every mother counts – Downtown Magazine

Tomorrow night, NYC’s swanky members-only club, Soho House, is opening its doors for a star-studded philanthropic event. Lunafest is a traveling festival that screens films exclusively made by women, about women. Each event benefits a different charity; tomorrow night (sponsored by Four Women NYC) a portion of the proceeds will go towards The Breast Cancer Fund, and the rest to the charity founded by Christy Turlington Burns, Every Mother Counts.

The films to be screened include Eight Limbs of Raja, a short starring Bridget Barkan, made in Brooklyn, that is a light hearted look at the challenges life presents. Barkan has previously acted in God’s Pocket alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman, a film that was well received at Sundance. Eight Limbs of Raja is directed by Louisa Brown, event chair and founding member of Four Women NYC. Louisa voiced her excitement for Lunafest; “The event is a celebration of mothers and women in general. I hope it gives people a little more insight into the need for proper maternal health care for mothers from all walks of life. After all, that’s how we all got here!”

A still from Eight Limbs of Raja

Episodes of Making of a Midwife, a documentary series by Every Mother Counts, will also be on view. The series chronicles the organization’s efforts to train midwives in Haiti, who each provide care to nearly 1,500 women, delivering between 120 and 240 babies per year. Christy Turlington Burns commented on the series; “We are thrilled to share excerpts from our film series, Making of a Midwife, as part of Lunafest because it is the perfect platform to visually educate others about an issue that touches us all. These excerpts focus on Midwives for Haiti’s graduating class of 2013 with our support. Together we can make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother.”

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdzg7bIpK-o[/youtube]

Besides the film screening, this intimate 2-hour event will also include cocktails, nibbles, and a Q and A with Every Mother Counts and some of the filmmakers. DOWNTOWN Magazine is proud to be a sponsor of tomorrow’s event.

A limited number of tickets are still available. For more information, visit lunafest.org.

–Charlotte Bryant

Four Women NYC will host LunaFest, a traveling film festival on April 3 that will feature films made by women, about women. The event will take place at Soho House, and includes a screening of select short films, a discussion with the filmmakers, an auction, and cocktails. DOWNTOWN is proud to be a co-sponsor of the event.

All proceeds from the event will go to two important charities that support women’s health. Fifteen percent will be directed to The Breast Cancer Fund, with the rest designated to Every Mother Counts, a non profit founded by famous model and global maternal health advocate, Christy Turlington Burns.

Burns founded the charity in 2010 after completing the hailed documentary, No Woman, No Cry, about her own experience suffering complications after delivering her first child. With the knowledge that many women without access to the same resources would not have survived, Burns decided to found Every Mother Counts, striving to make pregnancy and child-birth safer for moms worldwide.

Burns spoke about her inspiration and the upcoming event;

“Every Mother Counts’ primary goal is to raise awareness about a global tragedy that is largely preventable- Maternal Mortality. When women have access to critical maternity care when they need it, millions of lives can be saved. My organization was born after I completed my first documentary, No Woman, No Cry. Story telling remains central to our campaign today and helps us to highlight the programs and individuals we support. That’s why we are thrilled to share excerpts from our film series, Making of a Midwife, as part of Lunafest because it is the perfect platform to visually educate others about an issue that touches us all. These excerpts focus on Midwives for Haiti’s graduating class of 2013 with our support. Together we can make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother.”

Among the short films to be screened at LunaFest will be episodes of Making of a Midwife, a documentary series by Every Mother Counts. The series chronicles the organization’s efforts to train midwives in Haiti, who each provide care to nearly 1,500 women, delivering between 120 and 240 babies per year.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdzg7bIpK-o[/youtube]

Director Louisa Brown will screen her film Eight Limbs of Raja for the first time at LunaFest. Louisa, born and raised in London, is a member of Four Women NYC, the Brooklyn-based collective run by women that organizes events for families and community to find inspiration in the arts and entertainment. Louisa spoke about her hopes for the event;

“I am working alongside a group of amazing, dynamic mothers to put this event together. Four Women NYC (Cherae Robinson, Muhammida El-Muhajir, Meki Adefris and myself) are excited to be sharing the works of women film makers from around the world as I am of course excited to be sharing my own work with everyone! The event is a celebration of mothers and women in general. I hope it gives people a little more insight into the need of proper maternal health care for mothers from all walks of life. After all, that’s how we all got here!”

After the LunaFest screenings, there will be Q&A, a cocktail bar, as well as a fund-raising auction. Up for grabs are pieces from some of the world’s leading contemporary artists including Official Royal Photographer, Jason Bell, Miami Art Basel feature artist, Kehinde Wiley, and renowned Brooklyn-based artist, Wangechi Mutu.

For more information or to buy tickets, please visit: fourwomennyc.com

–Charlotte Bryant