PJFF42 - Official Brochure (Digital)

Philadelphia

and Media

(PJFM)

creates connection and community through Jewish cinema and digital storytelling. PJFM welcomes everyone to engage with Jewish culture and values through its educational and entertaining year-round programs.

Jewish Film

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FUNDING PROVIDED BY:

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WHO WE ARE

PJFM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CO-CHAIR

Debbie Fleischman

CO-CHAIR

Larry Rappoport

CHAIR EMERITA

Phyllis Fischer

CHAIR EMERITA Judy Golden

CHAIR EMERITA Ruth Perlmutter

TREASURER

Jacob Cohen

SECRETARY

Cathy Kaufman

Barbara Black

Elaine Culbertson

Debra Felman

Betsy Filton

Sarita Gocial

Seth Goldstein

Libby S. Harwitz

Edward Hoffman

Julie Jaffe

Cathy Kaufman

Nadine Liez-Weiner

Elaine Lindy

Nathan Relles

Jordan Rosenberg

Francyn Sacks

Nancy Shein

Francine Tabas

STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kristen Arter

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Matthew Bussy

DEVELOPMENT & DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

Yae Straxkson

PJFM SCREENING COMMITTEE

Sidney Amster

Randi Boyette

Elaine Culbertson

Iris Drechsler

Elaine Gelb

Alyssa Geller

Abby Gilbert

Marc Goldberg

Florence Golum Klein

Beverly Haas

Libby S. Harwitz

Edward Hoffman Caren Hosansky

Andrew Kaufman

Cathy Kaufman

Kate Kelsen

Eva Kernis

Sophie Koester

Ronald H. Levine

Joseph W. Moser

Tyler Reese

Michael Riccardi

Patricia Saddier-Dana

Tali Segal

Robert Schloss

Neal Strauss

Irene Tenenbaum

Paul Waimberg

Kara Wexler

ANNUAL

PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

After a long wait, PJFM is officially back in-person! The 42nd Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival will take place November 12-19 at the newly titled Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and other venues, including Arden Theatre Company, Kaiserman JCC, Ambler Theater, and Gratz College. This season’s line-up has SEVEN Philadelphia movie premieres, its annual Jewish Shorts Program, an exclusive presentation on the history of the often unknown “Jewish New Wave” in late 1960s Hollywood, and – you guessed it – FUNNY GIRL! Many films will have encore screenings.

Still not feeling like returning to the theater yet? We understand completely. That is why the festival films will be available to stream at home from January 7-9, 2023. All films – save FUNNY GIRL and the discussion – will be accessible for three full days. Tickets for the streaming edition of the festival will go on sale after the in-person dates. Therefore, this year’s festival is still “hybrid,” but the in-person and streaming formats will take place during different dates. To receive the latest news on tickets and new PJFM events, be sure to sign up for our email list at the bottom of our website or send us an email at info@phillyjfm.org.

This year, we hope you enjoy this magnificent selection of international films. We open with KARAOKE, a delightful romantic comedy/drama and nominee of nine Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars), and close with AMERICA, the latest tour-de-force from director Ofir Raul Graizer (The Cakemaker).

From all of us at PJFM, we thank everyone who has brought us to where we are today. Thank you to our loyal followers and donors, Board of Directors, film distributors, filmmakers, event staff, and dedicated team of Screening Committee members.

Now let’s go see some movies!

Sincerely,

Kristen Arter, PJFM Executive Director Matthew Bussy, PJFM Program Director Yae Straxkson, Development & Digital Marketing Coordinator

KARAOKE OPENING NIGHT

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 7 PM Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1 PM Kaiserman JCC

Narrative Feature

Israel | 2022 | 100 min

Hebrew with English subtitles

Philadelphia Premiere

The days are slow and uneventful for Meir (Sasson Gabay) and Tova (Rita Shukrun), a married couple residing in a cozy Tel Aviv apartment complex. They have been married for 46 years, and despite their easy-breezy days, the spark in their romance has disappeared. Meir, a stoic, quiet man, avoids all social interaction, while his wife, a lover of dance and music, craves adventure in their lives. Everything changes when a new tenant, known around the apartment as the “penthouse guy,” moves into one of the floors. His name is Itzik (Lior Ashkenazi), and his dashing looks, free-spirited personality, and rousing karaoke parties leave Meir and Tova smitten and amused. As the couple befriends him and continues to attend his parties, their zest for life gradually grows, as well as secrets and painful desires that Meir and Tova have hidden from one another for too long.

Nominated for nine Ophir Awards (Israeli Academy Awards) and Official Selection of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, KARAOKE is a funny, authentic comedy/drama about aging, love, and the chance happenings that can forever change our outlook on life. With award-worthy performances all around, Moshe Rosenthal’s debut feature film avoids rom-com formula and peeks inside the hidden desires of the heart.

