LUNAFEST is a traveling film festival of independent, short films for and about women and made by women. The films range from comedy to heart-wrenching trauma about serious topics—not for the faint-of-heart.

In addition to showcasing talented independent women filmmakers, LUNAFEST also organizes fundraisers for non-profit organizations with the hope of raising money and awareness for breast cancer research.

LUNAFEST tours coast-to-coast with more than 175 screenings each season featuring, more than 127 filmmakers, and raising nearly $2.1 million all while enjoying and connecting with one another under the silver screen.

On Tuesday, Feb. 9, Stetson University will host the sixth annual LUNAFEST Film Festival. It will be held in the Rinker Auditorium, room 108, inside the Lynn Business Center (LBC), from 6 to 8 p.m. The LBC is located at 345 N. Woodland Blvd., on the DeLand campus.

“At Stetson University, we are honored to be able to host such a significant event,” said Luis Paredes, Ph.D., director of Diversity & Inclusion, and head of Stetson’s Cross Cultural Center and Diversity Programs. “LUNAFEST is a collective effort that seeks to showcase short films of women in every extraordinary context, and deals with their struggles. Most importantly, the films show how they fight to overcome their challenges.

“These movies aren’t just about entertainment,” Paredes continued. “They serve as reflection pieces that will make us think and contest social norms and discourses. Offering these films and giving this opportunity for students to see them is phenomenal. It can’t get any better than that because it shows different perspectives.”

The LUNAFEST organization is dedicated to identifying and advocating for the elimination of environmental causes of breast cancer. LUNAFEST is designed so that one person can easily make a significant difference in the lives of women.

Here’s a sneak preview of some of the independent movie titles to be screened that evening:

• BALSA WOOD: A light-hearted slice of life about two mixed-race siblings visiting their extended Filipino family for lunch.
• BOXEADORA: Since Castro’s Revolution, Cuba has won more Olympic gold medals in boxing than any other country in the world. Cuba has over 19,000 male boxers, but no female fighters.
• FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS: A tired housewife loses her car in a shopping mall. Sometimes problems can open a door to a whole new world.
• BEACH FLAGS: A young Iranian lifeguard, determined to participate in an international competition in Australia, experiences an unexpected obstacle when a new team member arrives.
• FINDING JUNE: Inspired in part by the stories of some incredible deaf women in Missouri, this narrative short fiction film follows a young woman named June.
• RAISING RYLAND: An intimate look at parenting with no strings attached. The film is a unique journey inside the transgender experience as lived by a six year old boy and his two loving parents.

LUNAFEST at Stetson University is open to the public and the entire Stetson community, free of charge. Complimentary refreshments will be available for everyone who attends. It is also a cultural credit event for Stetson students.

For more information about LUNAFEST, visit lunafest.org, email [email protected] or call (386) 822-7401.

By Anna Chun