MARCH 6-17, 2019
Naiditch Family Foundation
CELEBRATING OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY
18+ OPENING NIGHT FABULOUS SPECIAL GUESTS FILM MAKER FILMS! JEREMY NEWBERGER
BASEBALL PLAYERS RYAN LAVARNWAY DEAN KREMER MARCHJEREMY BLEICH 16-CLOSING2 EVENT1 SPECIAL GUEST EXECUTIVE PRODUCER 20JOHN1 PAULSON5
ANNUAL elcome WWe are exceedingly proud to present a premiere line-up of 18 truly outstanding and diverse films that will excite, enlighten and provoke you, our audience. This year, the JFF is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As a special treat, each feature film will be preceded by an animated short created by a student from the Ringling College of Art + Design. The Jewish Film Festival is one of many programs sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee in pursuit of its mission: To strengthen Jewish life and identity in our community, provide for Jewish people in need, and promote support for Israel.
Jewish Film Festival Founder and Honorary Chair Roz Goldberg
2019 Jewish Film Festival Co-Chairs PLEASE SHARE Fran Braverman and Cheryl Shapiro THE EXCITEMENT WITH US! Event Chairs ? Become a Sponsor! ? Buy Individual Tickets! Opening Night - Bunny Skirboll Closing Event - Gloria Feibus
Volunteer Chair Ronnie Riceberg
JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING COMMITTEE Roberta Berson, Fran Braverman, Jack Braverman, Geri Drexler, Lenny Drexler, Meredith Ernst, Eric Faerber, Esme Faerber, Helen Glaser, Len Glaser, Barbara Horowitz, Barbara Jacob, Andi Munzer, Bob Munzer, Susan Newmark, Ilene O’Connell, Ronnie Riceberg, Nadia Ritter, Lori Ruland, Cheryl Shapiro, Lois Stulberg, Evans Tilles, Janet Tolbert and Frank Tucciarone
ANIMATED SHORTS COMMITTEE Susan Bednarek, Mark Briefman, Jennifer Eisenberg, Marsha Eisenberg, Donna Galvin, Megan Udell 2019 JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL Thank You TO OUR MAJOR SPONSORS
FEDERATION TORCH SPONSORS EDIE AND DAVID CHAIFETZ | LEON R. AND MARGARET M. ELLIN DEBBIE AND LARRY HASPEL | NAIDITCH FAMILY FOUNDATION THE ROSENTHAL ROOTS FAMILY FOUNDATION BUNNY AND MORT SKIRBOLL | HADASSAH AND MARTIN STROBEL
GOLD SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSOR SHELLY AND SY GOLDBLATT
BRONZE SPONSORS DR. LOUIS AND MRS. MILLY CHAYKIN CHERYL AND STEVE SHAPIRO
MEDIA SPONSORS SPECIAL GUESTS AND EVENTS OPENING NIGHT CLOSING EVENT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 7PM SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 3PM SARASOTA MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM BEATRICE FRIEDMAN THEATER
Our Opening Night Screening will Our Closing Event will feature feature Heading Home: The Tale of a screening of The Mamboniks. Team Israel, a stirring story of sports, Executive Producer John Paulson patriotism and personal growth. will be our special guest along with Mambo inspired music, hors Joining us on Opening Night will be d’oeuvres and drinks. Mr. Paulson filmmaker Jeremy Newberger along is a producer, director, editor with catcher Ryan Lavarnway, pitcher and cinematographer. His recent Dean Kremer (one of two Israelis on production, Mister Rogers: It’s the team) and pitcher Jeremy Bleich. You I Like, aired on PBS and was There will be a question and answer nominated for two Primetime opportunity after the screening with Emmy Awards. Other credits our special guests. include JFK: The Lost Inaugural Sponsor Party at 5:30 pm will be held Gala, the story of the pre- in the tent behind the auditorium. Inauguration Gala for President Join us for a meet and greet with our Kennedy, and the Emmy Award- special guests, and enjoy cocktails winning Les Paul: Chasing Sound, and dinner. a biography of the legendary guitarist and inventor that was part of the PBS American Masters series. The Optimists
“Our mission is to turn on the light and conquer the darkness”
(Ayelet Eshchar, Kibbutz Ketura, Israel)
Narrator: Mandy Patinkin Director: Eliezer Yaari Producer: Irit Ambar www.theoptimists.co.il WEDNESDAY MARCH6 7:00pm OPENING NIGHT SARASOTA MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
TUES., MARCH 12 H11, #7 • 4:00pm
87 minutes English
HEADING HOME - THE TALE OF TEAM ISRAEL A stirring story of sports, patriotism and personal growth, Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel charts the underdog journey of Israel’s national baseball team competing for the first time in the World Baseball Classic. After years of defeat, Team Israel is finally ranked among the world’s best in 2017, eligible to compete in the prestigious international tournament. Their line-up included several Jewish American Major League players—Ike Davis, Josh Zeid and ex- Braves catcher Ryan Lavarnway—most with a tenuous relationship to Judaism, let alone having ever set foot in Israel. Their odyssey takes them from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem where they are greeted as heroes, to Seoul where they must debunk their has-been, wannabe reputations. With their Mensch on the Bench mascot by their side, the team laughs, cries, and does much soul-searching, discovering the pride of representing Israel on the world stage.
