YEAR-ROUND PASSES Excited about our year-round film programs?
Consider purchasing a pass and save over 50% off buying individual tickets! Passes are available for individual seasons or the whole year. To learn more, visit wjff.org; email info@wjff.org; or call 202-777-3247.
WJFF.ORG /WASHINGTONJEWISHFILMFESTIVAL
@WJFF
Washington DCJCC Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts Irwin P. Edlavitch Building 1529 Sixteenth Street NW Washington, DC 20036
FILM DCJCC at the
FALL-WINTER SEASON 2015-2016
SAVE THE DATE:
THE 26TH ANNUAL WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 24—MARCH 6, 2016
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THE ART DEALER
WELCOME TO LEITH
I AM BIALIK
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 7:30 PM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 7:30 PM
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 7:30 PM
Dir. Francois Margolin (95min, France, 2014) French with English Subtitles Narrative
Dir. Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker (86min, USA, 2015) Documentary
Dir. Aviv Talmor (77min, Israel, 2014) Hebrew with English subtitles Mockumentary (Documentary with fictional elements)
The latest drama from renowned French director François Margolin (The Flight of the Red Balloon) follows a Jewish woman (Anna Sigalevitch) who embarks on a journey to recover family paintings stolen by the Nazis. During her investigation, she discovers some family secrets are best kept hidden.
In the tiny town of Leith, North Dakota, notorious white supremacist (and noted anti-Semite) Craig Cobb is attempting a hostile takeover. “This chronicle of a rural community’s struggle for sovereignty amidst extremism quite cleverly maneuvers us into an uncomfortable confrontation with our own values.” –John Nein, Sundance Film Festival
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When Aviv’s father dies, he discovers evidence that his grandfather was the illegitimate son of national poet Haim Nahman Bialik. Israel’s literary community is shocked by the claims, which threaten to impact Bialik’s reputation. Playing as part of The Hyman S. & Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival.
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ROCK IN THE RED ZONE
IMBER’S LEFT HAND
DOUGH
TANGO GLORIES
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 7:30 PM
Dir. Laura Bialis (87min, USA/Israel, 2014) Hebrew and English with English Subtitles Documentary
Dir. Richard Kane (74min, USA, 2014) Documentary
Dir. John Goldschmidt (94min, UK/Hungary, 2014) Narrative
A fascinating chronicle of the life and career of renowned painter Jon Imber, who faced great adversity after being diagnosed with ALS. Courageous and humorous as always, Imber resolves to create over 100 portraits in his last months.
Curmudgeonly widower Nat Dayan (Jonathan Pryce) clings to his way of life and his livelihood as a Kosher bakery shop owner in London’s East End. With a dwindling clientele and the pressure of big box stores mounting, Nat reluctantly enlists the help of teenager Ayyash, a young Muslim apprentice and refugee from Darfur.
Dir. Oliver Kolker and Hernán Findling (117min, Argentina, 2014) Spanish with English Subtitles Narrative
Half a mile from Gaza and directly in the path of thousands of Hamas rockets lies Sderot, a city of factory workers and rock musicians – the children of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East. Followed by Q&A with director Laura Bialis and a live performance by Sderot musician Avi Vaknin.
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Co-presented by the National Gallery of Art.
Followed by Q&A with director Richard Kane.
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A vivacious mix of music, magical realism and dance mesmerize in this tale of octogenarian Fermin Tundera. Committed to an institution decades ago, Fermin breaks out of his isolation with the help of the Argentinian tango.
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PLASTIC MAN: THE ARTFUL LIFE OF JERRY ROSS BARRISH
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 7:30 PM Dir. Will Farley (74min, USA, 2015) Documentary
Bail bondsman Jerry Ross Barrish’s journey as a dyslexic businessman struggling to forge meaning by sculpting trash into fine art. Presented in conjunction with the National Gallery of Art.
Followed by Q&A with producer Janis Plotkin and film subject Jerry Ross Barrish.
