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Lunafest Filmmakers
LUNAFEST is a traveling film festival, first brought to Cincinnati by CWC in 2006, featuring short films made by women, for women and the men who care about them, addressing universal issues that impact women of all ages, their families, relationships and careers.
Fast-forward to 2019 – this year's eight short film winners come from a diverse array of filmmakers with roots in Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria and the USA. Their films offer well-conceived stories, creative delivery and powerful messages that challenge stereotypes and break down barriers while giving us real-life characters portrayed with insight and compassion.
These short dramas, comedies and documentaries will tug at your heartstrings, make you smile, make you think and encourage you to make our community, country and the world a better place.
Proceeds from the Lunafest screenings will benefit The Sarah Center, a program of the St. Francis Seraph Ministries. The Sarah Center encourages women from all walks of life to be self-reliant, embrace their potential and learn new skills in order to grow – creatively, economically, socially and independently. The Center provides empowerment through authentic relationship building, life skills, health and wellness and peer support. It serves those challenged by economic or personal issues who want to make positive changes in their lives.
⇝ Learn more about the Sarah Center and the St. Francis Seraph Ministries.
Now in its eighteenth year, Cincinnati World Cinema is an all-volunteer organization presenting high-quality films that celebrate cultural diversity and the human condition. With documentaries, shorts, international and independent films, CWC focuses on titles that would not otherwise play in the local market.
In mid-2018, CWC renovated the old single-screen arthouse previously used for plays by Cincinnati Shakespeare. Located in downtown Cincinnati at Race St. & Garfield Place, it has been renamed The Garfield Theatre. Now the home of Cincinnati World Cinema, the 163-seat venue hosts live entertainment as well as rentals for community groups and film presenters.
⇝ Learn more about Cincinnati World Cinema.
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FLIP THE RECORD
Marie Jamora, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 15 min
In this 1980s coming-of-age story set to pulsing hip-hop music, a Filipino-American teen discovers her identity through a budding talent for turntablism.
Marie Jamora (Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, Music Supervisor) is an award-winning filmmaker originally from Manila, Philippines. Her feature debut, WHAT ISN'T THERE (ANG NAWAWALA), premiered internationally at the Slamdance Film Festival and was nominated for 5 Gawad Urian Philippine Critics Awards. Other credits include Editor of the Showtime documentary THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN LIVES; WHAT HAPPENED?, Segment Producer for the LEGO web series THE BUILD ZONE, and Showrunner for the first season of PROJECT RUNWAY PHILIPPINES. Marie began her career as a music video and commercial director, directing over 45 music videos and many commercials for some of the world's biggest brands including Coca-Cola, Colgate, and Gillette. She received an MFA in Film from Columbia University. She is currently working on her first documentary, LEGIONS OF BOOM, which is fiscally sponsored by the San Francisco Film Society.
THE FINAL SHOW
Dana Nachman, Los Altos, CA, USA, 10 min
A woman who has lived a long life full of love and loss has to decide, based on all that she has learned, who to take along to eternity.
Dana Nachman's 2015 film BATKID BEGINS was bought and distributed by Warner Brothers. Previously, she wrote, directed and co-produced the documentaries WITCH HUNT, which was executive produced by Sean Penn and premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival; LOVE HATE LOVE, which premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival; and THE HUMAN EXPERIMENT, which screened at the IDFA Film Festivals. She has won a number of awards, including three regional Emmy Awards, and more than a dozen Jury and Audience Awards at film festivals. Born and raised in New York, Nachman earned her Master's Degree from NYU in Broadcast Journalism.
MY IMMIGRANT STORY
Yuriko Gamo Romer, San Francisco, CA, USA, 3 min
The hot-button issue of immigration inspired the director to reflect on her own path to American citizenship.
Yuriko Gamo Romer directed and produced the documentary about Keiko Fukuda (1913-2013), the first woman to attain the tenth-degree black belt in judo. MRS. JUDO has traveled to more than 25 film festivals internationally, broadcast on PBS nationally, and was awarded the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the 2013 International Festival of Sport Films in Moscow. Currently, Romer is in production with DIAMOND DIPLOMACY, about the 145-year history of U.S. Japan relations through a shared love of baseball. Her thesis film OCCIDENTAL ENCOUNTERS won numerous awards, among them a Student Academy Award Gold Medal and Heartland Film Festival's Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award. Romer was born in Japan and raised in the United States, and is bilingual. She holds a Master's degree in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University, where she was a she was a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Scholar, an American Association of Japanese University Women Scholar; and a BFA from UCLA.
WAR PAINT
Katrelle Kindred, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 17 min
A young black girl in South Los Angeles experiences a series of events that intersects racism and sexism during the Fourth of July holiday.
Katrelle Kindred is an award-winning director, writer, and producer. After teaching English Language Arts in Compton, CA, Kindred completed her graduate studies in Film Production at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Her short film, SON SHINE (2013), played dozens of film festivals across the country, winning several awards including Best Narrative at the Humboldt International Film Festival; the San Francisco Black Film Festival's Ava Montague Award; and Best Actor at the Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival. Her producing work includes 2015's Student Academy Award Gold winner LOOKING AT THE STARS, and THE BIG CHOP (2016), which was optioned to HBO. In the future, Kindred would like to continue creating honest stories that focus on global, social issues and on people often unheard.