Best Documentary of Jewish Arts and Film Festival of Fairfield County, 2018 Audience Award, Philadelphia JFF, 2018 Audience Award, Washington, DC JFF, 2018 Best10 Documentary, Boca Raton JFF, 2018 5 THURSDAY MARCH7 H11, #5 • 1:00pm
MON., MARCH 11 H11, #5 • 1:00pm
THURS., MARCH 14 H11, #7 • 7:45pm
54 minutes Hebrew, with English subtitles
THE OPTIMISTS The Optimists tells the story of Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, a Palestinian chemist, who relocates with his family to Kibbutz Ketura in the southern Arava, in order to become the Academic Director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. The Arava Institute was founded 20 years ago on Kibbutz Ketura to advance cross-border environmental cooperation by bringing together Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians and others in an academic program that teaches that “nature knows no borders.” The documentary reveals how the kibbutz manages to maintain the essence of kibbutz life and mutual support, focusing on a few key figures on the kibbutz and in the Arava Institute. It also explores whether the optimistic spirit embodied by this collective kibbutz can survive and thrive in today’s Israeli society, and whether its liberal orientation can absorb Muslim Arab Israelis.
Nominee, Best Documentary, Jerusalem Cinematic Hanukkah JFF, 2018
6 THURSDAY 7 MARCH 7 H11, #5 • 3:00pm
MON., MARCH 11 H11, #7 • 12:00pm
FRI., MARCH 15 H11, #6 • 1:00pm
90 minutes English
93QUEEN 93Queen is set in the Hasidic enclave of Borough Park, Brooklyn, where EMS corps have long been the province of men. Though the neighborhood is home to the largest volunteer ambulance corps in the world, known as Hatzolah, that organization has steadfastly banned women from its ranks. This engaging documentary follows a group of tenacious Hasidic women who are smashing the patriarchy in their community by creating Ezras Nashim, the first all- female volunteer ambulance corps in New York City. With unprecedented and insider access, this film follows the formation and launch of Ezras Nashim through the organization’s first year on the ground. It offers up a unique portrayal of empowered women who are taking matters into their own hands to change their own community from within.
Nominee, Best Documentary, Jerusalem Cinematic Hanukkah JFF, 2018 Official Selection, Hot Docs, 2018
7 THURSDAY MARCH7 H11, #5 • 7:00pm
THURS., MARCH 7 H11, #6 • 7:00pm
TUES., MARCH 12 H11, #5 • 12:00pm
TUES., MARCH 12 H11, #6 • 12:00pm
FRI., MARCH 15 H11, #7 • 3:00pm
93 minutes English, Hebrew, Arabic with English subtitles
SHELTER Mossad agent Naomi is called back from sick leave and assigned to a “babysitting” job. Under a new identity, she heads to Germany to protect Mona, a beautiful Lebanese informant, whom special agents have pulled from her country and hidden in a Hamburg safe house while she recovers from plastic surgery. Naomi soon learns that Mona is very close to a top Hezbollah leader, a man she betrayed and who is dead-set on exacting revenge. During the two weeks they spend together, an unexpected bond forms between the two women, forged from shared risks and a deep understanding of loss. But in this high-stakes game of deception, questions of fate may be out of their control.
Official Selection, Haifa Film Festival, 2017 Official Selection, Warsaw Film Festival, 2017 Official Selection, Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2018 11 8 THURSDAY 7 MARCH7 H11, #6 • 12:00pm
WED., MARCH 13 H11, #6 • 12:00pm
FRI., MARCH 15 H11, #5 • 12:00pm
96 minutes Spanish, with English subtitles
THE LIGHT OF HOPE This is the harrowingly true story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz, who was awarded the status of Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli government in 2002 for her role as founder of the Mothers of Elne, which saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish mothers and children during WWII. In the early 1940’s, European refugees, including countless Jewish women and children, sought shelter as they escaped persecution by the Nazis and Franco’s regime in Spain. Refugee camps were in horrendous condition, leaving women and children dying from malnutrition or disease. An appalled Elisabeth decides to convert an abandoned mansion in Elne into a maternity home, providing the refugees shelter, thus saving them from certain death. Soon however, Gestapo agents grow suspicious and demand she hand over all Jewish refugees and their children or be imprisoned. Elisabeth, the mothers, and their supporters will do everything in their power to prevent it.
Best Movie, Gaudi Awards, 2018 Audience Award, Festival de Luchon, 2017 Best Actress Award, Noemie Schmidt Schweizer Fernsehfilmpreis, 2017 9 THURSDAY MARCH H11, #6 • 3:007pm
MON., MARCH 11 H11, #6 • 12:00pm
TUES., MARCH 12 H11, #6 • 3:00pm
94 minutes English
KEEP THE CHANGE David, an upper-class charmer, leads a very comfortable life until he is mandated to attend a support group for adults with disabilities. There, he is forced to come to terms with his own high-functioning autism, despite his resentment towards being singled out as different, or anything other than what he interprets as ‘normal.’ In group, David is paired with Sarah —a quirky and outgoing woman whose optimism initially irks David— and the two take a trip together to the Brooklyn Bridge. Despite their contrasting personalities, they forge a bond. As their relationship deepens, Sarah, confident in herself and her individuality, challenges David to embrace his own uniqueness. An endearing and naturalistic romantic comedy about people navigating the difficulties of a relationship, Keep the Change details an underrepresented community with authenticity, optimism and humor.
