Lunafest ’07 kicks off in LA, with a Green Carpet Event

Last week in LA, stars walked the Green Carpet to catch the first screening of Lunafest ’07, a collection of short films by, for and about women. The film festival is a travelling event and may be coming to a screen near you. Paramount studios donated their posh private theater on the Paramount lot for the event. All proceeds from ticket sales went to benefit CHEC, a children’s charity dedicated to children’s health and environmental safety. Several celeb moms lent their names to the cause, including Brooke Shields (mom to Rowan, 3 and Grier, 10 months), Laura Dern (mom to Ellery 5 and Jaya, 2) and hostess Amy Brennerman (mom to Charlotte, 6 and Bodhi, 1). Amy, a captivating speaker, really drove the point straight home commenting how we don’t think about what products we use to clean our floors, until we have small children at home licking those floors on a daily basis.
Both CHEC and all of the films made an impression on the audience. Several of the filmmakers were in attendance, including filmaker/mom Lori Benson. Her film, “Dear Talula”, documented her diagnosis with breast cancer just 14 short months after becoming a mother to daughter Talula. The film was raw and intense, but ultimately uplifting. Even more so, later on that evening, seeing a bright and spritelike 5yo Talula happily flitting between her mom and the many guests. She was the darling of the night. The films crossed boundaries of race, ethnicity, culture, and class but all were elementally tied to a message of empowerment. The power of women to change the world for the better, one small act at time. It’s a message near and dear to a mom’s heart. We know how our smallest choices make a world of difference to our kids.
Other celebs in attendance included Melora Hardin (mom to Rory 6, and Piper 1) of “The Office”, Kate Vernon (mom to Annabelle, 6) of “Battlestar Gallactica”, Jessica Tuck (mom to Samara, 4) of “Wild Hogs” and Maggie Grace. Guests attended a reception with food and wine donated by Whole Foods Market. And lucky VIPs left with goody bags stuffed with CHEC certified child and mommy friendly goodies from vendors such as Baby Soy clothing, Sigg Sippy cups, Boon, ONE coconut water, Dagoba Chocolate, Josha wipes, and of course, plenty of yummy and healthy snacks from Luna. To learn more about Lunafest and the charities it benefits and cities it will tour to, check out the calendar at Lunafest.org.