intuitive Writing Project, Elizabeth Perlman, thinks that LunaFest is the perfect embodiment of everything her nonprofit teaches local girls, helping them to realize their power as the authors and heroines of their own lives. She cites Marian Wright Edelman who once said, "You can't be what you can't see." She believes that it is important for girls to see women being powerful, creative leaders, like the female filmmakers featured at LunaFest. "The more we can celebrate the stories of women, the more we will all be able to reassert our value in the world," she adds. "And the more girls realize their value and tell their stories, the more we will bring the world back into balance."

Proceeds from the movie night will go to the Intuitive Writing Project, with a percentage given to Chicken & Egg Pictures, a nonprofit chosen by Clif Bar that supports women nonfiction filmmakers.

The Intuitive Writing Project offers empowerment workshops for girls in middle and high school. For information, visit www.intuitivewritingproject.org. An optional VIP Reception will start at 6 p.m. March 22 at The Fourth Bore.

To learn more about LunaFest, visit www.lunafest.org/our-story.