BNY Mellon Wealth
Management Denver Jewish Film Festival
Illuminating the human experience is the mission of the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, and that is exactly what our 12th annual Jewish Film Festival has accomplished. The extraordinary range of topics addressed by this year’s films includes the immigrant experience, war, disability, aging, cross-cultural conflict, creativity and forbidden love. Our documentaries examine subjects from an Orthodox Jewish Russian boxer to a young spiritual genius with Down syndrome; from the story of the anti-lynching anthem Strange Fruit to the achievements of six legendary Jewish female comics.
In this year of Israel's 60th anniversary, Israeli cinema and television have come of age, gaining much deserved international recognition. Our bleary eyed selection committee spent countless hours identifying the very best films from around the world – and at the end, all of this year's dramatic features were from Israel. Among our selections are Beaufort, Israel's submission to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film and winner of the Berlin International Film Festival's Golden Bear Award; Jellyfish, winner of the Camera d'Or at Cannes; and In Treatment, an Israeli TV series that has been picked-up by HBO and transformed into an American television series.
We're also confident that this year's line-up will appeal to audiences from eight to 108! In addition to one of the first children's films made in Israel, we are presenting tales of coming-of-age, cutting-edge fare tailored for 20- and 30-somethings, and even a film whose characters are all over the age of 60. Consistent with the festival's multigenerational leitmotif, our Opening Night Fundraiser Gala honors the generosity of the dynamic mother/daughter team of Elaine Wolf and Sandy Wolf-Yearick.
There is much more: directors, producers, scholars and hosts will join us in helping to illuminate your cinematic experience. This year we have expanded to 18 screenings and added weekday screenings at 5 p.m. (Callaloo Catering will offer snacks and light suppers to help you maintain your viewing stamina). Finally, we have extended the festival so that our Grand Finale Party now falls on a Saturday evening. Please remember that although your festival pass provides a tremendous discount on admission, it does not serve as a ticket. You still need to reserve tickets in advance for each screening you plan to attend to guarantee your seats. During the long dark days of February, the world could use a little light. Thank you for joining us in celebrating the human spirit at the Denver Jewish Film Festival.
Roberta Bloom
Festival Director
Sharon Haber
Festival Chair
