This Thursday, the Varsity Theatre on Franklin St. will transform from a traditional movie theater into a place celebrating the talents and stories of women.
LUNAFEST, a national traveling film festival, will set up shop on Franklin St. to show ten short films by, for and about women.
Established in 2000 by LUNA — makers of the whole nutrition bar for women — the film festival has grown from an annual event into a rotating festival that includes more than 150 events each season.
This is LUNAFEST’s debut in Chapel Hill. LUNA is collaborating with the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County to bring the festival to Franklin St.
Festival Coordinator and Family Violence Prevention Center Community Education volunteer Tina Craven had the idea to bring the festival after seeing information about it on the back of a LUNA bar wrapper.
“I actually eat a ton of LUNA bars,” Craven said. “I saw the advertisement about a film festival by, for and about women that assisted non-profit organizations, and thought it would be perfect for Chapel Hill.”
LUNAFEST was created to simultaneously promote women filmmakers, raise awareness for women’s issues, and support non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“This LUNAFEST will help raise awareness for the Family Violence Prevention Center, as well as celebrate women and their creativity,” Craven said.
Craven said she and Family Violence Prevention Center are really excited about the festival, and are expecting a good turnout.
“There are 138 seats in the theatre, and we expect to fill them all,” she said.
The films at this year’s LUNAFEST — which have won industry awards — are filled with stories of reflection, hope, grace, humor and perseverance, Craven said. They range from quirky animation to touching documentaries.
LUNAFEST is completely funded by LUNA, and run by a small, dedicated group of LUNA employees. Profits will go to the Family Violence Prevention Center, with a portion going to the Breast Cancer Fund.
There are still a few tickets available for purchase. Tickets are $5 for students, and $10 for general public, available by cash or check only.
Doors open with a small reception at 6:30 p.m., and films begin at 7 p.m. The event is expected to last about two hours.
The festival is also scheduled to come back to the Varsity on Nov. 11 with a different organization.
And while the LUNAFEST is not exactly the normal Varsity Theatre fare, it promises to bring a diverse range of voices to the historic theater.
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