LUNAFEST fundraiser on tap at Mat-Su College Friday

PALMER — For the second consecutive year, Mat-Su College and the Mat-Su National Organization for Women are teaming up to present LUNAFEST, a traveling film festival of award-winning short films by, for and about women.

Established in 2000 by the makers of LUNA Bar, LUNAFEST has grown from a single annual event to a coast-to-coast force with more than 150 North American screenings each season, according to the LUNAFEST website.

With films like “Granny’s Got Game,” a documentary about an award winning basketball team of women in their 70s; “Date with Fate,” which takes a comedic look at blind dating; and “Sidewalk,” an animated film about a woman learning to love herself while confronting her changing body, this year’s program should appeal to women of all ages, said Lisa Boyles, president of Mat-Su NOW and one of the event organizers.

“They’re short, so you’re not too invested. But they’re all thought-provoking,” Boyles said.

In addition to the nine films in the LUNAFEST lineup, the Mat-Su screening will also include “World School,” a documentary that chronicles the year-long global journey of Anchorage filmmaker Mary Katzke and her then fifth-grade son, Corin.

The film shows how traveling can be educational for people of all ages and a unique bonding experience for families. Katzke, who will introduce the films at this year’s LUNAFEST, says she hopes “World School” inspires other families to take the leap and go travel for a year.

“It’s not so much where you go, as long as you just cut free and go,” Katzke said.

LUNAFEST begins at 5:30 p.m., Friday at Mat-Su College with a silent auction. The film fest begins at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and are available online at matsu.alaska.edu. Proceeds will benefit MY House and Breast Cancer Fund.

For more information, contact 746-9317 or marketing@matsu.alaska.edu.