The Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival is being held this coming Hanukkah for the 15th year in a row at the Jerusalem Cinematheque.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival is being held this coming Hanukkah for the 15th year in a row at the Jerusalem Cinematheque.The array of films screened in the Festival provide an opportunity for examining a wide variety of subjects related to questions of Jewish identity; faith, art, culture, philosophy, music, food, ways of life in Israel and in the Diaspora, and the relationship between Judaism and other religions. Dozens of films from Israel and around the world are presented in the festival – feature films alongside documentaries, shorts, films and animated films. Besides the films screened each evening, the festival hosts an annual short-film competition, lectures, Q&A sessions and panels with filmmakers from Israel and abroad, alongside live music and special events.This year’s opening film is Peace after Marriage by the Jordanian-American filmmaker Ghazi Albuliwi. This dramatic comedy follows a young, lonely New Yorker of Palestinian origin who marries an Israeli girl in order for her to obtain a Green Card. The marriage forces their families to come to terms with a different culture. The film stars Ghazi Albuliwi, Hiam Abbas, Einat Tubi and Omer Barnea.The festival will honor Polish screenwriter and director Agnieszka Holland with a Lifetime Acheivement Award. Her films include In Darkness, Europa, Europa and The Secret Garden.Another festival highlight is the the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the film Life of the Jewish in Palestine – the first film ever made about Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael, filmed in 1913. The film will be screened in a restored copy with a new musical soundtrack.A significant sidebar in this year’s festival is the Culinary Cinema category – featuring mouthwatering films on the subject of Jewish food. For the occasion, the public can sample from food stalls by leading Jerusalem chefs, throughout the Cinematheque. The festival will also be hosting Chef Yotam Ottolenghi who will present his film Jerusalem on a Plate.The festival will hold a Short Film Competition in honor of Benaya Zuckerman for films on the subject of Israeli society and the contemporary Jewish experience.The JJFF runs November 30 through December 6. Advanced ticket sales for the festival will begin on November 15. Tickets may be purchased through the Cinematheque website: http://www.jer-cin.org.il/