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THE LAST MENTSCH
SON OF SAUL (SNEAK PREVIEW)
THE MAN IN THE WALL
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 7:30PM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 7:30 PM
Dir. Pierre-Henry Salfati (93min, Germany/Switzerland/France, 2014) German, Hungarian, Hebrew, English and Yiddish with English Subtitles Narrative
Dir. László Nemes (107min, Hungary, 2015) Hungarian, Yiddish, German, and Polish with English subtitles Narrative
Dir. Evgeny Ruman (92min, Israel, 2015) Hebrew with English Subtitles Narrative
An Auschwitz survivor and a self-described “normal” German with no Jewish ties, Marcus suddenly decides that he wants a proper Jewish burial. Enlisting a young Turkish woman to help, he inadvertently changes both their lives.
László Nemes’ feature debut centers on Saul, a Jewish prisoner tasked with preparing piles of corpses for incineration at Auschwitz. While the others in his Sonderkommando unit plot a rebellion, he sets about arranging a proper burial for a body he believes to be his son’s. Winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and Hungary’s submission for the Best Foreign Film Oscar.
In this psychological thriller from Israeli auteur Evgeny Ruman (Igor & The Cranes Journey, Lenin in October), Rami doesn’t return after taking the dog out for a walk, leaving his wife to question not only his whereabouts, but also the very nature of their relationship.
Co-sponsored by the Embassy of Hungary
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THE ZIONIST IDEA
ROSENWALD
TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 7:30 PM
Dir. Joseph Dorman and Oren Rudavsky (159min, USA, 2014) Hebrew, Arabic and English with English Subtitles Documentary
Dir. Aviva Kempner (90min, USA, 2015) Documentary
An in-depth exploration of one of the most relevant, pressing and timely political ideologies of the modern era. The film frames Zionism’s birth as resulting from Jewish confrontation with modernity, along with the renewed persecution of Jews throughout Europe in the late 1800s.
Driven equally by the Jewish ideal of tzedakah (charity) and the writings of Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald dedicated his wealth and prestige to joining with African-American communities in the South to build over 5,000 schools and establishing a fund to the support African-American artists and intellectuals. Screening followed by Q&A with director Aviva Kempner
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VOLUNTEER!
Our film programs are made possible by our dedicated team of volunteers who help with special events, box office, ushering guests, and much more. Be a part of the film community, make friends and help put on a great event! To sign up, visit wjff.org or email KaitlinW@washingtondcjcc.org Visit WJFF.ORG for tickets & passes
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR MAJOR DONORS AND SPONSORS: We could not present over 170 film events each year without your support! Any donation, large or small, helps us showcase the best in international cinema.
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Please consider donating at WJFF.ORG.
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DAY SPONSOR
DIRECTOR
LIGHTS
Anonymous Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation Scott and Ellen Dreyer Louie and Ralph Dweck Susie and Michael Gelman Shelley and Allan Holt The Melvin and Estelle Gelman Foundation—Elise and Marc Lefkowitz Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Linda and Sid Moskowitz Deborah and Michael Salzberg
Patty Abramson and Les Silverman Michele and Allan Berman Cyna and Paul Cohen & Sara Cohen and Norman Rich Lois and Richard England Family Foundation Dina Gold Richard Solloway Marcia and Ira Wagner Diane Abelman Wattenberg Judith Weintraub
Belman Klein Associates, LTD Jacqueline and Edward Cohen Brenda Gruss and Daniel Hirsch Tamara and Harry Handelsman Aviva Kempner Marian and Alan Malasky Joy Midman Susan Wedlan and Harold Rosen Anita Wolke and Kenneth Brooks
PRODUCER Linda Greenberg and Tac Tacelosky Linda Lipsett and Jules Bernstein Melanie and Larry Nussdorf
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YEAR-ROUND PASSES Excited about our year-round film programs?
Consider purchasing a pass and save over 50% off buying individual tickets! Passes are available for individual seasons or the whole year. To learn more, visit wjff.org; email info@wjff.org; or call 202-777-3247.
WJFF.ORG /WASHINGTONJEWISHFILMFESTIVAL
@WJFF
Washington DCJCC Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts Irwin P. Edlavitch Building 1529 Sixteenth Street NW Washington, DC 20036