Lunafest, an annual international film festival, will make its way to the Vic Theatre on Saturday, March 9 in honour of International Women’s Day.
“It’s a series of short films about women made by women for women,” said Anita Mathur, spokesperson for the Zonta Club of Victoria.
Lunafest began in 2000 as a way to showcase the power of women in the film industry. The travelling film festival aims to “amplify the voices of strong women everywhere,” states the Lunafest website.
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“It was a good fit here,” said Mathur. “They’re boosting women producers plus whatever stories they’re telling and we’re about promoting and improving women’s lives.”
The Zonta Club of Victoria is one chapter of a global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through services and advocacy. This is the first time the club has hosted Lunafest.
According to Mathur, the club’s interest in holding the event as part of the International Women’s Day celebration came from the lack of events in Victoria promoting the day.
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“We thought it was important to have a couple more features out there,” she said. “I think anything you can do on International Women’s Day and the success they’re having is a good promotion to show that we’ve come a long way over time.”
Currently, $4.7 million has been raised by Lunafest, featuring 154 filmmakers at 1,826 screenings hosted, with 100 per cent of the proceeds donated to charity.
The 2019 Lunafest season includes films such as Flip the Record, a coming-of-age story set to pulsing hip-hop music, or My Immigrant Story, inspired by the current political landscape, the director reflects on her own path to American citizenship.
Tickets for the film festival are $18 and are available online or at the door before the screening.
For more information on the Zonta Club visit zontavictoria.org or to purchase tickets visit eventbrite.com/e/lunafest-victoria-bc-tickets-55729285794.