Best U.S. Narrative Director, Tribeca Film Festival, 2017 Special Mention, Nora Ephron Prize, Tribeca Film Festival, 2017
10 THURSDAY 7 MARCH7 H11, #7 • 12:00pm
TUE., MARCH 12 H11, #5 • 7:00pm
WED., MARCH 13 H11, #5 • 4:00pm
109 minutes Hebrew, English, German with English subtitles
PAST LIFE Two Israeli sisters, the daughters of Holocaust survivors, unravel the shocking truth about their father’s murky wartime experiences in this hybrid detective thriller and heart-tugging drama. Set in historic 1977, the film centers on combative liberal journalist, Nana, and her younger sister, Sephi, a soprano and aspiring classical music composer. After a choral performance in West Berlin, Sephi is traumatized by a startling encounter with an elderly Polish woman who angrily accuses her father of murder. As guilty secrets and troubling revelations are dredged up, the film boldly charts dangerous emotional territory, still very much part of the Israeli collective subconscious. The film’s polished period details, rich-hued cinematography and handsome production design are further served by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.
Nominated for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Music, Israeli Film Academy, 2017 Nominee, Main Competition, Careimage, 2016 11 THURSDAY MARCH H11, #7 • 4:007pm
FRI., MARCH 8 H11, #7 • 12:00pm
WED., MARCH 13 H11, #7 • 12:00pm
93 minutes English
THE SAMUEL PROJECT This comedic drama is about a teenager who gets to know his grandfather, Samuel, for the first time when he makes him the subject of a senior year animated art project. With dreams of becoming a professional artist, the teen discovers that his grandpa, a Jewish dry cleaner, was heroically saved from Nazi capture in Germany by a young woman when he was a boy. After hesitating, Samuel agrees to tell his story for the project—a story he hasn’t told in over 75 years. In the end, Eli’s project makes the finals in a countywide art showcase where he unveils his animated ‘Samuel Project’ with the help of his unlikely friend Kasim, an electric guitar wielding school misfit. And after decades, three generations of Eli’s family finally connect with one another.
Audience Award, Best Narrative Feature, Los Angeles JFF, 2018 Official Selection, Heartland International Film Festival, 2018
12 THURSDAY MARCH 7 H11, #7 • 7:457pm
WED., MARCH 13 TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL 7:00pm
THUR., MARCH 14 H11, #5 • 3:00pm
THURS., MARCH 14 H11, #6 • 3:00pm
86 minutes Spanish/German/Polish Yiddish with English subtitles
THE LAST SUIT Eighty-eight-year-old Holocaust survivor Abraham Bursztein is about to be put out to pasture by his children, who have sold his house in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and booked him into a retirement home. Refusing to bow to family pressure, he sets off on an adventure from which he doesn’t expect to return. Fueled by a sense of duty, and a quest for closure and fulfillment, Abraham decides that the moment has come to fulfill a promise and seek out an old friend. With assistance from a cast of kindly strangers, the sharply-dressed suit maker travels by train across Europe from Spain to Poland, in search of the man who saved him from certain death at Auschwitz. Undeterred by a series of travel mishaps, family foibles and geographical obstacles along the way, the hard edges of the cantankerous Abraham gradually soften. Heartfelt and charming, the film exudes a poignant message of the enduring importance of family, friends and honor.
Audience Award, Atlanta JFF, 2018 Audience Award, Miami Film Festival, 2018 Audience Award, San Francisco JFF, 2018 13 FRIDAY MARCH H11, #5 • 12:008pm
TUES., MARCH 12 H11, #7 • 7:00pm
WED., MARCH 13 H11, #6 • 3:00pm
WED., MARCH 13 H11, #7 • 3:00pm
117 minutes Hebrew/English/German with English subtitles
THE CAKEMAKER Thomas, a young German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who has frequent business visits in Berlin. When Oren dies in a car crash in Israel, Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking answers regarding his death. Under a fabricated identity, Thomas infiltrates into the life of Anat, his lover’s newly widowed wife, who owns a small café in downtown Jerusalem. Thomas starts to work for her and create German cakes and cookies that help her business thrive and her son overcome his grief. Thomas finds himself involved in Anat’s life in a way far beyond his anticipation, and to protect the truth he will stretch his lie to a point of no return.
Best Film, Ophir Awards, 2018 Oscar Nomination, Israeli submission, 2019 Official Selection, San Sebastian IFF, 2017 14 Official Selection, London BFI, 2017 FRIDAY MARCH 8 H11, #6 • 2:308pm
WED., MARCH 13 H11, #6 • 7:00pm
WED., MARCH 13 H11, #7 • 7:00pm
FRI., MARCH 15 H11, #5 • 3:00pm
162 minutes Danish with English subtitles
A FORTUNATE MAN On his quest for happiness, Per decides to leave Jutland, Denmark, and an upbringing in a strict religious home. He runs from his family and his patriarch father, and sets sail towards Copenhagen to become an engineer. Parallel to his studies, he works on a visionary energy project based on wind and wave energy, a project so much ahead of its time that professors consider him insane and far too self-confident. However, Per’s project becomes a success and he marries the beautiful Jakobe, who is a part of a wealthy Jewish family. One would imagine that Per’s happiness now is made. But Per’s childhood keeps haunting him and his dogmatic family cannot accept his new life. Despite his luck and success, Per is unable to fully cut the strings to his strict religious background, and he now fears that he will repeat his father’s patriarchist behavior.
