A longtime dream will become a reality with the springtime launch of the first Boulder Jewish Film Festival, which will offer a whirlwind tour of the Jewish experience as viewed through the lens of contemporary cinema.

From Sunday March 10 through Sunday, March 17, more than a dozen new films will premiere in Boulder, including the hottest movies currently on the Jewish Film Festival circuit. A few tantalizing titles have already been chosen. Most will be picked by the selection committee, including a family film, a teen film and a film specially selected for seniors.

Topics will include the Holocaust, including this year’s Oscar-nominated “In Darkness,” and Jewish celebrities – Tony Curtis anyone? There will be comedies and documentaries, films  from Israel and around the globe.

Boulder has a nifty film festival. Denver has an admirable  Jewish Film Festival. Both have grown and matured in recent years. Sadly, they overlap in mid-February, when audiences have to choose between cinematic temptations.

With its film-savvy audiences, Boulder is long overdue for a Jewish Film Festival. You may be wondering what took us so long. Good question. The answer is simple, and follows the dictum of real estate: location, location, location.

With the opening of the Dairy Center’s Boedecker Theater last year, finally an appropriate venue emerged that offers the finest viewing experience possible.  We have collaborated  with the Boe since it opened, establishing a relationship and building a following. The Boe has become a second home for our film series, and we have formed a mutually beneficial friendship with the Boe’s staff and program committee.

Opening night will be held at the Dairy’s main auditorium, which seats 250, with a gala reception in the Dairy’s lobby. Stay tuned for the official announcement of the opening night film, with the filmmaker in person. (Hint: She grew up in Boulder.)

Subsequent screenings will take place in the cozy 60-seat Boedecker Theater, with panels and discussions in adjacent classrooms. Advance reservations are highly recommended since all showings are expected to sell out. Some especially popular films may be repeated at the Boe at a later date.  A few films will also be screened on campus for CU students, in collaboration with the Program in Jewish Studies.

Audience members can buy a patron pass to all screenings and events, or purchase individual tickets. Local businesses will be invited to advertise in our glossy program. Volunteers will help us select films, solicit sponsors, produce the program, and plan the opening night gala.

To get involved, or to learn more, contact Kathryn Bernheimer at 303-998-1021, Kathryn@boulderjcc.org.