| Come And Enjoy The New York Jewish Film Festival |
| Written by Dja Horry |
The 17th Annual New York Jewish Film FestivalJan. 9 - 24, 2008Admission: $11 general public, $7 Film Society & Jewish Museum members and students; $7 seniors weekday matinee screenings only Walter Reade Theater West 65th Street, plaza level (between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue) 212-875-5600 filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/nyjff08 Welcome to the 17th annual New York Jewish Film Festival, a global survey of innovative and provocative films—most receiving their New York or U.S. premieres—that explore the multi-faceted Jewish experience. To mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel, this year’s festival showcases ten new Israeli films. We pay tribute this year to the late Austrian stage, television, and film director Axel Corti with screenings of four of his masterpieces. A total of 32 shorts, dramas, and documentaries from Germany, France, Argentina, Russia, Hungary, the United States, Mexico, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom and Austria add up to an exhilarating worldwide journey. Select shows shown below for more information on the festival, please visit filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/nyjff08 "A Secret" US PREMIERE (France, 2007, 110m) directed by Claude Miller  In postwar Paris, a young boy discovers the unfortunate consequences of his parents’ mutual attraction during the Nazi occupation. Claude Miller portrays a family consumed with guilt, jealousy, fear and loss. The cast features the celebrated French actors Mathieu Amalric, Julie Depardieu, and Ludivine Sagnier. "The Champagne Spy" US PREMIERE (Israel, 2007, 91m) directed by Nadav Schirman  At the age of 12, Oded finds out his German-Israeli father is a secret agent living in Egypt and leading a double life with a second family. In addition to Oded’s reflections, this dramatic documentary includes rare interviews with Mossad veterans. "Murder of a Hatmaker" US PREMIERE (France, 2005, 82m) directed by Catherine Bernstein  With the precision of a forensic scientist, Catherine Bernstein researches the life and death of her great aunt Fanny Berger, a successful fashion designer in Paris who was ultimately deported to Auschwitz. This highly personal documentary sheds light on Vichy France’s insidious collaboration with the Nazis. "Someone to Run With" US PREMIERE (Israel, 2006, 118m) directed by Oded Davidoff  Based on the bestselling novel by David Grossman, Someone to Run With captures the original’s unrelenting pace, suspense and heartfelt drama as it sends viewers on a riveting ride through the streets of Jerusalem at the end of a Labrador’s leash. While trying to track down the owner of a lost dog, a shy 17-year-old named Assaf pieces together the incredible story behind her disappearance. "Orthodox Stance" NY PREMIERE (USA, 2007, 83m) directed by Jason Hutt  Dmitriy Salita is a 20-something Russian immigrant equally devoted to the seemingly disparate worlds of professional boxing and Orthodox Judaism. This lively documentary travels with Dmitriy from a dilapidated Orthodox synagogue to an amateur gym and to boxing rings in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. "Labyrinths of Memory" NY PREMIERE (Mexico, 2007, 95m) directed by Guita Schyfter  This documentary draws parallels between two very different women united by a search for identity: Maite Guiteras, Mexican born, adopted at birth, and raised in Cuba; and the film’s director, born in Costa Rica to East European Jewish parents and raised in Mexico. Each defies ethnic and geographic boundaries to travel to her ancestral home to claim a place in the world. {mos_ri} |