Best Film, Ophir Awards, 2018 One of three films shortlisted to be the Danish entry for the Best Foreign Oscar Nomination, Israeli submission, 2019 Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Official Selection, San Sebastian IFF, 2017 13 Official Selection, London BFI, 2017 15 FRIDAY MARCH8 H11, #6 • 12:00pm
TUES., MARCH 12 H11, #6 • 7:45pm
THUR., MARCH 14 H11, #7 • 4:00pm
70 minutes Hebrew/English with English subtitles
WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS When The Smoke Clears tells the true stories of three young Israeli soldiers – Gil, Ofer and Elad - whose injuries have them fighting for the strength to live. Making breakthroughs and finding meaning by reaching out to those in need, they discover that what didn’t kill them really did make them stronger. The soldiers’ unthinkable battle experiences leave them with life-altering mental and physical scars. Returning to society, their trauma disconnects them from all they once valued, turning their lives upside down. When all seems lost, a revolutionary idea gives them the hope, courage, tools and community to survive, and to embrace their identities as heroes both on and off the battlefield. Banding together in a family of wounded soldiers, they learn to face their obstacles together and discover that in conquering their pain, they might have more to offer than ever before.
Best Documentary Feature, GI Film Festival, San Diego, 2018 Best Human Spirit Award, Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, 2018 Official Selection, Hong Kong JFF, 2017 16 Official Selection, Miami JFF, 2018 FRIDAY 8 MARCH8 H11, #5 • 3:00pm
MON., MARCH 11 H11, #5 • 7:00pm
MON., MARCH 11 H11, #6 • 7:00pm
THURS., MARCH 14 H11, #5 • 12:00pm
THURS., MARCH 14 H11, #6 • 12:00pm
95 minutes English
WHO WILL WRITE OUR HISTORY In November 1940, days after the Nazis sealed 450,000 Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, a secret band of journalists, scholars and community leaders decided to fight back. Led by historian Emanuel Ringelblum and known by the code name Oyneg Shabes, this clandestine group vowed to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda not with guns or fists but with pen and paper. Now, for the first time, their story is told as a feature documentary. Who Will Write Our History mixes the writings of the Oyneg Shabes archive with new interviews, rarely seen footage and stunning dramatizations to transport us inside the Ghetto and the lives of these courageous resistance fighters. They defied their murderous enemy with the ultimate weapon —the truth— and risked everything so that their archive would survive the war, even if they did not.
Audience Award, San Francisco JFF, 2018 Best Documentary, Twin Cities Film Festival, 2018
13 17 FRIDAY MARCH H11, #7 • 2:308pm
FRI., MARCH 15 H11, #7 • 12:00pm
94 minutes French with English subtitles
FANNY’S JOURNEY Based on a true story of bravery, strength and survival, Fanny’s Journey tells the story of a daring young girl who will stop at nothing and fears no one. Following the arrest of their father in Paris, Fanny and her younger sisters, Erika and Georgette, are sent to a boarding school in France’s neutral zone. Their safe haven is only temporary however, and the Jewish students are whisked away to another institution where they come under the care of the tough but tender Madame Forman. When the Nazis arrive in Italy, their caretakers desperately organize the departure of the children to Switzerland. As danger advances yet again, the children’s fate is entrusted to 13-year-old Fanny who fearlessly treks through the countryside on a perilous mission to reach the Swiss border, with only wits and solidarity to guide her.
Juried Award, Best Feature, Teaneck Int’l Film Festival, 2017 Audience Choice Award, Jewish Arts & Film Fesival of Fairfield County, 2017 Audience Award and Jury Award, Atlanta JFF, 2017 Audience Awards, Long Island, Cinetopia Films, Augusta JFF, Philadelphia 18 JFF, JCC Rockland JFF, Charlotte, JFF, 2017 MONDAY MARCH 8 H11, #5 • 3:0011pm
MON., MARCH 11 H11, #6 • 3:00pm
THUR., MARCH 14 H11, #5 • 7:00pm
THUR., MARCH 14 H11, #6 • 7:00pm
FRI., MARCH 15 H11, #6 • 4:00pm
79 minutes English
MY DEAR CHILDREN My Dear Children is a story of Jewish faith, family, and a tragedy that reverberated for generations. The pogroms in the years following the Russian Revolution of 1917 killed tens of thousands of Jews and marked the beginning of the near-obliteration of Jewish life from an area of the world to which nearly 80% of the world’s Jewry can trace its roots. Feiga Shamis, a Jewish mother of 12, wrote about those years in a rare first-hand account. What happened drove her to make a choice no mother should ever have to make. But it was a choice that ensured the survival of two of her children. Decades later, Feiga’s granddaughter, Judy Favish, set out from South Africa for Poland and Ukraine to try to understand the grandmother she never met, the choice Feiga made, and her father who would never talk about his past.
