CNN Hero Betty Makoni, who is leading a global effort to stop the rape of women and girls in Africa, will be on hand this Thursday, Sept. 22, when the award-winning film, “Tapestries of Hope,” is shown at the Hollywood Theater, 1449 Potomac Ave., in Dormont.

Dream Catchers Films Inc. is sponsoring the 74-minute documentary as a fundraiser for the Girl Child Network, which Makoni, who was named a 2009 CNN Hero, created to provide shelters for abused girls. Dream Catchers’ owner Leonard Lies, who is a filmmaker himself, said he was so moved by “Tapestries of Hope” that he decided to bring it to the Hollywood Theater to help the cause.

Yoga was brought to the west from India by a lineage of male teachers. Now there’s a generation of women who are leading the way. They’re strong, they’re inspiring, and they’re radically changing people’s lives. From the busy streets of Manhattan to the dusty slums of Kenya, from the golden beaches of Australia to the serene piazzas of Italy, Yogawoman (narrated by Annette Bening) uncovers a global phenomenon that has changed the face of yoga forever.

To Catch a Dollar, a 2010 Sundance Film Festival selection, documents the birth of Grameen America and the effort to bring Nobel Peace Prize winner and Presidential Medal of Honor winner Muhammad Yunus's revolutionary microfinance program to the United States. The film features stories of women borrowers from around the world -- with a focus here in the U.S. on the plight of those struggling to save. It also educates viewers about the potential for microfinance as a solution to a number of these pressing social challenges.

Writer/Director Jennifer Siebel Newsom brings together some of America’s most influential women in politics, news, and entertainment to give us an inside look at the media’s message. Miss Representation explores women’s under-representation in positions of power by challenging the limited and often disparaging portrayal of women in the media. As one of the most persuasive and pervasive forces in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that women’s primary value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality—not in their capacity as leaders.

The plucky young women who drive 'True Grit' and 'Winter's Bone' highlight the evolution of dumbed-down female characters into ones that save the day with smarts and courage and the growing influence of women in the film industry.

"I am about to embark on a great adventure," says the hero, tucking a Colt revolver into a flour sack, donning a wide-brimmed Stetson and riding out into the wilderness on the trail of a killer. Smart, stoic and purposeful, this avenger is a stock western movie protagonist in every way but one — Mattie Ross, the central character in the new film "True Grit," is a 14-year-old girl.

Lunafest is a national traveling festival of short films by, for, and about women, running from October to March in 100 + venues nationwide. LUNAFEST was established in 2000 by LUNA, the makers of the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women, to simultaneously promote women filmmakers, raise awareness for women’s issues, and support worthy women’s nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The groundbreaking cause video, The Girl Effect, now has a sequel. It's called "The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking" and it had its world premiere today at the Clinton Global Initiative.

“The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking”

The original animated video -- which won awards for impact -- makes the point that improving the lives of women and girls will boost the quality of life on the planet. The sequel elaborates on that theme, but focuses on the impact of intervention in the life of a girl at age 12.

Have a look, and let us know what you think.

(To view the original, “Girl Effect” click here):

POSTED BY MARCIA STEPANEK

reprinted here with permission from CauseGlobal