34th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

July 24-August 10, 2014

San Francisco, Berkeley, aklan!, "alo Alto an! San #a$ael
San Francisco, CA (June 24, 2014) - The 34th edition of the San
Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al returns to the "a# Area Jul# 24-Au$ust
10, 2014 at the Castro Theatre and %a#&o 'hoto Center in San
Francisco, the Cin(Arts Theatre in 'alo Alto, the Christo)her "* Sith
%afael Fil Center in San %afael, The California Theatre and "er&ele#
%e)ertor# Theatre in "er&ele#, and +rand ,a&e Theater and The -ew
'ar&wa# Theater in .a&land* The /rst and still the lar$est of its &ind,
the San Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al (SFJFF) continues to )resent #ear
after #ear the !er# 0est in inde)endent Jewish cinea1o2erin$ a full
co)leent of /ls, festi!ities, s)ecial discussion )ro$ras and
international $uests that hi$hli$ht 3443 #ears of culture* For tic&et
inforation, )lease contact the 0o5 o6ce at 413*721*0323 or !isit the
San Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al online at www*sf82*or$*
%ening &ight Film' ()* +#**& "#,&-*
The festi!al will &ic& o2 Thursda#, Jul# 24th at the Castro Theater with
-ada! Schiran9s docuentar# ()* +#**& "#,&-*, the o)enin$
ni$ht /l at Sundance and the winner of the :orld ;ocuentar#
Audience Award* The /l follows a 'alestinian in %aallah, <osa0
=assan >ousef, who $rows u) an$r# and read# to /$ht ?srael* :hen he
is arrested for su$$lin$ $uns at the a$e of 14, he@s interro$ated 0#
the Shin "et, ?srael@s securit# ser!ice, and sent to )rison* "ut shoc&ed
0# =aas@s ruthless tactics in the )rison and the or$aniAation@s
escalatin$ ca)ai$n of suicide 0o0in$s outside, <osa0 a$rees to s)#
for ?srael* For hi, there is no $reater shae* For his Shin "et handler,
+onen, there is no $reater )riAeB Co)eratin$C the oldest son of a
foundin$ e0er of =aas* ;irector -ada! Schiran will 0e in )erson
.)enin$ -i$ht and on Saturda#, Jul# 27th at the CineArts in 'alo Alto*
Additional screenin$s will ta&e )lace on Sunda#, Au$ust 3rd at the
California Theater in "er&ele# and on Frida#, Au$ust Dth the %afael Fil
Center in San %afael*
An .)enin$ -i$ht )art# at the Conte)orar# Jewish <useu in San
Francisco follows the o)enin$ ni$ht screenin$ on June 24th at E'<*
-enter%iece &arrative' #.& B/ #.&
The San Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al is )leased to )resent 'e)e
;anFuart9s rear&a0le draa #.& B/ #.&* "ased on a true stor#,
the /l tells the harrowin$ tale of a #oun$ an as he stru$$les to
e!ade ca)ture 0# the -aAis and ward o2 star!ation in the forests of
wartie 'oland* ;irector 'e)e ;anFuart will 0e in )erson Tuesda#, Jul#
2Eth at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, and :ednesda#, Jul# 30th
at the Cin( Arts in 'alo Alto* An additional screenin$ will ta&e )lace
Thursda#, Au$ust 4th at the California Theater in "er&ele#*
-enter%iece 0ocumentary' 1A(-)*#S F ()* S2/
Gdit "elA0er$9s 1A(-)*#S F ()* S2/ won the ;ocuentar#
S)ecial Jur# Award for Hse of Aniation and Gditin$ at Sundance* ?t
unco!ers the for$otten life of %a)hael ,e&in, the an who coined the
ter @$enocide@* ?ns)ired 0# Saantha 'ower@s 'ulitAer 'riAe-winnin$
0oo&, @A 'ro0le Fro =ell@, 1A(-)*#S F ()* S2/ tra!erses tie
