Lewis County AAUW members at the 2018 Lunafest.
Jeanne Nygaard, Sharon Lyons and Jan Leth at Lunafest in 2018.
Catharine Webber, left, and Jan Snyder at the 2018 Lunafest.
Raffle baskets at the 2018 Lunafest.
'War Paint' is one of the films on the 2019 Luna Fest lineup.
The Final Show is one of the films on the 2019 Luna Fest lineup.
The Lewis County branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is eagerly preparing to expose residents, especially women, to messages in the LUNAFEST films made by, for and about women. This marks the third year the AAUW has brought LUNA Bar’s indie film festival, LUNAFEST, to the Centralia and Chehalis area.
Three years ago, AAUW members Jan Leth and Sharon Lyons came together and began planning a LUNAFEST event in Lewis County because they wanted to empower women, support women-owned businesses and bring new members to their AAUW branch. They not only wanted to bring a fun event to the area, but they believed the LUNAFEST message worked well with the AAUW mission in that they both work to encourage women, Leth said.
The lineup for this year’s festival includes eight short films directed by women from all over the world. Starting in 2000, LUNA created the first all-women traveling film festival to showcase female artists and provide representation in film for women’s stories. LUNA donates proceeds from LUNAFEST to Chicken & Egg Pictures, an organization that supports nonfiction films made by women.
“We’re not doing LUNAFEST to make money, but to serve the community,” said Cathy Cavness, AAUW membership vice president and Centralia LUNAFEST co-chair.
Another AAUW membership vice president and Centralia LUNAFEST co-chair Kathy Halsan describes the films as thoughtful, humorous and provocative. LUNAFEST is thought-provoking because it’s a peek into women’s lives around the world, Cavness said. Leth added that the films are also poignant.
“It’s a fun, unique opportunity for women to come together and enjoy a fun afternoon,” Leth said.
This year’s festival will be held at the Centralia College in Washington Hall and Corbet Theatre. AAUW members said they are excited for the bigger, ADA accessible venue, noting the large turnout at last year’s LUNAFEST. Lewis County’s LUNAFEST stands out among the rest because of the efforts of AAUW, Cavness said.
At the festival, there will be free hors d’oeuvres donated by local restaurants and a wine bar organized by the Fox Theatre. Each attendee will also get a gift bag filled with treats like Luna Bars and an extra surprise that has been added for this year’s festival.
During the social hour before the start of the films, people can get refreshments and buy tickets for the raffle baskets. Some of this year’s raffle basket themes include chocolate, Canada and Harry Potter.
Proceeds for this year’s LUNAFEST will go to the Human Response Network and AAUW scholarships. The Human Response Network provides resources for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault including emergency shelters for women and children, medical advocacy and support groups. A representative from the Human Response Network will also be at Centralia’s LUNAFEST.
“(The Human Response Network) helps women and, in turn, helps the community,” Leth said.
Planning for LUNAFEST includes a lot of moving parts, which allows AAUW members to use their individual talents and strengths, Cavness said. AAUW is always looking for new members, and it is never too late to donate to the festival, Halsan said.
Cavness also noted that there are other events for women happening the same weekend as LUNAFEST, including the Country Chicks’ spring market and the downtown Centralia girl’s night out, making April 26 and 27 dedicated to women.
Though anyone is invited to attend LUNAFEST, and the films are not rated, it is recommended that those who attend be 13 years or older based on the film lineup. Tickets for LUNAFEST can be bought at the door of the event, but they also available at Shakespeare & Company, Boccata, Book n’ Brush, Santa Lucia and online at lunafest.org. To read about this year’s film lineup, visit the LUNAFEST website.
LUNAFEST 2019
Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m.
Corbet Theatre, Washington Hall at Centralia College
Hosted by AAUW of Lewis County
Tickets $20
LUNAFEST:
https://www.lunafest.org/screenings/centralia-wa-042719
Lewis County AAUW:
https://www.facebook.com/American-Association-of-University-Women-Lewis-County-1594584720774399/
Human Response Network:
http://thehumanresponse
network.org/
