I saw An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power Monday night at a San Francisco Jewish Film Festival screening at the Castro. It's a powerful and important film. But for the average ticket holder, much of the event was a mess. The big attraction: Al Gore live on stage. And yes, he was wonderful. But the … Continue reading An Inconvenient Screening of an Important Sequel
Category: Festivals
Before and after the Holocaust: Saturday at the SF Jewish Film Fest
I caught two movies Saturday at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. The first was set just before official anti-Semitism turned into genocide. The second one was set right after the war. Voyage of the Damned This big-budget overstuffed turkey from 1976 tells an important and largely true story, and one that's exceptionally important today. … Continue reading Before and after the Holocaust: Saturday at the SF Jewish Film Fest
Keep the Change & The Jewish Film Festival Opening Night
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival opened Thursday night with Rachel Israel's Keep the Change, a romantic comedy set in the world of serious mental disabilities. That may sound disturbing, but it's lovely and moving. The event started almost on time with a selection of past trailers. All of them were funny, including this year's … Continue reading Keep the Change & The Jewish Film Festival Opening Night
Jewish Film Festival Preview, Part 2
Here's four more movies that will screen at this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. As usual, I've listed them from best to worst - although there are no real turkeys in this batch. You can also check out my first collection. A Fanny's Journey In occupied France, a school mistress attempts to smuggle a … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival Preview, Part 2
Jewish Film Festival Preview, Part 1
Here's my first, 2017 collection of San Francisco Jewish Film Festival mini-reviews. As usual, I'm starting with the must-sees and ending with the easy-to-misses. A 1945 August 1945. Two Orthodox Jews get off the train in a small Hungarian town. Who are they and what do they want? But this movie isn't about them. It's about the … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival Preview, Part 1
This year’s Jewish Film Fest deals with refugees, music, romance, and yes, genocide
This year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival focuses considerably on the traditional command of tikkun olam (healing the world). Several of the films have little or nothing to do with Judaism, but they are very much about justice, charity, freedom, and cleaning the planet - all parts of tikkun olam. But not all. The festival … Continue reading This year’s Jewish Film Fest deals with refugees, music, romance, and yes, genocide
The Parade’s Gone By: Sunday, the last day at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
I love the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, but it can be tiring. You spend all day, three days in a row, watching movies. Sometimes the breaks between films are less than half an hour. But the movies, the music, the discussions, and the people you can talk to make it very special. This year's … Continue reading The Parade’s Gone By: Sunday, the last day at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