and continents to e5)lore $enocide and the c#cle of !iolence* ;irector
Gdet "elA0er$ will 0e in attendance <onda#, Jul# 2Dth at the Castro
Theater in San Francisco and Tuesda#, Jul# 2Eth at the Cin(Arts in 'alo
Alto* Additional festi!al screenin$s will 0e held on Saturda#, Au$ust Eth
at the +rand ,a&e Theater in .a&land and Sunda#, Au$ust 10th at the
%afael Fil Center in San %afael*
-losing &ight Film' 3,((3* 1),(* 3,*
The festi!al will conclude with ,ace# SchwartA9 3,((3* 1),(* 3,*,
which e5)lores the uni!ersal thee of dual identit#* The stor# is rooted
in ,ace# SchwartA@s fail# e5)erience and follows her u)0rin$in$ in a
white, Jewish fail# and the shoc&in$ disco!er# she a&es at the a$e
of 1D* ,ace# is a =ar!ard-educated law#er who continued to 0elie!e
throu$hout her childhood that her CJewishnessC accounted for her
Cotherness,C until she attended colle$e at +eor$etown and decided to
as& for the truth fro her fail#* ;irector ,ace# SchwartA will 0e in
)erson on Sunda#, Au$ust 3rd at the Castro Theater in San Francisco
and <onda#, Au$ust 4th at the California Theater in "er&ele#*
Additional festi!al screenin$s will 0e held on Thursda#, Au$ust 4th at
the -ew 'ar&wa# in .a&land and Saturda#, Au$ust Eth at the %afael
Fil Center in San %afael*
Followin$ the :orld 'reiere of 3,((3* 1),(* 3,* in San Francisco,
/la&ers and $uests at the Castro Theater <eAAanine will toast the
close of the San Francisco )ortion of the festi!al*
Free!om o$ *4%ression Awar!' (heo!ore Bikel
This #ear9s SFJFF Freedo of G5)ression award reci)ient Theodore "i&el
will 0e in attendance for a screenin$ of John ,ollos9 /l T=G.;.%G
"?IG,B ,& ()* S)*S F S)3*5 A3*,-)*5 on Thursda#, Jul# 31st
at the Castro Theater in San Francisco* The /l features Shole
Aleiche, the $reat Jewish stor#teller, and Theodore "i&el, trou0adour
and actor, who )ortra#ed Te!#e in Fiddler on the %oof (0ased on
Shole Aleiche9s stories) countless ties* Followin$ the screenin$,
"i&el will 0e )resented with the Freedo of G5)ression Award*
Followin$ the award cereon#, there will 0e a 0rief JKA and "i&el will
)erfor li!e on the Castro Sta$e*
Berkeley Big &ight' ()* S(.#+*& 6.**&S
?n &ee)in$ with tradition, the festi!al will showcase a "er&ele# "i$
-i$ht /l to hi$hli$ht the )ro$rain$ in "er&ele#* This #ear Julie
Cohen9s ()* S(.#+*& 6.**&S will screen on Saturda#, Au$ust
2nd at the "er&ele# %e)ertor# Theater* The /l follows four
$enerations of the Jewish ii$rant fail#, which started %uss and
;au$hters, a ,ower Gast Side lo5 and herrin$ e)oriu that sur!i!es
and thri!es* 'roduced to coincide with the 100th anni!ersar# of the
store, this docuentar# features an e5tensi!e inter!iew with two of the
ori$inal dau$hters for who the store was naed, now 100 and E2
#ears old, and inter!iews with )roinent enthusiasts of the store
includin$ Su)ree Court Justice %uth "ader +ins0ur$, actress <a$$ie
+#llenhaal, chef <ario "atali, -ew >or&er writer Cal!in Trillin, and 70
<inutes corres)ondent <orle# Safer* %ather than a con!entional
narrator, the /la&ers 0rin$ to$ether si5 colorful lon$tie fans of the
store, in their D0s and E0s, who sit around a ta0le of /sh and read the
scri)t in the st#le of a 'asso!er Seder* ;irector Julie Cohen will 0e in