Official Selection

Boston Jewish Film Festival | Jerusalem Film Festival | San Francisco Jewish Film Festival | Tribeca Film Festival

Co-Presented by the Philadelphia Film Society

Directed by Moshe Rosenthal

THE LEVYS OF MONTICELLO

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 4 PM Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2 PM Gratz College (Mandell Edu. Campus)

Directed by Steven

Documentary Feature

USA | 2021 | 71 min English

Philadelphia Premiere

Monticello remains one of the most iconic landmarks in American preservation. While it is remembered in the history books as the home of President Thomas Jefferson, few know the little-known story of what happened to the property after his passing. Leaving behind a wave of financial debt, Jefferson may have never expected his beloved home to be purchased by Captain Uriah Phillips Levy, a Jewish naval officer from Philadelphia. The first Jew to have a 50-year career in the navy and the first Jewish commodore, Levy shared the former president’s beliefs in religious liberty and separation of church and state. For nearly 100 years, the Levy family continued to own and preserve Monticello’s delicate architecture amidst increasing antisemitic backlash from the community.

Director Steven Pressman (Holy Silence, 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus) has crafted another fascinating slice of untold American history, a true story that connects with modern-day antisemitism in America. THE LEVYS OF MONTICELLO is a story of hope, a tale of a tenacious family, scrutinized for their religious beliefs, that never stopped fighting for their home.

Official Selection

Co-Presented by The Myer & Rosaline Feinstein Center for American Jewish History

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival | Toronto Jewish Film Festival | Washington Jewish Film Festival

Pressman

WHERE LIFE BEGINS

Directed by Stéphane Freiss

Narrative Feature

Italy | 2022 | 100 min French and Italian with English subtitles

Philadelphia Premiere

The summer is hot in southern Italy as Elio (Riccardo Scamarcio), a divorced farm owner, prepares for the annual arrival of the Zelniks, an ultra-Orthodox family from France, to harvest citrons in preparation for the holiday of Sukkot. Elio, who is Catholic and inherited the farm from his father, has known the Zelniks since he was a child and is wholly accepting of their customs and beliefs. One family member, Esther (Lou de Laâge), captures his attention with her shy and enigmatic personality. He soon learns that behind her beautiful face lies an agonizing sadness. Esther appears devout, but she follows the rules of her community with despair. She feels trapped in her own world, a feeling that Elio, lonely, away from his children, and stuck in his role as a farm owner, can similarly relate to. Together, Elio and Esther begin to spend time around the farm and across the town, giving subtle hints of their own personal anguish. Together, the two outsiders form a personal bond that gives them courage to begin their lives anew.

Intensely moving with standout performances from Scamarcio and De Laâge, WHERE LIFE BEGINS absorbs us in its perpetual beauty. Reminiscent of Italian neorealist films and French New Wave cinema, this gorgeously filmed character drama reminds us of the power of human connection in life.

Official Selection

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival | Toronto Jewish Film Festival

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 7:30 PM WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2 PM Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

A RADIANT GIRL

France | 2021 | 98 min French with English subtitles

Philadelphia Premiere

The year is 1942. Paris, France. It is summertime, and Irène (Rebecca Marder), a 19-year-old Jewish girl, is having the time of her life. She is happy and vivacious, an aspiring theater actress with self-worth and a yen for living every day to the fullest. Much to the chagrin of her family, she does what she wants, falling for men around her and even practicing fainting in public for theatricality. As the Nazis gradually assert power in her home, she is both cognizant of and unperturbed by the rising fear from the community. As an innocent youth, Irène knows that things are getting a little scary. What she may not know, however, is that her own life may be on the line.

Official Selection of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, actress Sandrine Kiberlain –in her directional debut – focuses less on a traditional Holocaust-structured narrative and makes A RADIANT GIRL a unique, realistic coming-of-age tale about the freedoms of youth amidst a changing world. Marder, in a lively, nuanced performance, makes us question Irène’s outlook as the Nazi regime expands. Does she deny that her life as a Jew is now at risk? Or does she understand and is willing to continue loving her life?

Directed by Sandrine Kiberlain Narrative Feature

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14,

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

THE MAN IN THE BASEMENT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2 PM

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 7 PM Ambler Theater

Directed by Philippe Le Guay Narrative Feature

France | 2021 | 114 min

French with English subtitles

Philadelphia Premiere Simon (Jérémie Renier) and Hélène (Academy Award nominee Bérénice Bejo) are a healthy, attractive bourgeois couple living in Paris with their teenage daughter. When they decide to sell their basement cellar to the elderly Mr. Fonzic (François Cluzet), a former history teacher, their world takes a sinister turn. Although well-mannered and kept to himself, Mr. Fonzic’s far-right, radicalized beliefs about Judaism and conspiracy theories are soon uncovered as the couple digs deep into his past. His dark, antisemitic resentment overshadows his innocent face and slowly tears this once idyllic family apart. What ensues is a riveting cat-and-mouse game between Mr. Fonzic and Simon, a Jew himself, who is driven mad by his tenant’s conniving, hostile personality.

