LUNAFEST, a signature event of NCTV 18 will be held on May 27, 2023 at the Siasconset Casino.
ABOUT LUNA BAR & LUNAFEST
In 2001, LUNA® Bar launched LUNAFEST® as the very first traveling film festival featuring films by and about women. For over 20 years, LUNA has utilized the power of film and fundraising to shine a spotlight on stories that dare to break through societal constructs while providing a platform for filmmakers who are determined to elevate the voices of under-represented and marginalized communities and causes. To date, LUNAFEST has celebrated the work of over 175 women and gender nonconforming filmmakers and raised more than $7 million for women’s causes.
LUNAFEST is designed so that one person can easily make a significant difference in the lives of women. Whether that person is a filmmaker who tells an untold story, a host who raises funds and awareness for a cause, or an attendee who leaves with a new perspective-each is a catalyst for change.
ABOUT NCTV18
NCTV18 engages Nantucket by connecting stories to audiences, government to citizens, and students to hands-on learning.As the island’s Media Arts Center, Nantucket Community Television provides critical production support to local nonprofits, businesses, and the Town of Nantucket. Our original programs celebrate the unique people, art, history, and culture of the island. NCTV aims to inspire creativity and to give all Nantucketers a voice. NCTV’s local channel 18 is the principal television channel for the island of Nantucket. As a community public access station non- profit 501c(3), Nantucket Community Television focuses on public, educational, and government broadcasts with over 10,000 channel subscribers.
Seven featured filmmakers are from all walks of life and range from poets to conservationists and activists to educators. LUNAFEST believes that sharing diverse stories can spark conversation, connection, and change. In a span of 90 minutes, these films tackle universal themes of friendship, bravery, and community-while also breaking down barriers and celebrating the importance of finding joy.
RECLAIM YOUR WATER: NATASHA SMITH
BY FAITH E. BRIGGS
As a member of the Ebony Beach Club, Natasha Smith surfs, skates, and makes her own waves.
MISS CHELOVE: FROM JAVA TO THE STREETS OF D.C.
BY SARA T. GAMA
As she paints a mural, artist Cita Sadeli aka Miss Chelove opens up about her life, her cultural heritage, and how she fell in love with graffiti in the 1980s.
PETE
BY BRET PARKER & PETE BARMA
The true story of Pete Barma explores gender identity, Little League Baseball, the people who inspire change by being themselves, and the superheroes who champion that change.
THIS IS BETH
BY JEN RANDALL
As celebrated rock climber Beth Rodden grapples with her body image, she rediscovers the love of her sport…and herself.
MORE THAN I WANT TO REMEMBER
BY AMY BENCH
After her southeastern Congo village is bombed, 14-year-old Mugeni sets out on a remarkable solo journey across the globe, determined to reunite with her lost loved ones and lift up the Banyamulenge people.
SYED FAMILY XMAS EVE GAME NIGHT
BY FAWZIA MIRZA & KAUSAR MOHAMMED
All cards are on the table when Noor, a queer Pakistani Muslim woman, brings her Puerto Rican girlfriend, Luz, home for the first time on the family’s annual game night.
SWIMMING THROUGH
BY SAMANTHA SANDERS
Amid a brutal Chicago winter and the global pandemic, Deirdre, Helen, and Jennefer’s friendship grows as they commit to a daily sunrise plunge together in Lake Michigan.