Best Documentary Harrisburg JFF, 2018 Finalist, Suncoast Regional Emmy, 2018 Official Selection, Washington JFF, 2018 13 19 MONDAY MARCH11 H11, #7 • 4:00pm
MON., MARCH 11 H11, #7 • 7:45pm
TUE., MARCH 12 H11, #7 • 1:00pm
Bonnie Rich will host a Q&A after each screening.
46 minutes English
LIFE IS RICH A real-life comedy about Bonnie Rich, a filmmaker and Jewish mom on a mission—to persuade her millennial daughters to raise her unborn grandchildren Jewish. While her daughters see little need for Jewish ritual that doesn’t involve food, Bonnie wants them to see Judaism as more than matzo ball soup. So she lures her daughters into Jewish sing-alongs and drags them to meet with rabbis. In the process, Bonnie finds herself contemplating her own connection with her faith and questions whether she will be successful in pulling the family closer to Judaism. The question is: will Bonnie’s efforts bring her and her family closer to the culture and religion treasured by her parents and grandparents?
Audience Award, Washington JFF, 2018
20 TUESDAY 11 MARCH12 H11, #5 • 4:00pm
WED., MARCH 13 H11, #5 • 7:45pm
THUR., MARCH 14 H11, #7 • 1:00pm
83 minutes English, Hebrew, Hungarian, Romanian Polish with English subtitles
BACK TO BERLIN Back to Berlin is the first biker flick-meets-Holocaust educational documentary. In the summer of 2015, eleven motorcyclists set out on a one-month journey through nine cities, two major storms and unbearable heat on a mission to carry the Maccabiah torch from Israel to the Waldbühne Stadium in Berlin for the European Maccabi Games —the first time the Games were held in Germany since WWII. These riders follow in the tracks of the early 1930’s bikers, who in one of the most innovative PR exercises of all time, set out from the British Mandate of Palestine to all corners of Europe to search for athletes for the first Maccabi Games in 1932. Each destination on the way to Berlin holds a chilling resonance for the riders as they discover and share how their families perished, or managed to survive.
Nominated Best Feature Documentary, International Filmmaker Festival for World Berlin, 2018 Nominated for Rome Independent Prisma Film Awards, 2018 13 21 SUNDAY MARCH17 3:00pm
CLOSING EVENT Beatrice Friedman Theater, The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life
90 minutes English
THE MAMBONIKS The Mamboniks tells a surprising, little-known story: how Jewish people fell head over heels in love with Latin music and dance in the years directly following World War II. Back then, two cultures, Jewish and Latino, met on the dance floor at a time when America was racially segregated, and anti-Semitism was commonplace. Set in New York, the Catskills, Miami Beach and sultry Havana, the film features a lovable, somewhat zany group of characters now retired yet still dancing near Boca Raton, Florida. This array of Damon Runyon- like characters from mambo’s heyday ranges in age from the seventies to the nineties. We meet dancers, musicians, club owners, disc jockeys, and record company moguls. Many possess the Yiddish gift of gab, spinning their tales with humor, heart and chutzpah.
Southwest Florida Premiere
22 PRESENTS 17 JFF FAMILY NIGHT Saturday March 16 5:00–7:30pm Zell Room, The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life Inspiring Event is free, but registration is required at jfedsrq.org/jff19 or 888.718.4253, #1
n this animated retelling of the Book of Exodus, Egyptian IPrince Moses (Val Kilmer), upon discovering his roots as a Jewish slave, embarks on a quest to free his people from bondage. When his plea is denied by his brother Rameses (Ralph Fiennes), the new pharaoh, a series of horrific plagues Uplifting strike Egypt. Moses finally leads the Israelites to freedom by parting the Red Sea and drowning the Egyptian army. God then gives Moses the Ten Commandments, a list of rules for his people to live by. 100 minutes Bring blankets, pillows and PJ’s! Empowering Get ready for Passover next month! Snack on popcorn and pizza while you snuggle up and watch the film. After the movie, make and decorate a matzoh house and play a game of afikomen hide and seek! FESTIVAL SPONSORS
FEDERATION TORCH SPONSORS Edie and David Chaifetz Leon R. and Margaret M. Ellin Debbie and Larry Haspel Naiditch Family Foundation The Rosenthal Roots Family Foundation Bunny and Mort Skirboll Hadassah and Martin Strobel
GOLD SPONSOR Regal Cinemas
SILVER SPONSORS Shelly and Sy Goldblatt
BRONZE SPONSORS Dr. Louis and Mrs. Milly Chaykin Cheryl and Steve Shapiro The Ackerman Group Retirement Wealth Specialists
COPPER SPONSORS Howard Berman Milt Crystal Ann and Robert Jackson Joan and Bart Levenson Nessa and Richard Levine Lori and David Liner Lois Stulberg Jack and Adrea Sukin
MEDIA SPONSORS Sarasota Magazine WUSF Observer Media Group Cineworx 24 Thank You!