Riveting from start to finish and featuring an unforgettable performance from veteran actor François Cluzet, THE MAN IN THE BASEMENT is frightening in its modern-day depiction of the antisemitism that lurks under so many everyday individuals. Ingeniously written, Philippe Le Guay’s thriller is all the scarier in how it is the inactions of Mr. Fonzic that exacerbate the family’s distress.

Official Selection

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival | San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

JEWISH SHORTS

I WANT TO MAKE A FILM ABOUT WOMEN

Directed by Karen Pearlman

Docudrama Short Australia | 2020 | 12 min English and Russian with English subtitles

Described as a “speculative” love letter to the Russian constructivist women of 1920s Soviet Union, this surreal, wildly imaginative short explores the revolutionary female filmmakers of the decade, and the art they made – or could have made – among the endless male noise.

BOURN KIND: THE TINY KINDNESS PROJECT

Directed by Rachel Myers

Narrative Short USA | 2022 | 12 min English

Official Selection of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, this wonderful film follows Bourn, a Black Jewish street artist, who designs a street mural to spread kindness in his community and practice the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (“repair the world”).

ANNE

Directed by Desiree Abeyta

Narrative Short USA | 2022 | 10 min | English

Tension is in the air when two young actresses – a white Jewish American and an African American – are called back for the role of a lifetime: Anne Frank. As they wait to audition, both ponder the ethics of this role, instigating a broader conversation about color-blind casting.

MAKE ME A KING

Directed by Sofia Olins

Narrative Short UK | 2021 | 16 min | English

A Jewish drag king ignores the disapproval of their family and mimics their real-life Yiddish vaudeville idol, Pepi Litman, in a beautiful, relatable story about the courage to be yourself.

SEVEN FANTASTIC SHORT FILMS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE!

Purchase Tickets

DESERT HEART

Directed by Carnie Bezalel

Narrative Short Israel | 2021 |17 min Hebrew with English subtitles

A brother and sister trek across the Israeli desert, recounting their differences and a past tragedy that will bring them closer than they expected to be.

BECOMING NAKUSET

Directed by Victoria Anderson-Gardner

Documentary Short Canada | 2020 | 13 min English

A raw, emotional film about identity, this true story tells the tale of Nakuset, an Indigenous survivor of the Sixties Scoop – a series of Canadian policies that allowed child welfare services to take Indigenous children from their families – and her time growing up as an adopted member of a Jewish family in Montreal.

MINYAN DUTY

Directed by Ivan Kander

Narrative Short USA | 2022 | 14 min English

Two sisters, wishing to recite Kaddish at their synagogue after their mother’s passing, find themselves in a dilemma when they realize they are one person short of a minyan (a quorum of ten Jews). As a result, they turn to the most unlikely of people to solve the solution.

ANNE

RECKONINGS

by

Feature USA | 2022 | 84 min English and German with English subtitles

Philadelphia Premiere

When the concentration camps were liberated, survivors walked away with only a tattoo. No family. No home. No logical way for them to restart their lives. After the war, one lingering question remained: how could reparations be equally dis tributed to survivors of the Holocaust? Could something of this unprecedented a scale be achievable? For leaders and citizens, both German and Jewish alike, the significance of this issue was paramount. For others, including victims of the war itself, it was deemed illogical and messy. For Shoah victims, many were equally confounded. Could any form of reparation, no matter how small or endearing, be enough to compensate for the horrors they endured?

From award-winning documentarian Roberta Grossman (Who Will Write Our History?, Above and Beyond), RECKONINGS exalts in exploring the panic, confusion, and precariousness of post-WWII Europe. Juxtaposing archival footage with fictional recreations in her usual docudrama style, Grossman has developed a history film, but something more special than that. By the end, RECKONINGS reminds us that no matter the size of a penitent deed, it is always a step forward in the right direction.

Official Selection

Toronto Jewish Film Festival | Washington Jewish Film Festival

Directed

Roberta Grossman Docudrama

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

HOLLYWOOD’S JEWISH NEW WAVE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2 PM Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Film history teaches us of the “waves” or movements that shook up the tradi tional, cinematic status quo. There is the French New Wave. New Hollywood. New German Cinema. And then there is the Jewish New Wave, a period of increased Jewish visibility in American cinema. The late 1960s into the mid-70s were formative years for critical and commercial hit films with a notably Jewish touch, a period that includes such classics like The Graduate (1967), Funny Girl (1968), The Heartbreak Kid (1972), and so many more.

