LUNAFEST Event Archive

LUNAFEST Reviews:

CITYBEAT recommends LUNAFEST Film Festival as the "Main Event" in Cincinnati for the week spanning May 3-9. Page 29 print edition, or  click here to read online...

Cincinnati Enquirer WEEKEND picks LUNAFEST as a "Best Thing to Do," in Friday's WEEKEND Section, pg 5, print edition.

On WVXU's Cincinnati Edition: Larry Thomas previews the upcoming Lunafest Film Festival: "Spending a couple of hours with a collection of so-far unknown filmmakers can be much more rewarding than a trip to your nearby cineplex and Lunafest is no exception." click here to listen online...


LUNAFEST BY THE NUMBERS:

68% of the LUNAFEST audience completed the Audience Opinion Survey, producing the results which follow.

95% rated the films overall as Very Good - Excellent.

76% rated the post-film discussions as Very Good - Excellent.

66% rated the venue as Very Good - Excellent.

93% want to know about upcoming CWC film events.

77% visited the Freedom Center for the first time.

51% of the audience stayed for the post-film discussions.

78% of audience members were women.

83% were from Ohio, 12% from Kentucky, with 5% unknown.

AUDIENCE FILM SCORES:

Respondents rated 6 of the 8 films shown between Very Good and Excellent; the 2 remaining films were rated between Good and Very Good. The audience ranked the films as follows:

1   4.37    Laying Down Arms
2   4.25    Tahara
3   4.24    Mabel's Saga

4   4.16    Twilight
5   4.10    Perfection
6   4.08    Blessing

7   3.77    Backseat Bingo
8   3.61    One Weekend a Month

Rating Scale:
  • Excellent = 5.0   
  • Very Good = 4.0   
  • Good = 3.0   
  • Fair = 2.0   
  • Poor = 1.0

    Read the entire survey, in .pdf format: Click here...


    • LUNAFEST FILMMAKERS


    Director Liz Blazer,
    "Backseat Bingo"


    Director Sara Rashad,
    "Tahara"


    Director Suju Vijayan,
    "Blessing"


    Director Karen Lin
    and film crew member,
    "Perfection"


    Director Victoria Gamburg,
    "Twilight"


    Director Eric Escobar
    and actress Renee O'Connor,
    "One Weekend A Month"



    LUNAFEST Film Festival

    May 6  &  7, 2006


    "Inspiring!"  "Evocative"   "Moving, heart-felt storytelling"

    8 unique short films, made by seven women and one man, about women, for women ... and for men who care about women.

    These powerful films are about relationships, and about making difficult decisions in the face of change and adversity - themes that transcend cultural, ethnic and national boundaries.

    How does a single mother with two young children and no safety net handle a sudden National Guard call up for duty in Iraq?

    How does a young Asian woman cope with family pressure for perfection?

    What does an elderly Holocaust survivor have in common with a total stranger - a young woman on the verge of suicide?

    How does a Russian mother deal with the fruitless search for her missing child?

    How does a California family from India handle mother-daughter role-reversal?

    How do seniors really feel about sex and romance in their golden years?

    How does an Egyptian-born mother living in Los Angeles overcome cultural tradition to protect the health and dignity of her daughter?

    General Info   
    Cincinnati World Cinema presents the LUNAFEST™ Film Festival, an event that will raise money for the Breast Cancer Fund and the Breast Cancer Alliance of Greater Cincinnati.

  • The program, featuring 8 award-winning short films by emerging filmmakers, will screen for two nights only beginning Saturday, May 6, repeating Sunday, May 7.
  • At the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, on the River Front in Cincinnati.
  • Doors open at 7:00 PM, films start at 7:30 PM, followed by a post film discussion each night.
  • Tickets are $8.00 in advance on-line, $10.00 at the door (general public) & $8.00 at the door (students w/ valid ID).
  • Order tickets by phone at 1-877-548-3237 (tollfree), or...   
  • Order tickets online now...


    • Directions, Maps & Parking   
    The painless way to find and park at the Freedom Center!    
  • Quick & Easy Directions, Map ...


    • About the Films   
    The creation of high-quality short film is perhaps the most demanding of all cinematic pursuits. Whereas feature films have 90-120 minutes to overcome bad writing, bad directing and bad acting, short films have no such luxury. A good short film must immediately grab and hold your attention, pulling you into a concise and well-told story.

    This year's LUNAFEST™ film festival raises the bar even higher:  these are the 8 winners, selected from over 200 submissions. Collectively, the films examine the fabric of contemporary American life, telling the stories of every-day heroes, who happen to be women. The protagonists in this internationally flavored mix reflect people we've met, people we know, and even ourselves.

    Simply put, LUNAFEST™ is a collection of unique films, made by seven women and one man, about women, for women ... and for men who care about women. They appeal to the interests, sensibilities and emotions of thinking individuals of all ages, mindsets, lifestyles, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. If you haven't experienced the magic of short film, or, if you know and appreciate the genre, LUNAFEST™ is not to be missed!
  • Read more about the films and our post-film discussion leaders...


    • About Luna, LUNAFEST™ and Breast Cancer   
    LUNAFEST™ screenings are special evenings where women (and their friends, families, partners, husbands and boyfriends) can gather to view a selection of diverse films that embody a wide range of topics. A portion of the proceeds will go to local and national breast cancer awareness organizations.
  • Read more about LUNAFEST™ and breast cancer awareness...


    • Thanks, everyone...

    Our sincere thanks go out to the organizations and individuals who have made LUNAFEST™ in Cincinnati possible:

    Thanks foremost to the good people at Luna/Clifbar for sponsoring, and the Lunafest Selection Team for compiling, the film selections that comprise this year's LUNAFEST short film festival. Evaluating over two hundred submissions to select 8 winning films is an immense amount of work. So is the packaging and distribution of a nationally touring festival. The Luna organization puts its heart, time and money behind philanthropic causes they believe in. Please visit their website for more information:   www.lunabar.com

    Click here for WVXU          Click here for the Breast Cancer Alliance of Greater Cincinnati

    Thanks to the many organizations that have helped in spreading the word: WVXU-FM 91.7, The Breast Cancer Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, The Pink Ribbon Girls, The Breast Cancer Registry of Greater Cincinnati and the Department of Women's Studies at UC.

    A big thank-you goes out our post-film discussion leaders Sr. Alice Gerdeman, Sara Mahle and Anne Runyan; to CWC patron Yelena Wetherill for bird-dogging the Lunafest opportunity; to the Events staff at the Freedom Center; and a special thanks to the CWC film family and volunteers, for supporting independent cinema, spreading the word and working the events.