More News About the 2011 Charlotte Jewish Film Festival

            As the weather turns cold, the Charlotte Jewish Film Festival heats up. Although this year’s Festival is already warming up with several free movies via the Charlotte Jewish Film Society, we will turn up the heat in March when the Festival is in full swing.

           In addition to screening several exciting movies, the Festival is gearing up to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of Festival founding sponsor Hadassah. To honor Hadassah’s one hundredth year, the first Saturday of the Festival has been designated the “Hadassah Centennial Anniversary Celebration.” The festivities will commence at 7:30pm on March 5^th at Regal Ballantyne Village Theater. The evening kicks off with one of the most talked about films of the year, The Matchmaker and will be followed by a lavish dessert reception.

            The Matchmaker, set in 1968, is a tender tale about Arik, a teenage boy growing up in Haifa, Israel. In his search for summer work, he meets Yankele Bride, a matchmaker and Holocaust survivor. Although Arik aspires to be a war hero, he settles with being Yankele’s investigator, scouting prospects. In his search to find potential suitors, Arik finds his match in the beautiful Tamara. The daughter of an affluent Iraqi family, Tamara grew up in the United States and seduces Arik with notions of free love, rock-n-roll and the women’s liberation movement. The drama examines the dynamic love story between Arik and Tamara, as well as the search for love of the many other interesting characters we meet along the way. 

            From acclaimed Israeli director Avi Nesher comes a film about the journey from youth to adulthood. Nesher comments that the film is not about the Holocaust but “is mainly a coming-of-age movie, about a kid growing up. He learns about the Holocaust while at the same time finding out about the nature of love.” The winner of two 2010 Ophir Awards – Israel’s equivalent of an Academy Award – for best actress and best actor, Matchmaker is a poignant study of the balance between romance, loss and the exploration of adolescence. 

            The Festival continues as Temple Beth El and Mecklenburg Ministries team up to present the film Circus Kids. The movie, an interfaith exploration, tells the story of the St. Louis Arches, a youth circus troupe that travels to Israel to join an Arab/Jewish group of children circus entertainers, travelling and performing throughout the Holy Land together. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they find a common joy in the circus and learn about each other throughout the film. Make sure to stay after the film as children from the Arches will be on hand to amaze and entertain with their artistry.

            If the circus is not your favorite form of entertainment, make sure to purchase tickets for our sports flick, Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story. The film, sponsored by Temple Israel and its Men’s Club, is narrated by Dustin Hoffman and documents the contributions of Jewish-Americans on the baseball field. The documentary transcends the sport of baseball, examining the underlying themes of immigration, assimilation, bigotry and tradition.

            Jews and Baseball is woven together by rare archival footage and photos as well as an eclectic musical score. The film features exclusive interviews with players including Ron Blomberg, Al Rosen, Yogi Berra and Hall-of-Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax. The film comes to life as Temple Israel Men’s Club hosts former Major Leaguer Ron Blomberg as the evening’s guest speaker. Make sure to take your family out to this ballgame.

            Ready to buy your tickets, but don’t know where to start? Pick up a copy of February’s issue of the Charlotte Jewish News for a trifold with this year’s full line up. Visit our website in early February, www.charlottejewishfilm.com, to purchase tickets and to learn more about the other wonderful films included in the 7^th Annual Charlotte Jewish Film Festival.

           The Charlotte Jewish Film Festival is brought to you by the Levine JCC and the Charlotte Chapter of Hadassah, and is made possible, in part, with funding by the Arts & Science Council and the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources, and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.