Women's Film Festival LUNAFEST Coming To Plainfield Thursday

PLAINFIELD, IL — The women's film festival known as LUNAFEST is coming to Plainfield this Thursday, March 12, with proceeds going to domestic violence prevention, protection and aid group Guardian Angel Community Services. The event will be held at Warehouse:109, 14903 S. Center St., at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 per person and are now on sale online. Tickets will also be sold at the door on Thursday.

LUNAFEST is almost 20 years old, having been started in 2001 - in connection with the LUNA brand of energy snack -by Clif Bar & Company. The snack company works with film-making non-profit Chicken & Egg Pictures to produce the films for the festival, while different LUNAFEST events are organized all over the country by local volunteers. Plainfield organizer Susie Carlman - also the chef and owner of Fork in the Road Catering - said that is exactly what she and other Plainfield festival team members have been doing for three years.

"Each community organizes their own [event] but it's curated centrally by the people who make LUNA bars," Carlman said. "They work with Chicken & Egg Pictures... and put together a collection of usually six to eight films which are each maybe 10 to 15 minutes a piece."

All of the short films at the festival are produced and directed by women, center around themes and issues that affect women's lives, and feature women as leading protagonists. Carlman said this year, there would be a total of seven short films, collectively about 90 minutes' worth of cinema.

"Seven films comprise this year's LUNAFEST lineup," she said. "As usual, the subject matter runs the gamut, encompassing discrimination, relationships, gender issues, workplace dynamics and other relevant themes. Some are humorous, some are dead serious."

Carlman declined to comment on the specific titles of the films that will be shown Thursday, but said she hoped attendees would enjoy the surprise. She added that while the films being shown were not necessarily explicit, neither did they shy away from adult themes.

"It's not kid-unfriendly, but it's not really designed for kids," she said.

Besides the enjoying the films themselves, Carlman said the festival is a good chance for all attendees - especially women in the community - to socialize and connect.

"We get together, we eat, we have something to drink, and then we sit down and watch about 90 minutes worth of movies," she said.

While doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the festival, screening is not expected to start until about 7:15. Complimentary refreshments will be served for the viewing.

To learn more about LUNAFEST on a national level, please visit the festival website.