The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival officially announced its 33rd run this morning. Probably the largest of all the "identity film festivals" in the area, it will play five venues around the Bay Area from July 25 through August 12. This year's theme, "Life through a Jew(ish) lens," raises two questions: What does that mean … Continue reading San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Category: Jewish FF
Hava Nagila & Opening Night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Opening night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival got off to a slow start, but when the movie finally started--nearly 45 minutes late--it was worth the wait. No, there weren't crowd or (as far as I know) technical problems. The show started on time. It was just that the first part of the show … Continue reading Hava Nagila & Opening Night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Jewish Film Festival Preview
I've been able to preview three shows coming to the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, which opens a week from today. Here's what I thought of them: B+ Under African Skies You can find plenty of political music documentaries, but few that examine both sides of a difficult controversy. This doc, which examines the making … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival Preview
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
This morning, one month before opening night, I attended the press conference announcing this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. It will run in seven different venues around the Bay Area from July 19 through August 6. The largest runs will be at the Castro and Berkeley's Roda Theater. A few noteworthy items: A lot … Continue reading San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Jewish Film Festival Report: Cemeteries and Gladiators
I attended two San Francisco Jewish Film Festival events at the Castro today. Here’s what I saw: C In Heaven Underground: The Weissensee Jewish Cemetery The last thing you’d expect to find in Berlin is a Jewish cemetery that was consecrated in the 19th century. But Weissensee is just that—a final resting place that the … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival Report: Cemeteries and Gladiators
Jewish Film Festival Preview
I’ve managed now to preview four films for the upcoming San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, three of them documentaries. Here’s what I thought about them: A- 100 Voices: A Journey Home, Castro, Thursday, July 28, 8:15 (San Francisco closing night); Oshman Family JCC, Wednesday, August 3, 6:15; Roda, Thursday, August 4, 6:40. In 2009, documentarians … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival Preview
Jewish Film Festival
Now we come to the festival that merges what some friends have called my two religions: Judaism and Cinema. The 31st San Francisco Jewish Film Festival opens at the Castro on Thursday, July 21 with Mabul (The Flood), and closes at the Rafael on Monday, August 8 with The Matchmaker. In between those dates it … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival
Jewish Film Festival Report
I’m such a good Jew! I just spent the Sabbath at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. And it wasn’t even in San Francisco. I attended four screenings at the Festival’s first day in this year’s Berkeley portion of the festival. It was also my first movie event at Berkeley Repertory's Roda Theater. Before I … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival Report
Jewish Film Festival Preview
I've now seen five movies that will screen at the upcoming Jewish Film Festival. Here they are, from the best to the worst. B+ Scarface (1932 version), Castro, Sunday, July 25, 10:00; Roda, Wednesday, August 4, 9:15. The best of the three films that started the 1930’s gangster genre, Scarface tracks the rise and demise … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival Preview
The Ultimate Festival Movie
Check out the Current Festivals section in the right panel of this page, and you’ll see a lot of activity this summer. Playing right now or opening soon, we’ve got festival for the LGBT community and another for Jews. There’s a festival of horror films, another of comedies, and two of silent films. So here’s … Continue reading The Ultimate Festival Movie
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