DRUMMER GIRL
Sophie Hexter, Bangalow, AU, 7 min
Losing her eyesight did not stop rock'n'roll drummer Renee Kelly from pursuing her passion. Moving between past reflections and future dreams, her story reveals a fervent and determined artist.
Sophie Hexter is a writer and director. Launching her career in media at Harper's Bazaar Australia, and The Age, she transitioned into filmmaking in 2014. Her debut documentary short, THE BATTLE, screened at over 30 international film festivals, including Cannes and Aesthetica. Her dramatic short HITCH premiered at Santa Barbara International Film Festival in the US and the St. Kilda Film Festival in Australia, and won the Audience Choice Award at Flickerfest. Her most recent short, DRUMMER GIRL, funded by Create NSW, was nominated for Best Documentary Short at Big Sky Film Festival in Montana, and screened widely in 2018. A 2017 Varuna Fellow, and 2018 Stowe Story Lab Fellow, Sophie has a BA from Monash University and an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford University.
ARE WE GOOD PARENTS?
Bola Ogun, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 9 min
When a couple's 14-year-old daughter says she's going to her first dance with her classmate, they question their preconceived notions of her sexuality and their openness as parents.
Bola Ogun is a first generation Nigerian-American, an alum of the University of North Texas, and based in Los Angeles. She was selected for the class of 2014 AFI Directing Workshop for Women and was one of the five filmmakers chosen for Robert Rodriguez's docuseries REBEL WITHOUT A CREW. Ogun's second short film ARE WE GOOD PARENTS? had its world premiere at South By Southwest, screened at Outfest, Urbanworld, Napa Valley, Edmonton International, and won top awards at AT&T's SHAPE Event. Her first short, THE WATER PHOENIX, screened internationally and Ogun has also written for Indiewire with a guest post titled "Enough with the 'Black Movies' Bring on the Black Mermaids," an essay on bringing intersectionality to Fantasy and Sci-fi films.
TODAY, TOMORROW, YESTERDAY
Jackie Files, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 6 min
While moving out of her childhood bedroom, a young woman finds her old diaries and learns to make peace with herself.
Jackie Files is a story artist, writer, and animator based in Los Angeles. She recently earned her BFA from California Institute of the Arts' Character Animation program, where she completed her senior film, TODAY, TOMORROW, YESTERDAY. Jackie hopes to continue making films and telling stories. You can see more of her work at jackiefiles.weebly.com.
UR DEAD TO ME
Yonoko Li, Auckland, NZ, 10 min
If there's one thing Jordan knows from delivering dried bouquets, it's that while every relationship is different, they all share one thing in common: they end. In this wistful, humorous and eloquent commentary on relationships, Jordan learns about life, death, love, and loss.
Originally from Singapore, Yonoko Li is a writer and director based in Auckland, NZ, interested in the human condition and the female experience. She created UR DEAD TO ME to explore the theme of grief we experience when it comes to the dissolution of relationships. Rather than saving failing relationships, she explores a different perspective, one where the individuals involved are at peace and better for the loss.
EVENT DETAILS
☀ LUNAFEST, eight diverse short films in the 2019 edition of the traveling festival. 80 minutes, not rated – suggest "PG". Discussion after each screening. Proceeds benefit the Sarah Center of the St. Francis Seraph Ministries.
☀ DATES & TIMES:
• Sunday, March 24, 2019, 4 PM
• Sunday, March 31, 2019, 4 PM
Venue opens at 3:00 with seating at 3:30.
☀ LOCATION:
the GARFIELD THEATRE, 719 Race St, Cincinnati 45202.
– Learn more
☀ TICKETS: Online or call (859) 957-3456.
Adult general admission, $15 advance, $20 door.
Student/ArtsPass general admission, 12 advance, $16 door.
Student and ArtsPass ticket holders must show valid ID upon arrival.
Advance sales cut off three hours before show time; thereafter tickets will be available at the door.
☀ PARKING & DIRECTIONS:
Parking Options Google Map
Drone View
Ample parking at affordable rates — 1,700+ garage spaces within two blocks ‐ Gramercy Garage (next door, enter via Race, 7th or Elm streets), Garfield Garage (9th St., next to the Phoenix) and Macy's Garage (7th Street). Another 363 surface lot spaces within a couple blocks, plus numerous on-street meters.
Other transport options include the Street Car, Metro, Tank, Uber, Red Bike, etc.
☀ ADA ACCESS: We have completely revamped and improved ADA access, with a direct path to wheelchair spaces and companion seats (no outside transit, no ramps, no stairs). Individuals using walkers or wheelchairs should call ahead to let us know your screening date and time, (859) 957-3456.
☀ DINING & LIBATIONS:
Across the street from the Garfield, you'll find the Butcher & Barrel, home of delicious shareables, salads, entrees and desserts, plus excellent wine, craft beer and mixed drinks. CWC patrons will receive a 15% discount on their order, excluding beverages.
