LUNAFEST returns to Marion Knott Studios, featuring films made by women, for women

On April 1, LUNAFEST will feature seven short films with all proceeds going towards Dodge College of Film and Media Arts scholarships and the non-profit WISEPlace. Photo collage by ANGELINA HICKS, editor-in-chief

Bonny Schumacher loves film. She enjoys going to the movie theater and for many years has attended Chapman University’s Women in Focus panels, where she met many women working in the film industry. She still remembers many of the diverse stories she heard at these panels from both the speakers and the women she sat next to. 

As the current president of the Zonta Club of Newport Harbor, Schumacher has taken it upon herself to give back to the women in film she admires. 

“I was enthralled,” Schumacher said. “I wanted to hear the stories of how (these women) got where they are.”

On April 1 at 1 p.m., LUNAFEST will return to Chapman’s Marion Knott Studios after being held virtually for the past three years. The festival was originally created by the Clif Bar & Company in 2001, in association with their LUNA bar, the first nutritional bar made for women. 

Various clubs and organizations across the country hold LUNAFEST events to raise money for local non-profit organizations. The Zonta Club of Newport Harbor is an international club that seeks to empower women and has hosted LUNAFEST at Chapman for 13 years. This year, their proceeds will go toward scholarships for female Dodge students working on their thesis projects and to WISEPlace, a non-profit organization that seeks to end homelessness for unaccompanied women who do not have the support of a significant other or children. 

“We’re not only helping women internationally, we also help women at Chapman,” Schumacher told The Panther. 

All films screened at LUNAFEST are made by women, for women. This year, the seven films screened will tap into various storytelling genres, ultimately surmounting to 90 minutes of screentime. Some of the films are serious, some are comedic. Some are animated, some are non-fiction. Despite the varying genres, the one thing they all have in common is that these films promote the work of female filmmakers.

“It’s a male-dominated business,” Schumacher said. “So it’s important to raise awareness of how important it is for young women to be supported, especially in (the entertainment) field.”

Schumacher is not the only member of the Zonta Club that feels passionate about supporting women in film. Such a sentiment is also shared by club member Hilary Kaye, who served as chair of the festival for three years. 
“(The event) has a lot of people who support women’s perspective in film,” Kaye said. “Expect a group of films that push the edge of emotions.” 

During the event, a silent auction will be held, with items such as an iPad, various gift cards and donated prom dresses. There will also be a wine pull with bottles donated by members of the Zonta club. Tickets will be sold for $55, while tickets for Chapman students will be discounted to $20. 

CEO of WISEPlace Barteil Aghasi told The Panther she was grateful that her organization had been chosen. WISEPlace provides clinical counseling, case management, employment support and more to unaccompanied homeless women, with the goal to make this care only temporary. This coming April, they will break ground on the expansion of their Santa Ana building, which was originally built in 1950, with the hopes of housing 47 residents. 

“(We offer) anything a woman needs to rebuild her life,” Aghasi said. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to be at Chapman University surrounded by moviegoers who are interested in ending homelessness.” 

There is a certain excitement that seeps into Schumacher’s voice when she speaks about Zonta’s work, especially LUNAFEST and anything she can do to support women in film. She told The Panther that after witnessing another Zonta club hold a LUNAFEST and seeing how easily it could be put together, she knew it was something her club needed to do. 

“I’m in (this) for the long haul,” Schumacher said. “I hope we do this forever and continue to grow.” 

There are lots of different ways to spend a Saturday. You can sleep the day away, languish over homework, stare mindlessly at Netflix — or for 90 minutes you can watch the work of devoted female filmmakers in a theater filled with people devoted to bettering the rights of women in every aspect of life. 

And if you happen to stop by the bar set up in the Marion Knott lobby, you will likely bump into Schumacher. Ask her about her love of film, and watch the light dance in her eyes.