Lunafest comes to Boone Nov. 1 and 3

Reel women and real issues comprise the Lunafest film festival, coming to Boone Nov. 1 and 3.

A fundraising film festival, Lunafest is dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers and bringing women together in their communities.

Hosted by Earth Fare, Appalachian Women’s Fund and Girls on the Run of the High Country, the films will be screened Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Greenbriar Cinema at Appalachian State University and Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Harvest House Performing Arts Center in Boone.

According to organizers, Lunafest highlights women as leaders in society, illustrated through nine short films by women filmmakers. The films range from animation to fictional drama and cover topics, such as women’s health, motherhood, body image, aging, cultural diversity and breaking barriers.

The Lunafest films are as follows:

“Blank Canvas” by Sarah Berkovich. Going through chemotherapy, a woman turns her baldness into a blank canvas for self-expression.

“Flawed” by Andrea Dorfman. An animated tale about accepting yourself, flaws and all.

“Lunch Date” by Sasha Collington. Getting dumped hurts, especially for a woman whose boyfriend sends his 14-year-old brother to break the news.

“The Bathhouse” by Jisoo Kim. Escaping the streets of the modern city, a group of women are transformed by a bathhouse paradise.

“When I Grow Up” by Sharon Arteaga. A mother and daughter sell tacos and dream of a better life.

“Chalk” by Martina Amati. A gymnast selected for an elite training camp makes new discoveries about bodies, boys and friendship.

“Georgena Terry” by Amanda Zackem. How the founder of Terry Bicycles revolutionized cycling with bike frames designed for women’s bodies.

“Self-Portrait with Cows Going Home and Other Works” by Rebecca Dreyfus. A rare and soulful portrait of the ironically camera-shy Sylvia Plachy, a renowned contemporary photographer.

“Whakatiki: A Spirit Rising” by Louise Leitch. A day at the river awakens the spirit of a woman held captive by years of broken promises.

In addition to the films, there will a question-and-answer session following the screening at ASU. Prior to the Nov. 3, screening there will be a Women’s Info and Business Fair, starting at 5:30 p.m. Also on Nov. 3, during the intermission of the films, there will be an auction of the winning pieces of artwork from Bra-Va!, a community competition to creatively and festively decorate a bra. All proceeds from Bra-Va! will be donated to the Breast Cancer Fund.

Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $7 for students and are available for purchase at Earth Fare or http://www.appalachianwomensfund.org/lunafest.

All proceeds from Lunafest will benefit Girls on the Run of the High Country, the Appalachian Women’s Fund and the Breast Cancer Fund. Thus far, Lunafest, which was created and is funded by Luna, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women, raised more than $556,000 for the Breast Cancer Fund and more than $1 million for other women’s nonprofit organizations.

For more information, visit http://www.lunafest.org/boone.

Greenbriar Cinema is located in the Plemmons Student Union on the Appalachian State University campus, and Harvest House Performing Arts Center is located at 247 Boone Heights Road.