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Event Quick Links:
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Film Roster
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With support from  
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showcasing established and emerging Directors, Writers and Stars Saturday, December 6 & Sunday, December 7, at the Carnegie § Short Films at 4 pm – Lunafest Film Festival § Feature-length drama at 7 pm – Fort McCoy |
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ESSENTIAL EVENT INFO W H A T : Eight Lunafest short film winners plus bonus short documentary: The Art Carvers of Music Hall W H E N : 4 pm Lunafest & 7 pm Fort McCoy 4 pm Lunafest & 7 pm Fort McCoy W H E R E : 1028 Scott Blvd Covington KY 41011 Google interactive map Printable map and directions Cincy-Covington Bridge/Street Grid Will this be your first visit to the Carnegie? Learn more about this beautiful arts center. T I C K E T P R I C I N G : G E T T I C K E T S :
(859) 957-3456, Mon-Sat 9a-7p 
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Join us for a weekend of entertaining variety from established and bright new talent, featuring women filmmakers, writers and stars making their mark in short and feature films.
Travel with us back in history to discover the carvings at Cincinnati Music Hall, meet an aviation pioneer circa 1910, experience life and love on the homefront in the Midwest during World War II, and catch the UK music scene in the 70s. Then, fast-forward to mariachi music on the NY subway, a Muslim girl's yen to be a high school cheerleader, a young woman's misplaced fascination with her bustline, a woman-owned auto repair shop and the real meaning of parenting. 
LUNAFEST is an incredibly unique platform — these filmmakers embody what it means to be a game changer; their works tell stories that challenge stereotypes and break down barriers. Made by women filmmakers, for women and the men who care about them, this year's eight short film winners (from over 800 entries), are about women of all ages, their families, relationships, careers and universal issues. As we've learned over eight years of presenting LUNAFEST, these short films offer exceptional storytelling, creative delivery, powerful messages and an intangible quality that conveys a bit of magic. They 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. And, as always, a portion of Lunafest event proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Fund! 
Cincinnati Connection Rounding out the short film slate is an updated version of Melissa Godoy's documentary The Art Carvers of Music Hall, the remarkable story of the women artisans who hand carved the decorative screens for Music Hall when it was built in 1878; and efforts to preserve the historically significant, yet hidden, treasures they created.
Filmmaker Melissa Godoy will lead the post-film audience discussion after the films. 
Screening on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Fort McCoy poignantly presents life at an army base and prisoner of war camp in a small Midwester community during World War II. Based on real people and events, Fort McCoy is a touching drama about life on the home front, set against the backdrop of a Wisconsin army base during World War II. An ode to a bygone era and reminiscent of The Best Years of Our Lives, the film portrays a tightly knit family dealing with personal challenges in the shadow of world war. A "family film" in a literal sense, these are the stories of a couple in their twenties falling in love; thirty-something parents coping with working as civilian employees at the base while raising a family, and their young children trying to understand the nature of German and Japanese POWs housed near their home. Filmed at the actual army base (a rare privilige), in buildings carefully preserved since WWII, we see life on the base and in the nearby town of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The small town main streets, infectious fervor of swing music, old time movie house, perfect period costumes and the mannerly shyness of dating in 40s, transport us to a time and society hard to imagine today. A la Tom Brokaw's Greatest Generation, screenwriter and director Kate Connor relates the stories and memories of her mother, grandmother, grandfather, great aunt and uncle, who lived at Fort McCoy during wartime. She creates a highly personal and nostalgic tale of a time when people endured sadness and loss, yet came together as community, united in a common cause. The performances and production values enhance the quality of the story. Connor plays a leading role as her own grandmother, Ruby Stirn, and Eric Stoltz is excellent as Ruby's husband, Frank Stirn. Lyndsy Fonseca and Andy Hirsch give winning performances as the young lovers Anna and Sam, characters based on Connor's great-aunt and great-uncle. The cinematography lushly paints the pastoral beauty of rural Wisconsin and the soundtrack includes famous wartime artists like Jo Stafford, Johnny Mercer, Edith Piaf and the Pied Pipers. Worth reading: Kate Connor talks about her family, their time at Fort McCoy and an era not to be forgotten in this engaging and informative interview. | |
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Lunafest Film Roster (4 PM Screenings) 
A Good Match 
Lyn Elliot, USA Dramedy, 2013, 13 min Ann and Alex have split up, but does that mean it's over with Alex's mom, too? Ann wants to keep their friendship going. 
