From video games to violence, youth boxing to overcoming depression, LUNAFEST’s 2018 short film lineup showcased a diverse range of topics “for, by, about women.” The national film festival came to the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre March 6, and was presented by the University of Idaho Women’s Center.
“LUNAFEST is the only nationally touring film festival that comes to Moscow,” said UI Office on Violence Against Women Program Director Bekah MillerMacPhee. She said that LUNAFEST has come to be “a Moscow staple event.”
For MillerMacPhee, the film festival is a chance to “come together and celebrate women in film, and watch some really great movies.” The festival is one of the first events hosted by the UI Women’s Center to celebrate Women’s History Month this March.
The 2018 festival line-up included nine diverse films ranging from two to nineteen minutes in length. Some films were animated, while others were filmed in documentary or narrative styles. Their settings ranged from Hollywood in 1916 to present-day Nigeria. No two were alike, representing the vast range of stories female filmmakers can bring to the table.
“Everyone’s got a story to tell,” MillerMacPhee said. “I hope people leave with a sense of community and some inspiration.”
Inspiring women to speak out and tell their stories is a central goal of LUNAFEST, and one that UI senior Jackie Sedano said she values. Sedano is currently working full time as the programming assistant for the UI Women’s Center, in addition to completing her studies.
“This is my personal favorite program that we (the UI Women’s Center) have,” Sedano said. “There’s just so many different stories to tell.”
As the programming assistant, Sedano was responsible for coordinating LUNAFEST, from outreach endeavors to logistical considerations.
Sedano said her work included arranging the pre-festival reception hors d’oeuvres and soliciting raffle items from local businesses for baskets with themes such as the “Palouse Adventures” and the “Feminist Toolkit.”
“There is so much that goes with it,” Sedano said. “It has been a challenge balancing school and this job… (but) a challenge that has really enriched my experience here.”
Sedano said she hoped the event would be able to open people’s eyes and bring cultural appreciation to the roles played by women of color and the international and queer communities in film.
“That’s why I immerse myself in this work — I’m really passionate about it,” Sedano said.
For UI sophomore and Women’s Center staff member Madeleine Clow, the event was an opportunity to become more aware of the roles women play in the media. As part of her student-led program at the Women’s Center, Clow created a pamphlet with statistics about women in journalistic and film fields which was included in the program for LUNAFEST.
“It was honestly appalling,” Clow said. “In 2017, women are represented in the media 38% of the time and men are represented 62% of the time.”
While LUNAFEST features a lineup of films directed exclusively by women, Clow’s pamphlet illustrated the still-present gaps in media representation along gender lines. According to Clow’s research, 83% of Hollywood’s senior studio management and executive positions are held by men.
“I hope it makes people think twice when they look at the news and the newspapers,” Clow said of her pamphlet. “Having majority male (representation) gives a bias in the media that you need to take into consideration.”
On a national and local level, proceeds from LUNAFEST showings go toward correcting that bias. Each event raises money for Chicken and Egg Pictures, an organization that supports female “storytellers” in creating nonfiction films. The Moscow film festival was also a fundraiser for the UI Women’s Center.
Beth Hoots can be reached at [email protected]