In this exclusive presentation, FilmShul, led by film historians and “movie men sches” Laurence Lerman and Irv Slifkin, discusses the impact of Hollywood’s Jewish New Wave and how that flourishing time paved the way for the Jewish actors, comedians, and filmmakers we know and love today.

FilmShul, curated by Lerman and Slifkin, is all about movies, movies, movies— not to mention TV, literature, comedy and theater! This duo hosts fun, interactive, and highly engaging presentations on Hollywood and the Jewish American Experience, with curated discussions on topics like the early history of Jewish cinema, acclaimed Jewish directors, the history of Jewish humor across the entertainment spectrum, and a number of other topics.

Featured Images

Row 1: PORTNOY’S COMPLAINT (1972) and the THE PRODUCERS (1967)

Row 2: BYE BYE BRAVERMAN (1968) and the THE HEARTBREAK KID (1972)

PRESENTED BY FILMSHUL

FUNNY GIRLL

by William Wyler Narrative Feature

USA | 1968 | 151 min English

“Don’t tell me not to live, just sit and putter!”

The songs. The spectacle. Babs. Even if you’re not a Broadway fan, you have certainly heard of FUNNY GIRL! William Wyler’s iconic musical, the beloved romance that earned Barbra Streisand an Academy Award for Best Actress and made her into a star, celebrates its 55th anniversary next year. Based on the life of comedienne Fanny Brice, Wyler’s adaptation explores the entertainer’s illustrious life, from her career as a Ziegfeld Follies girl to her romance with gambler Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif).

In partnership with Kaiserman JCC, PJFM is delighted to bring FUNNY GIRL back to the screen for a special, one-time brunch and film screening. Come hungry, happy, and ready to sing your heart out!

Directed

Purchase Tickets

AMERICA CLOSING NIGHT

by Ofir Raul Graizer Narrative Feature

Israel | 2022 | 127 min

Hebrew with English subtitles

Philadelphia Premiere

Eli (Michael Moshonov) is a private, soft-spoken Israeli swimming coach living in Chicago. One day, he receives a call that his distant father has passed away. Upon returning to Tel Aviv, he meets up with his childhood friend, Yotam (Ofri Biterman), and his fiancée, Iris (Oshrat Ingadeshet, who took home Best Actress at the Jerusalem Film Festival for her performance), both of whom run a successful flower shop downtown. In his conversations with the couple, there are subtle hints concerning Eli’s painful adolescence, as well as his relationship with Yotam, but nothing is quite said out loud. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, a tragedy sets off a chain of motion for these three individuals, an event that un locks hidden desires, secrets, and torment that have afflicted these characters.

There are no simple answers in AMERICA, the newest tour de force from Ofir Raul Graizer (The Cakemaker). Similar to his previous arthouse hit, this melodrama bewilders us with its clues and nuance. We, the audience, exam ine these characters as their emotional layers are unpeeled not at once, but in a slow, hypnotic way. Strikingly colorful with prevalent motifs and outstanding performance from its three leads, AMERICA is cinema at its rich and finest.

This event will conclude with a post-film reception in the museum. All guests are welcome!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 7 PM Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Directed

TICKETS, PASSES, VENUES, & MORE

TICKETS & PASSES

TICKETS

$15 General Admission

$13 Senior $10 Student (I.D. required at check-in)

SPECIAL EVENTS

$15 FUNNY GIRL BRUNCH + FILM 11/18, 11 AM

Kaiserman JCC

$20 AMERICA 11/19, 7 PM

The Weitzman

Includes admission to post-film reception.

ALL-ACCESS PASS

$180 ALL-ACCESS PASS

This Pass grants front-of-the-line access to ALL events during the Jewish Film Festival, including free admission to virtual encore screenings of several film festival movies from January 7-9, 2023. All Pass Holders – including Sponsors – must be seated no later than printed film start time in order to be guaranteed seating.

TICKETING POLICY

PJFM requests that you do not attend a screening if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or are feeling sick. Refunds will only be made if you are feeling ill. If you purchased a ticket but can no longer attend, PJFM may exchange your ticket for another event or convert it into a donation.

For more information about sponsorships, special guests, and programs, vist PhillyJFM.org.

VENUES AMBLER THEATER 108 E Butler Ave Ambler, PA 19002 (215) 345-7855

ARDEN THEATRE COMPANY 40 N 2nd St Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 922-1122

GRATZ COLLEGE Mandell Education Campus 7605 Old York Rd Melrose Park, PA 19026 (215) 635-7300

KAISERMAN JCC 45 Haverford Rd Wynnewood, PA 19096 (610) 896-7770

WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY 101 S Independence Mall E Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 923-3811

PJFM APP

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