With the ninth annual Lunafest, a short-film festival by, for and about women, fast approaching, Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley, a nonprofit organization that strives to empower women locally and internationally through service and advocacy, has announced two film industry speakers.
Each year, Lunafest showcases a number of thought-provoking films to connect women, their stories and causes through film.
All eight of this year’s films were created by women filmmakers to illustrate issues being faced by women in today’s society, six of which originated in California, according to Phyllis Walker, Zonta public relations committee member.
Many of the filmmakers are well-known in the industry, some of whom are award-winning local and international talent, including guest speakers Stephanie Seldin Howard and Marguerite Happy.
Howard, executive producer, director, writer and Emmy Award recipient, is expected to discuss her film, “The Weight of Honor,” which chronicles the lives of caregivers and families of veterans who have been catastrophically wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars — the first of its kind.
Happy, a Newhall resident and stunt woman in films such as “Little House on the Prairie,” “Men in Black II” and “Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle,” is then expected to share her experiences in the film industry with stunt performance, as well as discussing how stunts become part of a film’s story.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will be given to Chicken & Egg Pictures, a nonprofit that supports women nonfiction filmmakers whose storytelling effects social change, and the remaining will be used to support Zonta Club’s scholarships, grants, programs and projects, according to Walker.
Tickets are $25 or $30 at the door, while VIP is $45 or $50 at the door. Doors are scheduled to open at 5:45 p.m. for VIP and 6:30 p.m. for general admission with the screenings beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, at the Canyon Theatre Guild, located at 24242 Main St. in Newhall.
For more information on the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley or Lunafest, visit scvzonta.org/lunafest or call 661-252-9351.
