RUN, DO NOT WALK, TO THE SAN FRANCISCO JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
By Ron Merk, Editor in Chief Indieplex Online Magazine
I say this every year at this time. This is truly an amazing film festival with something for everyone, and some of the most exciting and creative films by a worldwide group of filmmakers. Throw away any preconceived notions of what kind of films would be in a Jewish film festival. They are not all about Jewish people or Jewish themes. They are about common humanity, and how much we are all alike rather than different. Comedy, drama, documentary, shorts and animation…from the USA and all corners of the world, will not cease to amaze you with their very different views on many different subjects. It’s a great festival to “open your mind” to the many possibilities of human behavior, history and the future of a world that we all work to heal.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Jewish Film Institute (JFI) announces the 39th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF) will open on Thursday, July 18th at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco with the West Coast premiere of Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, Max Lewkowicz’s documentary about the creative origins and long-lasting impact of the famed 1964 Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof. The director will be in attendance. Tickets are now on sale for the film and the Opening Night Bash, which will be held at the Contemporary Jewish Museum following the film. The complete lineup of films at the 39th edition of the Festival is announced today.
SFJF39F will open with Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, director Max Lewkowicz’s film about the inspiration behind the iconic 1964 Broadway Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, which held the record, for 10 years, as the longest-running musical on Broadway. This lively documentary is full of interviews with the musical’s creators, performance clips from productions around the world (including the classic film version and the current popular Yiddish-language adaptation), and commentary from admirers like Stephen Sondheim and Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Fiddler on the Roof, despite its popularity, was established by a small team of Jewish-American musical theater artists. Composer Jerry Brock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick (Fiorello!, She Loves Me) joined forces with book writer Joe Stein and director/choreographer Jerome Robbins (né Rabinowitz, West Side Story) to turn Sholom Aleichem’s stories into the Broadway phenomenon we all know today.
Following the screening, there will be an Opening Night Bash to celebrate the opening of SFJFF39 held at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St in San Francisco. This is a 21+ event. Food options come from Oren’s Hummus, L’Chaim Foods, Wise Sons, and Taste Catering, as well as sweets from Cinderella Bakery and Fairytale Brownies.
Film & Party: $65 Members / $75 General
Film Only: $30 Members / $35 General
For general or ticket information, visit sfjff.org or email jewishfilm@sfjff.org. To contact the SFJFF Box Office, please email boxoffice@sfjff.org, or call 415.621.0568.
HASHTAGS: #SFJFF, #SFJFF39 and #SFJEWISHFILM / @sfjewishfilm
Facebook: facebook.com/sfjewishfilm/
Twitter: @SFJewishFilm
Instagram: @SFJewishFilm
YouTube: youtube.com / sfjewishfilm
Website: www.jfi.org / www.sfjff.org
About the Jewish Film Institute
The Jewish Film Institute (JFI) is the premier curatorial voice for Jewish film and media and a leading arts and culture organization in the Bay Area. Presenter of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, JFI catalyzes and inspires communities in San Francisco and around the world to expand their understanding of Jewish life and culture through film, media, and dialogue. Year round, the Jewish Film Institute promotes awareness and appreciation of the diversity of the Jewish people through multiple mediums – including original online programming that reaches a global audience of over 2.3 million views. All of these services, along with artists’ support and educational initiatives, give audiences around the world even greater access to Jewish culture and the visionaries who shape it.
About the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF), presented by the Jewish Film Institute, is the largest and longest-running festival of its kind and a leader in the curation and presentation of new film and media exploring the complexities of Jewish life around the world. Presenting more than 65 films and 135 individual screenings, performances and events in five Bay Area cities (San Francisco, Palo Alto, San Rafael, Oakland, Berkeley), SFJFF attracts more than 40,000 filmgoers and industry professionals to its 18-day program.