attendance for the "er&ele# "i$ -i$ht Screenin$ and will also 0e in
attendance Sunda#, Au$ust 3rd for a screenin$ at the Castro Theater in
San Francisco* Additional screenin$s will 0e held on Saturda#, Jul# 27th
at the Cin(Arts in 'alo Alto and on Sunda#, Au$ust 10th the %afael Fil
Center in San %afael*
?ediatel# followin$ the screenin$ in "er&ele#, festi!al attendees will
attend a )ost /l rece)tion catered 0# "istro ,iason in the lo00# and
court#ard of "er&ele# %e)*
)ighlight Film' 5/ FA7#,(* &*-&S*#7A(,7*
The festi!al is )leased to )resent a s)ecial hi$hli$ht of >ael ,uttwa&9s
docuentar# short, 5/ FA7#,(* &*-&S*#7A(,7*, a /l a0out
)roinent conser!ati!e, :ashin$ton ;*C* insider Gdward ,uttwa&, and
a )ersonal, 0ehind-the-scenes loo& at the )eo)le who ha!e sha)ed
forei$n )olic#, war and )eace for the )ast 40 #ears* >ael ,uttwa&,
Gdward9s dau$hter whose )olitical !iews could not 0e further a/eld
then her father9s ade the /l* >ael was the San Francisco Jewish Fil
Festi!al9s inau$ural Fila&er in %esidence* 5/ FA7#,(*
&*-&S*#7A(,7* screens as )art of the Jews in Shorts (;ocs)
series on Frida#, Au$ust 1st at the Castro Theater and Tuesda#, Au$ust
3th at the California Theater in "er&ele#*
3ittle )orri8les' An *vening with Amy /ork #u8in
3ittle )orri8les has 0een hailed as one of the to) ten we0 series of
2013 0# Lariet# and called Mthe les0ian answer to +irlsN 0# the
=u6n$ton 'ostO %u0in has eer$ed as a 0old new coedic !oice* See
a collection of the e)isodes and hear creator and star A# >or& %u0in
discuss her career Frida#, Au$ust 1st at the %a#&o 'hoto Center in San
Francisco* Adission is P10, which includes 2 free drin&s*
S%otlight' A "3A-* ,& )*A7*&
The festi!al will un!eil >ossi <adon#9s A "3A-* ,& )*A7*&, his
latest ca)ti!atin$ draa which charts how the a /ercel# non-0elie!in$,
war-wear# soldier sells his )lace in =ea!en to a lowl# ar# coo& for a
)late of scra0led e$$s, and the ri))le e2ect this decision has four
decades into the life of the ?sraeli soldier* Actor Alon A0ut0ul has 0een
in!ited to attend the festi!al screenin$s on Sunda#, Jul# 24th at the
Castro Theater in San Francisco* .ther screenin$s will 0e :ednesda#,
Jul# 30th at the Cin(Arts in 'alo Alto, Thursda#, Au$ust 4th at the
California Theater in "er&ele#O and Sunda#, Au$ust 10th at the %afael
Fil Center in San %afael*
Stan! .%' -5*0/ 1A##,#S
As )art of a thee of Coed# /ls, the San Francisco Jewish Fil
Festi!al will screen C.<G;> :A%%?.%S, a hilarious and u)liftin$ loo& at
/!e disa0led ?raFQAf$hanistan !eterans who 0rin$ their life-alterin$
e5)eriences onsta$e in the for of 0rutal and /ercel# funn# stand-u)*
Coic asters such as "o0 Sa$et, Rach +alifana&is and ,ewis "lac&
entor the !eterans as the# )re)are for a one-ni$ht show at
=oll#wood9s 'unch ,ine coed# clu0* .ne of the su08ects of the /l
Joe Iashnow will 0e in attendance on :ednesda#, Jul# 30th at the
Castro Theater in San Francisco and will )erfor li!e stand-u) followin$
the screenin$* Additional screenin$s will ta&e )lace on Thursda#, Jul#
31st at the Cin(Arts in 'alo AltoO Frida#, Au$ust 1st at the California
Theater in "er&ele#O and the %afael Fil Center in San %afael on
Saturda#, Au$ust Eth*
SFJFF at the &ew "arkway in aklan!
