Soroptimist International of Clovis Hosts LunaFest

During the March 20-21 weekend, Soroptimist International of Clovis will host a virtual presentation of LunaFest. This is an excellent opportunity to enjoy seven professionally crafted short films by women and about women.

LunaFest was established in 2000 by LUNA®, the makers of the first nutrition bar for women.

“LunaFest is the only film festival in North America that combines women filmmakers with a community fundraising campaign to raise awareness and contributions for women in film and hundreds of grass-roots, community-based organizations throughout the US and Canada,” said Soroptimist Judith Preuss. “LunaFest is an inspirational event that will attract guests from around the world.”

To purchase tickets, visit lunafest.org or contact Linda Gillis at (559) 288-1254. The cost of tickets is $25 for individuals and households, $15 for students.

A streaming link and password will be sent to all those that have purchased tickets the morning of the event. Purchasers will have 24-hour access to view the films until noon on Monday, March 22. Films are appropriate for audiences age 16 and over.

Watch the films anytime within 24 hours after initial login.

Proceeds will benefit Soroptimist International of Clovis’s service projects, along with Chicken & Egg Pictures, which supports female nonfiction filmmakers.

Soroptimist International of Clovis is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment.

The 2021 Films and Filmmakers Lineup:

According to lunafest.org, this year’s films feature strong women, powerful images, and impactful language. Stories reflect the diverse perspectives of the filmmakers and their subjects. The total run time is 86 minutes.

OVEREXPOSED: FILMING AN ARCTIC ODYSSEY

By Holly Morris

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the film team that captured the daring story of the Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition.

Holly Morris has told and championed pro-woman stories on the global stage for two decades. She is an internationally known filmmaker, author, and presenter.

Her most recent film, “The Babushkas of Chernobyl,” premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival. It won the Jury Award for Directing, the first of nearly two dozen awards received before being broadcast worldwide.

KNOCKING DOWN THE FENCES

By Meg Shutter

AJ Andrews, the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, struggles to make it as one of the best professional softball players in the world.

Meg Shutter is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and investigative reporter from Oakland, California. Her first documentary, “New Generation Queens: a Zanzibar Soccer Story,” premiered at the Manhattan Film Festival in 2015, played on four continents and won numerous awards.

A-LINE BIRDS CANNOT SEE

By Amy Bench

Separated from her mother at the border, a 12-year-old sets out on a harrowing journey to the United States to find her.

Amy Bench is a Texas-based filmmaker and visual artist drawn to the immediacy of film and photography to tell stories of a community.

Amy’s animated documentary “A-Line Birds Cannot See” won Special Jury Recognition at SXSW, Best Animated Short at Bend Film Festival, and the 2020 Ellie Award in video for excellence in digital magazine journalism.

THE SCIENTISTS VERSUS DARTMOUTH

By Sharon Shattuck

A young neuroscientist and her colleagues make a life-changing decision to speak up for women in science everywhere.

Sharon Shattuck is an Emmy-nominated documentary film/TV director. She’s the co-creator of the New York Times Op-Docs science series, “Animated Life,” which was nominated for a 2016 Creative Arts Emmy.

UNTIL SHE IS FREE

By Maria Finitzo

Mixed-media artist Sophia Wallace imagines a world where all people are equal and able to live with rich possibility and purpose.

Maria Finitzo is a two-time Peabody Award–winning social issue documentary filmmaker whose 30 years as a filmmaker has resulted in a body of work that has won every major broadcast award, including most recently the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award, and has been screened in festivals and theaters around the world.

CONNECTION

By Tracy Nguyen-Chung and Ciara Lacy

A lifelong angler, Autumn Harry had never fished beyond the waters of her reservation—until she picked up a fly rod.

Tracy Nguyen-Chung is a filmmaker, strategist, and founder of After Bruce, a boutique PR agency.

Ciara Lacy is a Native Hawaiian filmmaker and director of “Out of State,” which premiered at the LA Film Festival and was broadcast on “Independent Lens.” Her work has been shown at festivals worldwide and on Netflix, PBS, ABC, and Al Jazzier.

BETYE SAAR: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

By Christine Turner

There’s no stopping this legendary artist, even at age 93.

Christine Turner is a filmmaker based in New York. Her critically acclaimed documentary “Homegoings,” about a funeral director in Harlem, premiered at Documentary Fortnight at MoMA and was broadcast nationally on the PBS series “POV.”