Boardman’s Art Theater to host women’s Lunafest film festival

By Erin Lindsay

The National Lunafest Women’s Film Festival will take place at Boardman’s Art Theatre, 126 W. Church St., on Saturday, April 15.

Currently in its fifth year, the festival will showcase eight short films by, for and about women.

Colleen Cook, co-organizer and University graduate student, said she could not think of a better venue than the art theater to spread knowledge about women’s issues.

“Mainstream films today rarely have women in the leading role, and if they are, the film is disregarded as a chick flick,” Cook said. “Women play leading roles in everyday life and need to be portrayed that way.”

The festival is sponsored by Cliff Bar Inc., makers of the Luna bar, which is catered towards women’s nutritional needs, as well as the Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois. All proceeds benefit both Planned Parenthood and the Breast Cancer Fund.

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Kathie Spegal, community affairs director for Planned Parenthood, said she saw Lunafest as a perfect representation of their message.

“You can spend an afternoon enjoying film and benefiting the greatest causes,” Cook said. “It’s a kind of diversity you don’t see elsewhere.”

A wide range of women’s issues will be discussed at the festival ranging from single motherhood to female circumcision.

“There is a crisis in representation,” said Laura Bynum, local writer and filmmaker. “Men don’t make films from a woman’s perspective. We all suffer silently on various issues. You may not be aware of what happens to women across the world.”

The international Lunafest will begin at 2 p.m. From documentaries to animated films, the fifth annual Lunafest will showcase the female identity in the 21st century.

“This is a way for college women to see the community and get a leg up for what these issues might mean,” Bynum said.