Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
The 10th Annual Boulder Jewish Film Festival is coming up November 3-13 at the Dairy Arts Center. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 8 am on Wednesday, October 12 at thedairy.org.
Free “Sneak Preview” with Kathryn Bernheimer via Zoom at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, October 12.
With the 10th anniversary edition of the Boulder Jewish Film Festival less than a month away, and tickets about to go on sale, I could not be more excited that we are once again able to gather in person at the Dairy Arts Center for 11 days of cinema and conversation.
Returning to a live event allows us to fulfill our mission of engagement through cultural arts. It allows us to learn with and from each other, to enhance our appreciation of cinema together, and to enjoy each other’s thoughts and company. While some may have enjoyed watching festival films at home when it was not safe for us to gather, our mission has never been to be a streaming service – as much as I love Netflix and its Jewish version, Chai Flicks.
I am greatly looking forward to being able to offer the excitement of the full festival experience again!
I look forward to sharing the rapture of our opening night screening of “Hallelujah,” a stirring tribute to the profoundly Jewish singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, which I first saw at the Telluride Film Festival in 2021.
I am particularly looking forward to our closing celebration, an all-day exploration of the American West featuring three films of local interest. The days begins with the classic comedy, “The Frisco Kid,” continues with the locally produced “Jews of the Wild West,” and ends with a feature film about key Los Alamos scientist and CU professor Stan Ulam, “Adventures of a Mathematician.” And you won’t want to miss our Wild West Wrap Party featuring music by Little America and a downhome chile dinner.
Our Centerpiece event features an appearance by filmmaker Peter Stein, who will be on hand to discuss his compelling documentary, “Out of Exile: The Photography of Fred Stein,” and to present a talk about his work as a Hollywood cinematographer, A Life Behind the Camera.
Some of our films have been showing up at almost every Jewish film festival, always a strong popular endorsement. “Neighbours,” set in 1980s Syria, and the concentration camp drama “Persian Lessons” both offer a rewarding experience despite their dark subjects, while the Israeli romantic comedies “Kiss Me Kosher” and “One More Story” simply delight.
A number of our feature films focus on contemporary life, from modern Paris (“The Man in the Basement”) to Tel Aviv today (“Concerned Citizen”) to Manhattan (“The Magnificent Meyersons”).
Others take us back in time for dramatic revelations about our shared history. “Plan A” is based on an actual events in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, while “Speer Goes to Hollywood” looks at an unrepentant Nazi years later. “The Levys of Monticello” offers a fascinating look at Southern Jewish history, replete with antisemitism, while “Glickman“ intertwines American sport history with the same prejudice. “Berenshtein” takes us to front lines of WW II to experience the exploits of a Jewish Ukrainian partisan.
A festival is not complete with a shorts program, and this year’s selection of short films curated by Judith Dack offers the best examples of this specialized art form, packing in plenty of drama and humor.
For those new to the film festival, please be aware that films do sell out very quickly, especially those in the intimate, state-of-the-art Boedecker Theater. We will add screenings of the first films to sell out so be sure to check back if a film you want to see is already sold out.
If you have questions, please email festival coordinator Jodi Zicklin at jodi@boulderjcc.org.