PEWTER SPONSORS Ruthe Actor Kathleen and Morris Lioz Ruth and Alan Ades Linda Lipson Ronni Bernard Bobbi and Will Lorry Roberta Berson and Frank Tucciarone Judith and Arthur Marks Sheila and Jerry Birnbaum Ellen and Henry Mason Rosann and Ian Black Barbara and Philip Meltzer Cookie Bloom Gloria Moss Fran and Jack Braverman Bob and Andi Munzer Murry Bring and Kay Delaney Margot Nathan Helen and Murray Charash Elaine and Akiva Pipe Dr. Herbert and Anita Cohen Bert Rapowitz and Lauri Pollack Renee Crames Ronnie Riceberg Marsha and Harry Eisenberg and Dennis Zimmerman Meredith and Al Ernst Nadia Ritter Esme and Eric Faerber Irene and Marty Ross Janis and Jay Forgotson Lori Ruland Marsha and Marvin Frank Harriet and Jules Schaeffer Jean and Michael Freed Nancy and Barry Shapiro Helen and Len Glaser Sue and Marty Spector Nancy Gold Cheryl and Mel Taub Roz Goldberg and Alan Bandler Bryna and Howard Tevlowitz Faith and Michael Goldman Evans Tilles and Terry Neis Sandra and James Goldman Janet Tolbert Merrill and Barbara Greenberger Judy and Bob Vigder Jerry and Debby Hamburg Leon and Marysue Wechsler Barbara Horowitz Hannah and Norm Weinberg Barbara Jacob Patti and David Wertheimer Sue Johnson Brian and Joan Wides Marcy and Michael Klein Debbie Yonker Sandi Kligman Roberta and Harold Zimmerman Sandra and Ben Krause
(List in formation) 25 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
$15,000 Jewish Film Festival Sponsor ($10,460 tax deductible) – ONE AVAILABLE @ Opportunity to have the entire JFF named for you or your designee @ Opportunity to welcome the audience at Opening Night Sponsor Cocktail Party @ 8 tickets to Opening Night Sponsor Cocktail Party and Film @ 8 tickets to Closing NightSOLD Film/Event OUT @ 30 film tickets @ Recognition in all event publicity and at the event on screen* $10,000 Gold Sponsor ($5,460 tax deductible) @ 8 tickets to Opening Night Sponsor Cocktail Party and Film @ 8 tickets to Closing Night Film/Event @ 30 film tickets @ Opportunity to address the audience on opening night @ Recognition in Festival Program Guide, on JFF webpage and at each screening @ Advance film and event registration handled by our sponsor concierge $5,000 Silver Sponsor ($2,125 tax deductible) @ 6 tickets to Opening Night Sponsor Cocktail Party and Film @ 6 tickets to Closing Night Film/Event @ 18 film tickets @ Recognition in Festival Program Guide, on JFF webpage and at each screening @ Advance film and event registration handled by our sponsor concierge $2,500 Bronze Sponsor ($1,075 tax deductible) @ 4 tickets to Opening Night Sponsor Cocktail Party and Film @ 4 tickets to Closing Night Film/Event @ The opportunity to sponsor one screening of a film @ 12 film tickets @ Recognition in Festival Program Guide, on JFF webpage and at each screening @ Advance film and event registration handled by our sponsor concierge $1,500 Copper Sponsor ($700 tax deductible) @ 4 tickets to Opening Night Sponsor Cocktail Party and Film @ 4 tickets to Closing Night Film/Event @ 12 film tickets @ Recognition in Festival Program Guide, on JFF webpage and at each screening @ Advance film and event registration handled by our sponsor concierge $750 Pewter Sponsor ($290 tax deductible) @ 2 tickets to Opening Night Sponsor Cocktail Party and Film @ 2 tickets to Closing Night Film/Event @ 10 film tickets @ Recognition in Festival Program Guide, on JFF webpage and at each screening @ Advance film and event registration handled by our sponsor concierge
20TO BECOME A SPONSOR, contact Jeremy Lisitza at 941.343.2113 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TICKETS You may purchase your tickets in several ways: OPENING NIGHT TICKETS – $18 per Ticket Each ticket includes one non-reserved seat for the Opening Night film. Special pricing ($10) for students under 18, Opening Night only.
CLOSING EVENT TICKETS – $36 per Ticket Each ticket includes one non-reserved seat for the Closing Event which includes Mambo inspired music, hors d’oeuvres and drinks following the screening. INDIVIDUAL FILM TICKETS – $15 per Ticket Each ticket includes one reserved seat at one screening, (does not include Opening or Closing films).
To order your tickets, please visit jfedsrq.org/jff19 or call ShowClix at 888.718.4253, Option 1. Your tickets will be sent by mail, email or text in advance of the Festival or are available at will-call for $1.00 extra per ticket.
FOR SPONSOR TICKETS ONLY: Contact Navita at 941.500.2566 NEW or [email protected] THIS YEAR Five minutes before the start of each film, empty seats may be sold to walk-ins. Please make every effort to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to showtime to ensure your seat selection.
SCREENING LOCATIONS SARASOTA MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM HOLLYWOOD 11 (H11) 801 N. Tamiami Trail 1993 Main Street Sarasota Sarasota TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL BEATRICE FRIEDMAN THEATER 567 Bay Isles Rd 582 McIntosh Road Longboat Key Sarasota
SECURITY WILL BE PROVIDED AT ALL EVENTS AND SCREENINGS 27 Hollywood 11 ( H11) THEATERS 5, 6, 7
H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
G 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
F 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
E 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
D 1 2 5 6 8 9 12 13
C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Seating for theaters 5, 6 and 7 is identical.
