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LUNAFEST

Soroptimists host LUNAFEST to highlight women filmmakers

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LUNAFEST, the fundraising film festival dedicated to championing women filmmakers and bringing women together in their communities, will be hosted virtually by Soroptimist International of Las Cruces (SILC) beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, SILC said in a news release.

Ticket holders can join the event at that time or watch at their convenience during an extended 48-hour period.  Tickets are $35.

This year’s program includes seven short documentaries featuring strong women, powerful images and impactful language.  The subjects range from art to sports to exploration, and “include courageous stories of women who persist in their efforts to break through gender barriers and cultural boundaries,” SILC said.

For the first time, three of this year’s films were co-produced by LUNAFEST with their partner, Chicken & Egg Pictures, a nonprofit that supports women filmmakers whose storytelling “catalyzes social change.”

Research conducted by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative think tank shows that 10.6 percent of the directors of 2019’s top movies were women, the highest percentage in more than a decade, the news release said. “Yet women are still painfully underrepresented in the medium where the overall percentage of female directors from the past 13 years remains at 4.8 percent. LUNAFEST’s goal is to change those numbers by highlighting the work of women directors, provide opportunities for them by supporting Chicken & Egg Productions and to support community nonprofits like Soroptimist International.”

All proceeds from LUNAFEST ticket sales will benefit SILC Dream Programs, the news release said. SILC Live Your Dream Awards provide financial assistance that helps women complete post-secondary education. Most awardees have faced and overcome obstacles such as domestic violence, teen pregnancy and homelessness. All awardees are their families’ primary wage earners.  SILC’s Dream It, Be It program empowers high-school girls through workshops on defining goals, overcoming obstacles to success, managing money and professional etiquette.

 For tickets and more information, visit www.silcnm.org and www.lunafest.org/screenings/virtual-screening-soroptimist-of-las-cruces-092521.

LUNAFEST, Soroptimist International of Las Cruces

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