LUNAFEST Returns To Oswego With Lineup Of 7 Films

OSWEGO, IL — Celebrating women in the arts, the 20th annual LUNAFEST is returning to Oswego Village Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8. The fundraising film festival will present seven short films made by women who have earned Emmy nominations, Peabody awards and other prestigious recognition.

The festival, taking place at 100 Parkers Mill Place and presented by the Oswego Cultural Arts Commission, intends to highlight women filmmakers, promote awareness surrounding women's issues and engage communities through art, according to Oswego's website.

Net proceeds from the festival will go toward Mutual Ground, a domestic violence shelter whose mission is to "eliminate domestic and sexual violence and the harms of substance use through education, awareness, and life-changing services." Part of the proceeds will also go toward Chicken & Egg Pictures, a national nonprofit organization supporting women nonfiction filmmakers whose storytelling aims to inspire social change.

Expanding the event alongside the films screened, local artists will showcase their work and provide interactive demonstrations. A light brunch and coffee or juice, as well as a chocolate dessert at intermission, are included with each ticket.

Films this year are recommended for viewers ages 16 and older. This year's films include:

• Overexposed: Filming an Arctic Odyssey (2021). Dir. Holly Morris. A high-stakes behind-the-scenes look at the film team that captured the daring story of the Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition.
• Knocking Down the Fences (2019). Dir. Meg Shutzer. AJ Andrews, the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, struggles to make it as one of the best professional softball players in the world. A selection at Indy Shorts International Film Festival.
• A Line Birds Cannot See (2019). Dir. Amy Bench. Separated from her mother at the border, a 12-year-old sets out on a harrowing journey to the United States to find her. Winner of Special Jury Recognition at SXSW.
• The Scientists Versus Dartmouth (2021). Dir. Sharon Shattuck. A young neuroscientist and her colleagues make a life-changing decision to speak up for women in science everywhere.
• Until She is Free (2021). Dir. Maria Finitzo. Mixed-media artist Sophia Wallace imagines a culturally literate world, where all people are equal and able to live with rich possibility and purpose.
• Connection (2020). Dir. Tracy Nguyen-Chung and Ciara Lacy. A lifelong angler, Autumn Harry never fished beyond the waters of her reservation – until she picked up a fly rod.
• Betye Saar: Taking Care of Business (2020). Dir. Christine Turner. There’s no stopping this legendary artist, even at age 93.

Tickets for the festival cost $23 if purchased in advance or $30 at the door.