[October 08, 2015]

LUNAFEST® Kicks Off 15th Anniversary Season

LUNAFEST®, a national fundraising film festival that showcases short films by, for, and about women, celebrates its 15^th year today with the premiere of six unique films at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. LUNAFEST was created by LUNA®, the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women, 15 years ago to address gender disparity in filmmaking, and for the past 15 years LUNAFEST has supported female filmmakers and given these talented directors a platform to share their perspectives and stories. To date, LUNAFEST has received over 10,000 submissions, worked with over 100 female directors, and had female directed films viewed by more than 300,000 people across the United States.

Over the next year, LUNAFEST will travel to more than 175 cities nationwide from Santa Monica to New York City. Each LUNAFEST screening raises funds and awareness for LUNA's primary cause partner, the Breast Cancer Fund and local women's nonprofit organizations. Since its inception in 2000, LUNAFEST has raised more than $860,000 for the Breast Cancer Fund and over $2.1 million for women's community non-profit organizations across the country.

The filmsfeatured in the 2015-2016 season include:

"Balsa Wood"
By Dominique Lecchi
A light-hearted slice of life about two mixed race siblings visiting their extended Filipino family for lunch.

"Boxeadora"
By Meg Smaker
One woman defies Fidel Castro's ban on female boxing to follow her dreams of Olympic glory and become Cuba's first female boxer.

"Beach Flags"
By Sarah Saidan
A young Iranian lifeguard, determined to participate in an international competition in Australia, experiences an unexpected obstacle when a new team member arrives.

"Finding June"
By Anna Schumacher
Through the eyes of a deaf woman just diagnosed with breast cancer, communication's role in understanding one another is explored.

"First World Problems"
By Hanna Maylett
A tired housewife loses her car in a shopping mall - sometimes problems can open a door to a whole new world.

"Raising Ryland"
By Sarah Feeley
An intimate look at parenting with no strings attached - a journey inside the transgender experience as lived by a six year old boy and his two loving parents.

For more information on the films in this year's LUNAFEST circuit and to find out about upcoming screening locations, please visit, www.lunafest.org.

About LUNA®

LUNA® nourishes women with delicious snacks. LUNA connects, supports and champions women with programs such as LUNAFEST®, a national traveling fundraising festival of short films by, for, and about women, and Team LUNA Chix, an all-women's sport group inspiring women to learn new sports and be active. LUNA proudly donates one percent of its sales to a variety of women's nonprofits and the Breast Cancer Fund through the Clif Bar Family Foundation. (www.lunabar.com)

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151008005258/en/

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