This year’s Louisville Jewish Film Festival is well underway, and there have been several exciting events. Four films remain to be shown, so make your plans now.
Zero Motivation, a zany, cynical comedy about three young women doing their mandatory service in the IDF, will be shown on Saturday, February 22, at 7:30 at the Village 8.
The Jewish Cardinal, a drama based on the true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger who remained culturally a Jew after converting to Catholicism at a young age, will be shown on Sunday, February 22, at 2 p.m. at The Village 8.
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, had to be rescheduled due to heavy snow on Monday, February 16. It has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. at The Temple. The film, which won Best Feature at the Jerusalem Film Festival, tells the story of an Israeli woman seeking a divorce from her estranged husband and the trials she undergoes when her husband refuses her request. This presentation will be followed by a dessert reception.
24 Days, was scheduled to be shown Thursday night, but had to be cancelled due to the extreme cold. It will be rescheduled, but information was not yet available when Community went to press. Watch the Community Weekly Update for more information.
Tickets for each of the remaining shows are $8.50 in advance or $10 at the door. Student tickets are $6. Tickets can be purchased at JCC or at the venue one hour prior to the film.
On Saturday, February 7, the Louisville Jewish Film Festival teamed up with CenterStage for a gala celebration of CenterStage’s 100th anniversary and the Jewish Community Center’s 125th anniversary.
The sold-out crowd of more than 250 enjoyed a decadent dessert reception in the JCC lobby then filled the auditorium for audio and visual treats. CenterStage Artistic Director John Leffert announced the lineup for the 2015-16 season then emceed as six popular members of the CenterStage company took the stage to present some of their favorite pieces from seasons past. Melissa Shepherd reprised “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy” from South Pacific; Jason Cooper sang “A Corner of the Sky” from Pippin; Emily Fields did “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods, and was then joined by her husband, Monty Fields for “Our Children” from Ragtime. Jordan Price previewed “Fight the Dragon” from Big Fish and Pete Lay rounded out the live performance with “Willkommen” from Cabaret.
The evening wrapped up with the Film Festival showing of Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy, which detailed how Jewish artists successfully built the genre.
Other highlights of the festival included the showing of Dancing Arabs, based on the book of the same name by Sayed Kashua. Kashua was in Louisville earlier that week to speak as part of the Jewish/Israeli Author Series. The film was presented by The Eye Care Institute and Dr. Ranen Omer-Sherman, the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence Chair of Judaic Studies at the University of Louisville, introduced the film and led a discussion afterward.
The Temple hosted a showing of two short student films from the Maale School of Television, Film and Arts and a dessert reception on February 9, and Rabbi David Ariel-Joel was the moderator. Adath Jeshurun hosted a showing of Above and Beyond, a documentary by Nancy Spielberg about establishment of the Israeli Air Force in 1948, and a dessert reception on February 15.
This year’s festival also included special private showings of two films, one for the High School of Jewish Studies and the other for Louisville Beit Sefer Yachad students.
The Jewish Film Festival is made possible by the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence, The Eye Care Institute, The Ann and Coleman Friedman Fund for Judaic Activities, the Robert I. Lerman Family Fund and The Temple.
Moderators at other films were Keren Benabou, Lee Shai Weissbach and Rabbi Michael Wolk.
Keiley Caster is chair of the 2015 Film Festival Committee, and committee members are Rabbi David Ariel-Joel, Michael Furey, Janice Glaubinger, Angeline Golden, Meryl Kasdan, Louis Levy, Cantor David Lipp, Janet Naamani, Pami, Mark Prussian, Shelly Rifkin and Susan Waterman.
Marsha Bornstein, the Louisville Jewish Film Festival director, can be contacted at mbornstein@jewishlouisville.org or 502-238-2731.
