Forest Hills Yoga Studio Hosts LUNAFEST

 Studio is hosting LUNAFEST, a weekend-long film festival made by women and for women, in an effort to create community while supporting a good cause.

After researching online to find projects that could benefit women, co-owners Patricia Brown and Maureen McMahon decided to partner with Luna, a company known for its energy bars.

“We want to gather people who are interested in women’s well being, especially in the Forest Hills community and in Pittsburgh, along with bringing attention to women in the arts and support them,” Brown said. “We are building a community and we thought it would attract individuals like ourselves who are interested in those things and reaching out to support women in many different ways – and a few good men.”

The festival includes 10 short films made by women across the nation. The films will be screened at Spiritworks on Yost Boulevard near Rite Aid beginning at 8 p.m. March 26. The films also will run again the next day at 1 p.m.

All of the net proceeds from the film festival will go to the Breast Cancer Fund and Brown’s mother, Arlene Brown, known as “Mama Arlene,” who currently lives in Rwanda and supports 50 children in a village there. Tickets for the event are a $20 donation. 

Brown said she is happy to promote community in her own neighborhood, while at the same time, lending support to her mother, who is helping children halfway around the world.

“I think it shows the connection between women and that we all have the same hopes and dreams for our children,” Brown said. “And we do want to make it a better world and a good life for everybody.”

Some of the films to be shown include “Getting a Grip,” about the first woman cable car operator, “Touch,” about two women who make an unusual connection while waiting for a train, and “Top Spin,” a film about a young woman whose hard work and family sacrifice paves the way for her to become one of the top table tennis players in the world.

Other film themes include a diary by a woman living with AIDS, the story of a midwife, and a 92-year old woman working to keep her independence with Alzheimer’s Disease.

A silent auction also will be held to benefit the charities. Volunteers and area businesses have contributed items, including Big Burrito donations, a private yoga class, a cocktail piano hour by a local musician and a massage.

“We want to inspire women to be their very best and we feel the films will do that,” Brown said.

Spiritworks offers several different yoga classes throughout the week. Teachers are volunteer facilitators while proceeds from the practices also are sent to Rwanda and Mama Arlene. As the business opened last summer, McMahon said she is excited to bring more people into the space with LUNAFEST.

“I am looking forward to seeing the people who are a part of our community and introducing them to the films, Luna and the Spiritworks studio – who we are and what we are about,” she said.

To buy tickets, visit www.spiritworks.org or call 412-475-YOGA.