Enjoy a pre- or post-film meal or coffee and dessert, or hang at the bar. You'll need your online ticket purchase confirmation or ticket stub from the event – discount valid only for the date of attendance at the Garfield.
Hours: TUE-THS - Dining, 5-10 pm; bar 3:30 - midnight. FRI-SAT - Dining 5-11 pm; bar 3:30 - 2:30. SUN - Dining 5-9 pm; bar 3:30 - 1-pm. Advance reservations recommended – (513) 954-8974.
Check out the menus and photos: thebutcherbarrel.com.
☀ QUESTIONS? Please
or call (859) 957 3456.
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DISCUSSION LEADERS
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RACHEL LYON
Sunday, March 24
Rachel Lyon is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker who has produced 65 documentaries and feature films. Her work often focuses on critical global issues and human rights, including docs for PBS, NBC, CNN, and National Geographic. Lyon's most recent film, Hate Crimes in the Heartland (2014), was screened in 20 cities with the Ford Foundation and her films Race to Execution (2007) and Juror Number Six (2008) were broadcast on PBS' Independent Lens.
Lyon has held faculty positions at Northern Kentucky University, Southern Methodist University
and Queens College. She is the author of "Media, Race, Crime, and the Punishment: Re-Framing Stereotypes in Crime and Human Rights Issues," which was published in the DePaul Law Review in 2009. In 2012, Lyon co-authored the paper "Digital Divisions: Racial (In)Justice and Limits of Social Informatics in The State of Georgia vs. Troy Anthony Davis," which was presented at the Northern Kentucky Law Review Symposium, and published in the Northern Kentucky Law Review.
In the non-profit world, Rachel is currently director of development for First Step Home, in Cincinnati, and was previously director of Special Gifts for the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. She received her MFA in Film/Media/Cinema Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently a founding board member of Women in Film Cincinnati, serving as president, and previously served on boards with Women in Film, in Chicago, San Francisco and Washington DC.
TIMOTHY SWALLOW
Sunday, March 24
Tim Swallow is the CEO of Cincinnati World Cinema. Now in its eighteenth year, the all-volunteer organization focuses on cinema celebrating cultural diversity and the human condition, building a film community to experience high-quality international and independent cinema not otherwise available in this market. The organization has presented roughly 700 films, including regional/world premieres; plus series, festival and collaborative events.
In 2018, Tim renovated the old single-screen arthouse most recently used by Cincinnati Shakespeare. Located in downtown Cincinnati at Race St. & Garfield Place, it has been renamed The Garfield Theatre. Now the home of Cincinnati World Cinema, the 163-seat venue hosts live entertainment as well as rentals for community groups and film presenters. Learn more about Cincinnati World Cinema.
Prior to CWC, he spent 20 years as a live events producer, working in music, theatre and the arts. His experience includes management, marketing, performing arts software development, finance and non-profit boards. Tim's passion with CWC is programming and curation, particularly short film and the work of women filmmakers. He is currently a founding board member of Women in Film Cincinnati, serving as treasurer, and also serves on the board of the World Affairs Council of Greater Cincinnati. He previously served on the board of the Cincinnati Memorial Hall Society and was a founder and first board president with the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati.
DAWN ADAMS
Sunday, March 31
Dawn Adams has three decades of diverse and progressively responsible experience in education, working with youth and adults. Her endeavors have ranged from high school academic advising to community-based programs for at-risk women, to creating national lesson plans while serving as a Science Ambassador for the CDC and at Georgia Tech, to shepherding business/community partnerships with over 1500 internship opportunities for high school students.
She has a PhD from Capella University, Minneapolis; an MA in Education from Kennesaw State University in Marietta GA; a BS in Education from the University of Cincinnati; plus numerous certificates in post-grad professional development. Her involvements and affiliations include membership in Phi Delta Kappa International and the National Science Teachers Association. She served as a judge with the Educators Rising National Competition and was a volunteer instructor with the Empowered Living Academy, a joint effort by the YMCA and Wellspring Living.
MELISSA GODOY
Sunday, March 31
Independent filmmaker Melissa Godoy is the winner of two regional Emmy Awards. Her programs have aired on public television stations nation-wide, and screened locally at events and exhibits at Cincinnati World Cinema, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Cincinnati Art Museum. She's currently in production on a vérité feature documentary,
All In: The Human Subjects.
Godoy served as Line Producer for the Sundance debut American Factory (Participant Media) and for the Oscar-nominated short doc The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant (HBO), both by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert; and Line Producer for Bognar and Reichert's A Lion in the House (Independent Lens/PBS). She was the Cincinnati cinematographer for Katy Chevigny's Election Day (POV/PBS) and the cinematographer and an editor for The Lincoln School Story by Andrea Torrice.
Melissa studied Theatre and Creative Writing for the Media at Northwestern University and she shares her love of filmmaking as an Arts Learning Artist for the Ohio Arts Council. She is a founding board member of Women in Film, Cincinnati.