SFJFF is )artnerin$ with Cinea Clu0 .a&land*, an .a&land 0ased
or$aniAation that a)li/es the stories and traditions of ethnicall# rich
counities across the world, for a s)ecial screenin$ of 3,((3*
1),(* 3,* at The -ew 'ar&wa# Theater on Thursda#, Au$ust 4th*
3ocal Films
?n its 34th edition, the San Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al will feature
se!eral outstandin$ /ls fro talented "a# Area /la&ers* These
/ls includeB
)A7A&A -.#7*BA33 is <arcia Jarel and Ien Schneider9s
docuentar# a0out <ica, an enthusiastic, idealistic #oun$ teen who
also ha))ens to 0e their son* The /l follows hi at 13, as he is
stud#in$ for his "ar <itA!ah, the Jewish coin$ of a$e rite* An earnest
&id, he ta&es to heart his %a00i@s reFuireent to hel) Cheal the world*C
?a$inin$ hiself a sa!ior of sorts, he launches a $rand )lan to send
0ase0alls to Cu0a, a countr# with a #sterious )ull* =e &nows onl# that
Cu0ans are )oor ha!e few resources and lo!e 0ase0all-and that Cu0a
sa!ed his $rand)a@s life* .n a hunch, his award-winnin$ /la&er
)arents )ic& u) their caera* The# &now the H*S* e0ar$o with Cu0a-
and the co)lications of $rowin$ u)-will throw hi a cur!e0all* <arcia
and Ien li!e in San Francisco in the %ichond ;istrict* )A7A&&A
-.#7*BA33 will screen Thursda#, Jul# 31st at the Cin(Arts in 'alo
AltoO Sunda#, Jul# 3rd at the Castro Theater in San FranciscoO and
Sunda#, Au$ust 10th at the +rand ,a&e Theater in .a&land* Co-
directors <arcia Jarel and Ien Schneider will 0e in attendance for all
screenin$s with their son <ica, the su08ect of the /l*
"er&ele# resident -anc# Iates9 new /l #*+A#0,&+ S.SA&
S&(A+ reSects the 0oldness of Sonta$9s wor& and the cultural
i)ortance of her thou$ht, throu$h e5traordinar# archi!al foota$e and
still )hoto$ra)hs, ri!etin$ inter!iews with Sonta$9s friends and
collea$ues, and a rich ta)estr# of artifacts fro )o)ular culture* These
are co0ined with creati!el# culled and ani)ulated ia$es to create
a nuanced, so)histicated )ortrait of a $reat thin&er* <an# Aericans
&now Sonta$9s naeO the /l shows us who she was, and wh# her
thou$hts a0out to)ics such as illness, )hoto$ra)h#, war, terroris, and
torture reain !itall# i)ortant in the new world of the 21st centur#*
#*+A#0,&+ S.SA& S&(A+ will screen <onda#, Jul# 2Dth at the
Cin(Arts in 'alo AltoO Saturda#, Au$ust 2nd at the Castro Theater in
San FranciscoO and Sunda#, Au$ust 3rd at the California Theater in
"er&ele#* ;irector -anc# Iates will 0e in attendance for all screenin$s*
Followin$ the Castro screenin$ of #*+A#0,&+ S.SA& S&(A+,
/la&er -anc# Iates, and writer and literar# critic Terr# Castle will
continue the con!ersation with an in-de)th )ost /l discussion* The
discussion will 0e held at Con$re$ation Sha9ar Raha! and is free to the
)u0lic*
"er&ele# resident A00# +inA0er$ )resents her latest /l SF(
7*&+*A&-*' A3B,* SA-)S A&0 ()* &*1 S.() AF#,-A, a loo&
at Su)ree Court 8ustice, writer, art lo!er and freedo /$hter, Al0ie
Sachs durin$ the lead u) to the o!erthrow of the a)artheid re$ie in
South Africa* SF( 7*&+*A&-* screens Sunda#, Jul# 24th at the
Castro Theater in San FranciscoO <onda#, Jul# 2Dth at the Cin(Arts in
'alo AltoO and Frida#, Au$ust 10th at the +rand ,a&e in .a&land*
;irector A00# +inA0er$ will 0e in attendance for the San Francisco
screenin$*
Another "er&ele# resident Judith <ontell will )reiere her latest /l ,&
()* ,5A+*, a co-directorial e2ort with G# Scharlatt* The /l
)ro/les the Caera 'ro8ect fro ?sraeli-0ased huan ri$hts watchdo$
$rou) "9Tsele* The $rou) )ro!ides 'alestinians in the .ccu)ied
Territories with !ideo caeras to docuent alle$ed huan ri$hts
!iolations and )ro!ide e!idence to the )u0lic and to ?sraeli authorities*
,& ()* ,5A+* screens :ednesda#, Jul# 30th at the Castro Theater in
San Francisco and on Sunda#, Au$ust 3rd at the California Theater in
