Oswego's LUNAFEST To Screen Shorts Meant To 'Empower And Inspire'

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego's annual movie festival, LUNAFEST, is returning for the 21st year Aug. 7. The day-long event will bring short films, live music and artisans to downtown Oswego.

Hosted by the Oswego Cultural Arts Commission, the movie festival will be held at Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, beginning at noon. A reception, featuring a light brunch and coffee from The Village Grind, will begin at 11 a.m.

For a total runtime of 80 minutes, this summer's featured films, meant to "empower and inspire," include the following:

• "How to Be at Home" (2020). Dir. Andrea Dorfman
• "Close Ties to Home Country" (2021). Dir. Akanksha Cruczynski
• "Generation Impact: The Coder" (2020). Dir. Samantha Knowles
• "Proof of Loss" (2018). Dir. Katherine Fisher
• "When You Clean a Stranger's Home" (2019). Dir. Sharon Arteaga
• "Between the Lines: Liz at Large" (2021). Dir. Abi Cole
• "Wearable Tracy" (2020). Dir. Emily McAllister
• "To the Future, With Love" (2021). Dir. Shaleece Haas and Hunter "Pixel" Jimenez

In addition to the screenings, the festival will also feature local artisans who will display and sell their works and provide demonstrations, organizers said. The Fox River Academy of Music and Art will perform live music.

Tickets to the event can be purchased online for $29. Based on availability, tickets will also be sold at the door for $34.

Net proceeds from LUNAFEST will benefit Mutual Ground, a domestic violence shelter serving Kendall County. Oswego's application fee will be donated to the festival's nonprofit partner, Chicken & Egg Pictures, which supports women nonfiction filmmakers "whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyzes social change," Oswego officials said in a news release.