NEW THIS YEAR Five minutes before the start of each film, empty seats may be sold to walk-ins. Please make every effort to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to showtime 28 to ensure your seat selection. “This new Jewish-themed film series focuses on real slices of life we can all relate to.” – ROSANN BLACK
NO PLACE ON EARTH Thursday, March 28, 2019 • 1:30 pm
A cave exploration in Ukraine leads to the unearthing of a story of World War II survivors who once found shelter in the same cave.
Braden River Branch Library 4915 53rd Ave E, Bradenton
SAMMY DAVIS JR. I’VE GOTTA BE ME Wednesday, April 10, 2019 • 2:00 pm A star-studded roster of interviewees (including Jerry Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal) pay tribute to the legendary, multi-talented song-and-dance man. Temple Beth Israel 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key
LIMIT 2 TICKETS PER FILM. THE SERIES IS FREE but you are encouraged to bring cans of food, toys and school supplies, which will be donated to All Faiths Food Bank, Toys for Tots and Title 1 Schools. CHAIR: ROSANN BLACK For more information, contact Jeremy Lisitza at [email protected] or 941.343.2113
FREE POPCORN! TO REGISTER: JFEDSRQ.ORG/reel19 Ticket Order To help you plan your ticket order before you contact our ticket provider, we suggest you use the worksheet on this page. Please refer to the screening matrix on pages 32–34. q I want to purchase _____ Individual Ticket / $15 per ticket q I want to purchase _____ Opening Night Ticket / $18 per ticket/$10 student q I want to purchase _____ Closing Event Ticket / $36 each
___ Heading Home Wed., March 6, 7:00pm Sarasota Municipal Auditorium (Opening Night) ___ Heading Home Tues., March 12, 4:00pm H11 #7 ___ The Optimists Thur., March 7, 1:00pm H11 #5 ___ The Optimists Mon., March 11, 1:00pm H11 #5 ___ The Optimists Thurs., March 14, 7:45pm H11 #7 ___ 93Queen Thurs., March 7, 3:00pm H11 #5 ___ 93Queen Mon., March 11, 12:00pm H11 #7 ___ 93Queen Fri., March 15, 1:00pm H11 #6 ___ Shelter Thurs., March 7, 7:00pm H11 #5 ___ Shelter Thurs., March 7, 7:00pm H11 #6 ___ Shelter Tues., March 12, 12:00pm H11 #5 ___ Shelter Tues., March 12, 12:00pm H11 #6 ___ Shelter Fri., March 15, 3:00pm H11 #7 ___ The Light of Hope Thurs., March 7, 12:00pm H11 #6 ___ The Light of Hope Wed., March 13, 12:00pm H11 #6 ___ The Light of Hope Fri., March 15, 12:00pm H11 #5 ___ Keep the Change Thurs., March 7, 3:00pm H11 #6 ___ Keep the Change Mon., March 11, 12:00pm H11 #6 ___ Keep the Change Tues., March 12, 3:00pm H11 #6 ___ Past Life Thurs., March 7, 12:00pm H11 #7 ___ Past Life Tue., March 12, 7:00pm H11 #5 ___ Past Life Wed., March 13, 4:00pm H11 #5 ___ The Samuel Project Thurs., March 7, 4:00pm H11 #7 ___ The Samuel Project Fri., March 8, 12:00pm H11 #7 ___ The Samuel Project Wed., March 13, 12:00pm H11 #7 ___ The Last Suit Thurs., March 7, 7:45pm H11 #7 ___ The Last Suit Wed., March 13, 7:00pm Temple Beth Israel
to purchase tickets: visit jfedsrq.org/jff19
30 sponsors only: contact Navita at 941.500.2566 or [email protected] Ticket Order WORKSHEET ___ The Last Suit Thurs., March 14, 3:00pm H11 #5 ___ The Last Suit Thurs., March 14, 3:00pm H11 #6 ___ The Cakemaker Fri., March 8, 12:00pm H11 #5 ___ The Cakemaker Tues., March 12, 7:00pm H11 #7 ___ The Cakemaker Wed., March 13, 3:00pm H11 #6 ___ The Cakemaker Wed., March 13, 3:00pm H11 #7 ___ A Fortunate Man Fri., March 8, 2:30pm H11 #6 ___ A Fortunate Man Wed., March 13, 7:00pm H11 #6 ___ A Fortunate Man Wed., March 13, 7:00pm H11 #7 ___ A Fortunate Man Fri., March 15, 3:00pm H11 #5 ___ When the Smoke Clears Fri., March 8, 12:00pm H11 #6 ___ When the Smoke Clears Tues., March 12, 7:45pm H11 #6 ___ When the Smoke Clears Thurs., March 14, 4:00pm H11 #7 ___ Who Will Write Our History Fri., March 8, 3:00pm H11 #5 ___ Who Will Write Our History Mon., March 11, 7:00pm H11 #5 ___ Who Will Write Our History Mon., March 11, 7:00pm H11 #6 ___ Who Will Write Our History