Marshall University's Women's Center will be hosting its first Lunafest, a women's film festival that benefits the Breast Cancer fund and the CONTACT Rape Crisis Center.
The film festival will be Wednesday in the lower level of the Memorial Student Center. A reception will begin at 7 p.m. and the films will start at 8 p.m.
The film festival will feature keynote speaker Sharon Pressman, executive director of the CONTACT Rape Crisis Center in Huntington.
"I will be speaking on different types of sexual violence and specific victim's stories and how they have been sexually assaulted and how we've been able to assist them in their recovery," Pressman said. "We will be using funds to provide advocacy services to victims. This will maintain the hotline and provide crisis intervention services and follow up services."
CONTACT provides confidential and anonymous counseling services for victims of sexual assault, their friends and families. CONTACT provides advocacy, crisis intervention and support during medical exams, police questioning and court appearances, according to the agency's profile on the Cabell County Library's Web site.
The film festival will highlight women as leaders in society illustrated through nine films by women filmmakers. These films will cover topics such as women's health, motherhood, body image, sexuality, cultural diversity and breaking barriers, according to a news release.
"All the films are by, for and about women," said Claire Snyder, graduate assistant in the Marshall's Women's Center. "The festival will showcase women and the arts and their creativity."
Ten films will run consecutively for an hour and 20 minutes, Snyder said. Each film is less than 20 minutes.
"We really want to raise awareness and funds for the cause," said Camilla Overup, graduate assistant in the Marshall's Women's Center.
Lunafest is sponsored by Clif Bar & Company. The company produces Luna bars, nutritional bars for women. The company helps raise funds for the Breast Cancer Fund and women's nonprofit organizations, according to the Luna Bar Web site.
Tickets can be purchased for $8 for students and $12 for the general public at the Marshall's Women's Center, located in Prichard Hall Room 143, and the lobby of the Memorial Student Center or at the door of the event.
Funds will benefit the Breast Cancer fund and the CONTACT Rape Crisis Center.
Kimberly Bradley can be contacted at bradley82@marshall.edu.
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