It's a Wrap at Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley's 2022 Lunafest

On 6 October, the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley, USA, held its 11th annual Lunafest to showcase women in the film industry at the Canyon Theatre Guild.

Lunafest is a collaborative effort between Zonta, Luna and Chicken & Egg Pictures to celebrate women in film. Each film shown was produced by women, covering women's issues. Since its founding in 2001 as the world's first all-women traveling film festival, Lunafest has celebrated the work of more than 170 women filmmakers and raised more than US$6.5 million for women's causes.

Each artist beautifully depicts important aspects of modern life at a time when we are all a little fragile but eager to treat ourselves to the healing power of art. The goal is to provide a snapshot of life in the 2020s - to make audiences laugh, think, or both. It is time we will someday look back on as transformative.

The eight short films were shown at the film festival:

How to Be at Home is an animated poem about coping with isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Close Ties to Home Country introduces the audience to an immigrant dog walker who finds a connection in the heart of the wealthy pets she cares for.
Generation Impact: The Coder is about a 13-year-old girl who designs and builds a mobile app to help kids stay connected to their incarcerated parents by sending photos and letters.
Proof of Loss tells the story of a father and daughter finding a way to salvage what remains of their home after a fire.
When You Clean a Stranger's Home gives a voice to a first-generation high school student who describes what she and her mom learns about people from cleaning their homes.
Between the Lines: Liz at Large illustrates an artist who is frustrated with the lack of character diversity in The New Yorker's cartoons. After submitting her illustrations to the magazine, she became the first Black woman cartoonist in their near-century run.
Wearable Tracy talks about a Bronx woman's accidental social experience that connects her with fellow New Yorkers who might otherwise forever remain strangers.
To The Future, With Love is an animated self-portrait of a nonbinary trans teen caught between the expectations of his Guatemalan immigrant family and his dreams of living happily ever after with his long-distance boyfriend.

More than 120 enthusiasts enjoyed a beautiful evening as they sat outside on the patio and came together to share wine, enjoy great hors d'oeuvres donated by Distinctive Catering and meet friends. The reception was on the patio before the showing of eight short films made by women about women. During intermission, the guests enjoyed wonderful cupcakes donated by Martha Aguilera from Home Girl Cali Associates and wine while discussing the films just seen.

Lunafest connects women, their stories and causes every year through film. A portion of the proceeds from these films helps support Chicken & Egg Pictures, a nonprofit organization that supports women, non-fiction filmmakers whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyzes social change. The remaining proceeds support the club's community services programs and projects.

The club would like to extend its gratitude to all volunteers and event sponsors who helped make the evening special.