Thurs., March 14, 12:00pm H11 #5 ___ Who Will Write Our History Thurs., March 14, 12:00pm H11 #6 ___ Fanny’s Journey Fri., March 8, 2:30pm H11 #7 ___ Fanny’s Journey Fri., March 15, 12:00pm H11 #7 ___My Dear Children Mon., March 11, 3:00pm H11 #5 ___My Dear Children Mon., March 11, 3:00pm H11 #6 ___My Dear Children Thurs., March 14, 7:00pm H11 #5 ___My Dear Children Thurs., March 14, 7:00pm H11 #6 ___My Dear Children Fri., March 15, 4:00pm H11 #6 ___Life Is Rich Mon., March 11, 4:00pm H11 #7 ___Life Is Rich Mon., March 11, 7:45pm H11 #7 ___Life Is Rich Tues., March 12, 1:00pm H11 #7 ___Back to Berlin Tues., March 12, 4:00pm H11 #5 ___Back to Berlin Wed., March 13, 7:45pm H11 #5 ___Back to Berlin Thurs., March 14, 1:00pm H11 #7 ___The Mamboniks Sun., March 17, 3:00pm Beatrice Friedman Theater (Closing Event) ___The Prince of Egypt Sat., March 16, 5:00pm Zell Room on The Larry Greenspon (JFF Family Night) FREE FAMILY EVENT Family Campus for Jewish Life to purchase tickets: visit jfedsrq.org/jff19 or call 888.718.4253, Option 1
31 sponsors only: contact Navita at 941.500.2566 or [email protected] Schedule of FILM SCREENINGS AND VENUES
WED., MARCH 6 — OPENING NIGHT — SARASOTA MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM 7:00 PM HEADING HOME: THE TALE OF TEAM ISRAEL
TIME THURS., MARCH 7, H11 #5 THURS., MARCH 7, H11 #6 THURS., MARCH 7, H11 #7 12:00 PM The Light of Hope Past Life 1:00 PM The Optimists 3:00 PM 93Queen Keep the Change 4:00 PM The Samuel Project 7:00 PM Shelter Shelter 7:45 PM The Last Suit
TIME FRI., MARCH 8, H11 #5 FRI., MARCH 8, H11#6 FRI., MARCH 8, H11 #7 12:00 PM The Cakemaker When the Smoke Clears The Samuel Project 2:30 PM A Fortunate Man Fanny’s Journey 3:00 PM Who Will Write Our History
TIME MON., MARCH 11, H11 #5 MON., MARCH 11, H11 #6 MON., MARCH 11, H11 #7 12:00 PM Keep the Change 93Queens 1:00 PM The Optimists 3:00 PM My Dear Children My Dear Children 4:00 PM Life Is Rich 7:00 PM Who Will Write Our History Who Will Write Our History 7:45 PM Life Is Rich
32 26 FILM SCREENINGS AND VENUES
Five minutes before the start of each film, empty seats may be NEW sold to walk-ins. Please make every effort to arrive at least THIS YEAR 10 minutes prior to showtime to ensure your seat selection.
TIME TUES., MARCH 12, H11 #5 TUES., MARCH 12, H11 #6 TUES., MARCH 12, H11 #7 12:00 PM Shelter Shelter 1:00 PM Life Is Rich 3:00 PM Keep the Change 4:00 PM Back to Berlin Heading Home 7:00 PM Past Life The Cakemaker 7:45 PM When the Smoke Clears TIME WED., MARCH 13, H21 #5 WED., MARCH 13, H21 #6 WED., MARCH 13, H21 #7 12:00 PM Light of Hope The Samuel Project 3:00 PM The Cakemaker The Cakemaker 4:00 PM Past Life 7:00 PM A Fortunate Man A Fortunate Man 7:45 PM Back to Berlin
TIME WED., MARCH 13, TEMPLE BETH ISRAEL 7:00 PM The Last Suit
(Continued on next page)
33 27 Schedule of FILM SCREENINGS AND VENUES (Cont’d)
TIME THURS., MARCH 14, H11, #5 THURS., MARCH 14, H11, #6 THURS., MARCH 14, H11, #7 12:00 PM Who Will Write Our History Who Will Write Our History 1:00 PM Back to Berlin 3:00 PM The Last Suit The Last Suit 4:00 PM When the Smoke Clears 7:00 PM My Dear Children My Dear Children 7:45 PM The Optimists
TIME FRI., MARCH 15, H11, #5 FRI., MARCH 15, H11, #6 FRI., MARCH 15, H11, #7 12:00 PM Light of Hope Fanny’s Journey 1:00 PM 93Queen 2:30 PM A Fortunate Man Shelter 4:00 PM My Dear Children TIME SAT., MARCH 16, ZELL ROOM, THE LARRY GREENSPON FAMILY CAMPUS FOR JEWISH LIFE 5:00 PM Prince of Egypt (Free family event)
SUN., MARCH 17 — CLOSING EVENT — BEATRICE FRIEDMAN THEATER 3:00 PM THE MAMBONIKS Thank you for supporting JFF !
34 We love bringing people together
through the power of great storytelling
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CELEBRATING OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY
MARCH 16-21 THE LARRY GREENSPON FAMILY CAMPUS FOR JEWISH LIFE JEWISH FOR CAMPUS FAMILY GREENSPON LARRY THE Klingenstein Jewish Center FL 34232 Sarasota, 580 McIntosh Rd, jfedsrq.org 2015
ANNUAL