Chica's Day 
Susan Béjar, Spain Dramedy, 2013, 10 min Today is a girls' day out, everything is allowed. But don't forget that this is just a game... 
Flor de Toloache 
Jenny Schweitzer, Canada Documentary, 2014, 10 min A group of New York women daringly challenge gender social norms as an all-female mariachi band in this delightful musical documentary. 
Lady Parts
Emily Fraser & Katherine Gorringe, USA Documentary, 2014, 6 min In an industry dominated by men, Lady Parts Automotive brings a woman's touch to the world of car repair and maintenance. 
Miss Todd 
Kristina Yee, UK Drama, 2013, 13 min Student Academy Award Winner, 2013. In 1910 New York, an aeronautical designer works to understand the principles of flight, but she has more than gravity holding her down. 
Tits
Louisa Bertman, USA Dramedy, 2013, 5 min A frenetic but reflective story about femininity and adulthood, exploring the process from childhood to adolescence and discovering what really matters. 
Tryouts
Susana Caésare, Spain/USA Drama, 2013, 14 min Being a teenager isn't easy, especially not for Nayla, a Muslim American girl who wants to join her new high school's cheerleading squad. 
Viva
Amanda Bluglass, UK Documentary, 2014, 8 min A heart-warming documentary portrait of rebellion, spirit and joie-de-vivre. Viva Hamnell reflects on her life in Cornwall's first punk band, her love of Vivienne Westwood style and how to be a rebel at 82. BONUS FILM 
The Art Carvers of Music Hall
Melissa Godoy, Cincinnati, OH Documentary, 2013, 18 min The story of 108 women artisans and their role in one of the largest and most important public art commissions in Cincinnati's history — at a time (1878) when women were largely excluded from artisanal employment. |
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Discussion Leader: Director Melissa Godoy 
Winner of two regional Emmy Awards, Melissa Godoy is a director and producer of television and independent film. Her programs have aired on public television stations nationwide, and screened locally at events and exhibits at Cincinnati World Cinema, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Cincinnati Ballet.
In 2013, she was awarded a Cincinnati Arts Ambassador fellowship to create The Art Carvers of Music Hall, about the effort to conserve historically significant hidden treasure in Music Hall and celebrate the women artisans involved. For the past five years Melissa's been shooting a narrative documentary that tells the story of revitalization in our historic core – Rebirth of Over-the-Rhine. Her award-winning documentary about creativity and aging, Do Not Go Gently, premiered at Cincinnati World Cinema, and is airing for the 6th consecutive year on PBS stations through American Public Television. Godoy previously served as Line Producer for the Oscar-nominated documentary short, The Last Truck by Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert (HBO); and for the national Prime Time Emmy Award-winning documentary about children with cancer, A Lion in the House, by Bognar and Reichert (Independent Lens/PBS). She was a co-field producer and the Cincinnati cinematographer for Election Day by Katy Chevigny (POV/PBS). Melissa was the cinematographer for Andrea Torrice's A Family Recipe for Success. Locally, she produced Erich Kunzel: A Cincinnati Legacy, by CET; as well as Classical Quest and violinmasterclass.com, both with Kurt Sassmannshaus and the Starling Project Foundation. Godoy studied Theatre and Creative Writing for the Media at Northwestern University and she shares her love of filmmaking as an Artist in Residence with the Ohio Arts Council's Arts Learning Program. More about Melissa and her work is here: CinemaSol.com. About Luna & LUNAFEST LUNAFEST is an annual traveling film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women's issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their community. LUNA created LUNAFEST to support women on a number of levels, with the following purpose: About the Breast Cancer Fund The BREAST CANCER FUND is dedicated to eliminating the environmental causes of breast cancer. Through public education, policy initiatives, outdoor challenges and other innovative campaigns, The Breast Cancer Fund mobilizes the public to secure the changes needed to stop this devastating epidemic. For more information or to make a donation, visit the Breast Cancer Fund, www.breastcancerfund.org. 
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