"er&ele# with 0oth co-directors Judith <ontell and G# Scharlatt in
)erson at 0oth screenin$s*
The docuentar# short B.33*("#F S(-2,&+S, fro "er&ele#
resident Sarah "er&o!ich, follows 'erl and ;alia, e0ers of a
Chassidic roc& 0and that onl# )la#s for woen, 0rid$e the $a)
0etween &ee)in$ their faith and followin$ their dreas*
The Acade# Award noinated docuentar# short FA-,&+ F*A# is
fro "er&ele# resident Jason Cohen* FA-,&+ F*A# tells the stor# of
<atthew "o$er, who while li!in$ on the streets in ,A, was sa!a$el#
0eaten 0# a $rou) of neo--aAi s&inheads* "o$er sur!i!es the attac&
and esca)es his life of the streets, e!entuall# eetin$ his forer
attac&er, Ti Raal* The two en soon realiAed that the# had et
0efore and 0e$in the 8ourne# of for$i!eness and healin$* "oth /ls
screen as )art of the Jews in Shorts (;ocs) )ro$ra on Frida#, Au$ust 1
at the Castro Theater in San Francisco and Tuesda#, Au$ust 3 at the
California Theater in "er&ele#* "oth Sara "er&o!ich and Jason Cohen
will 0e in attendance for the screenin$s*
After two decades of /lin$ weddin$s ;ou$ "loc& wondered what
0ecae of those cou)les* ?n 112 1*00,&+S, "loc& 0e$ins to trac&
down and inter!iew his weddin$ cou)les to e5)lore the sae FuestionB
After #ears of 0ein$ arried, what would 0e #our ad!ice 0e for a #oun$
cou)le soon to 0e arriedT Two of the su08ects featured in the /l are
fro .a&land and director ;ou$ "loc& will 0e in )erson on Saturda#,
Jul# 27 at the Castro Theater in San Francisco and Sunda#, Jul# 24 at
the Cin(Arts in 'alo Alto* An additional festi!al screenin$ will 0e held
on Tuesda#, Au$ust 3 at the California Theater in "er&ele#*
A8out the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
The San Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al (SFJFF) is a #ear-round edia
arts or$aniAation that )uts on the world@s /rst -- and still the lar$est
Jewish /l festi!al* SFJFF@s ission is to )roote awareness and
a))reciation of the di!ersit# of the Jewish )eo)le, )ro!ide a d#naic
and inclusi!e foru for e5)loration of and dialo$ue a0out the Jewish
e5)erience, and encoura$e inde)endent /la&ers wor&in$ with
Jewish thees* The SFJFF@s si$nature suer Fil Festi!al, /la&er
residenc#, onthl# screenin$s, #outh entorshi) )ro$ra (-ew Jewish
Fila&in$ 'ro8ect), )u0lications, and online resources ha!e ade
SFJFF a leader in the use of edia arts to foster cultural understandin$*
Annuall# attractin$ ore than 30,000 /l$oers, the SFJFF is world-
renowned for the di!ersit# and 0readth of its audiences and /ls*
(ickets ,n$ormation, Festival 0ates an! "u8lic -ontact
&um8ers
The 34th San Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al will ta&e )lace Jul# 24 U
Au$ust 10th, 2014* Lenues include The Castro Theatre and %a#&o
Theatre in San Francisco Jul# 24-Au$ust 3O Cin(Arts in 'alo Alto SFuare
Jul# 27-31O The California Theatre in "er&ele# Au$ust 1-4O The "er&ele#
%e)ertor# Theatre in "er&ele# Au$ust 2
nd
O The -ew 'ar&wa# in
.a&land Au$ust 4
th
O The +rand ,a&e Theater in .a&land Au$ust D-10,
and the Christo)her "* Sith %afael Fil Center in San %afael Au$ust
D-10 at* For ore inforation, !isit the SFJFF we0site at www*sf82*or$
or contact 8ewish/lVsf82*or$* The co)lete lineu) of /ls will 0e
announced on June 24, 2014 alon$ with a full co)leent of
discussion )ro$ras, international $uests, awards and cele0rations*
Garl# "ird )asses $o on sale on <a# 24th*Tic&ets and )asses $o on sale
for e0ers on June 24-27 and for $eneral )u0lic on June 24, 2014*
All-Festi!al )asses, discount cards and s)ecial )rices for students and
seniors are a!aila0le* For tic&et inforation, )lease contact the "o5
.6ce at 413*721*0323 or !isit the San Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al at
www*sf82*or$*
San Francisco Jewish Fil Festi!al
143 -inth Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA E4113
www*sf82*or$Q8ewish/lVsf82*or$Q413-721-0337