Want to support a cause and have a great time, too? Then watch for the Lunafest coming soon to a city near you.
Thursday night, the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco hosted hundreds of strong women (and some men too) for an evening of film and festivities at the Lunafest film festival premiere. The festival features films made for, by, and about women, and drew scores of guests, including four of the filmmakers themselves. A packed VIP reception kicked off the night with music, mingling, and plenty of great munchies and wines.
Dramatic spot lighting broke through the center of the darkened room to illuminate a celebrity auction for the evenings primary beneficiary, the Breast Cancer Fund. Attendees gathered around the goods including books signed by Christy Turlington and Isabel Allende and a lilac Monique Lhuillier clutch autographed by America Ferrera.
Following the reception, guests filed into the amphitheater, filling every one of its plush rust-red seats. The ten films ranged from a touching story of a transgender female to a study of womens wrestling in schools to a laugh-out-loud inducing animated short from the U.K.
Moderating the festivities was Sara Snow, host of Living Fresh and Get Fresh with Sara Snow on the Discovery Network. After the screening, she conducted a Q&A with directors Lisa Blackstone, Jennifer Halley, Harriet Storm, and Jessica Sison.
LUNA Fests have already brought in more than $150,000 for the Breast Cancer Fund alone.
And with 100 percent of its proceeds going to charity, theres no telling how great its impact will be on the many non-profits it benefits. But like Breast Cancer Fund President Jeanne Rizzo notes, its not as much about the dollar as it is about spreading the word about prevention.
Businesses and non-profits can work together in true strategic partnership to further health, Rizzo says. This collective is what will ultimately prevent breast cancer.
Rizzo also stresses the impact of certain chemicals in our daily routines. Pureprevention.org is a good resource for learning more about the plastics, cosmetics, cleaners, and other everyday items to be wary of.
We cant shop our way out of this but we can shop our way into the change, says Rizzo.
Clif Bar & Company co-owner, Kit Crawford, says Lunafest was initially created to encourage brand awareness but soon evolved into something far more significant.
Lunafest started as this little teeny idea, Crawford says. But she sensed its greater potential and the fests were soon being held across North Americanot only informing and empowering women and offering a venue for their creativity, but benefiting causes crucial to them.
Its an opportunity to educate people in unique ways, says Crawford. To be able to spread that message across the country is amazing.
Lunafest continues throughout the U.S. and Canada through 2009 with a variety of events benefiting various organizations like Family Of Women and Women Against Abuse.
A full list of events with details can be found at lunafest.org/calendar. And if youre not content with merely attending one of these events, you can host one check out lunafest.org/host-a-lunafest for how to make a difference. — Kim Lapham, contributing writer.
Technorati Tags: Lunafest, Luna Bar, women’s health, Clif Bar, health, charity, non-profit, films, short films, Glam Media, female filmmakers, women’s empowerment
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