Aya
Short/Israel/2013/39 minutes
Directed by Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
Starring Sarah Adler & Ulrich Thomsen
Produced by Yael Abecassis & Hillel Roseman
Hebrew with English subtitles
Nominee for the 2014 Academy Awards Best Live Action Short!
This Academy Award nominated film features strong performances by its lead actors as it tells the story of two strangers who meet unexpectedly at an airport. He mistakenly confuses her to be his assigned driver. She, enchanted by the random encounter, does not hurry to prove him wrong.
A Letter From The Past (Mikhtav me-he’avar)
West Coast Premiere
Short/Israel/2013/52 minutes
Directed by Ofer Zingerman
Produced by Yael Abecassis & Hillel Roseman
Hebrew with English subtitles
It took the letter 28 years to arrive from Berlin, East Germany to Tel-Aviv, Israel. But Menachem is afraid to find out what the brother he lost contact with 40 years ago may have written in it. With the help his neighbor, Menachem dares to confront a secret that’s been haunting him since his adolescence, a secret born out of a decision made during the dark days of the Second World War. That decision changed his life and now Menachem finds that an even more difficult one lies ahead.
• Sunday, May 3, 2:45 pm
Laemmle’s Town Center, Encino
Q&A with composer Assaf Rinde
In cooperation with the Consulate General of Israel and CSUN Jewish Studies Program
Prices: General: $10, Seniors/Students: $8
Death and the Maiden
Los Angeles Premiere
Short/Israel/Germany/2014/29 minutes
Written & Directed by Yael Lotem
German and Hebrew with English subtitles
Shortly after World War II, over 1,000 paintings were discovered in a cellar in southern France. The paintings were created by a young Jewish woman named Charlotte Salomon. She painted her turbulent life ina unique creation called: ‘Life? Or Theater? This film unravels her extraordinary and tragic story.
• Monday, May 4, 7:30 pm
Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills
In partnership with Temple Emanuel and Hadassah
Prices: General: $13, Seniors/Students $10
Life & Hummus
West Coast Premiere
Short/USA/Israel/2014/40 minutes
Directed by Alex Matros
English, Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles
A Jewish American filmmaker travels through Israel, on the hunt for ‘the worlds best’ hummus. For three weeks his search for the food’s origins also introduced him to both Arabs and Israeli’s with a common love for hummus. As Alex ate his way through the Middle East, his joy in discovering the exotic tastes and the people who poured all their love into their food is infectious. This is a great little film to lift the spirits and go out looking for your closest Middle Eastern restaurant.
Q&A with Alex Matros
• Saturday, May 2, 8:00 pm
Congregation Beth Shalom of Santa Clarita
Sponsored by Congregation Beth Shalom of Santa Clarita
Prices: General: $13, Seniors/Students: $10
• Tuesday, May 5, 12:30 pm
National Council of Jewish Women
Sponsored by Chana & Phil Bell in honor of Sophie & Max Lazar, Community Sponsor: Café Europa.
Prisoners of War (Hatufim)
Drama-Series/Israel/2010 – 2013
Written, directed & produced by Gideon Raff
Hebrew with English subtitles
Winner of the Israeli Academy Award for Best Drama Series. Adapted into the acclaimed series “Homeland” for Showtime!
The series depicts three Israeli soldiers who were captured seventeen years ago while on a secret mission in Lebanon. The story begins with the soldiers’ return home after years of negotiations for their freedom. It explores their reintegration into a society that has made them national icons, while working through the trauma of being held captive and tortured. As they undergo military debriefings, a psychiatrist finds discrepancies in their stories, and an investigation is launched to discover what they are hiding.
Q&A with series creator, Gideon Raff moderated by Rob Eshman, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of The Jewish Journal
Sponsored by the Israeli-American Council (IAC)
CLOSING NIGHT
• Thursday, May 7, 7:30 pm
ArcLight Cinemas, Sherman Oaks
All Tickets: $15
Touchdown Israel
Los Angeles Premiere
Documentary/Israel/USA/2014/81 minutes
Directed by Paul Hirschberger
English and Hebrew with English subtitles
Packed with plenty of gridiron action, gritty athletics and irreverent humor, TOUCHDOWN ISRAEL goes inside the improbable rise of the pigskin sport in the Holy Land. American-style, full-contact, tackle football was first imported in the late 1980s by foreign-born Israelis who missed the scrimmages of their youth. Initially hampered by woefully inadequate playing fields and an indifferent public, the Israeli Football League received a boost from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who funded a football stadium and continues his support as a league sponsor. Today, football in Israel is thriving, with 11 teams and over 600 amateur players from a cross-section of Israeli society, including Arabs, Christians, secular and Orthodox Jews even Palestinians. Filmmaker Paul Hirschberger captures the surprising camaraderie among these weekend warriors who hail from widely different backgrounds, but sideline their differences for the sake of teamwork and love of sport. In a quest for an Israel Bowl championship, ordinary Israeli citizens are transformed into fierce competitors, revealing new aspects of themselves along the way. In a country where off-the-field rivalries run deep, TOUCHDOWN ISRAEL celebrates the unifying power of sports amidst the broad religious and cultural diversity of Israel.
Q&A with Director, Paul Hirschberger
• Sunday, May 3, 5:00 pm
Laemmle Town Center, Encino
Dedicated to the memory of Robert Irmas, a supporter of the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival with a passion for his family, life and sports.
Prices: General: $11, Seniors/Students: $9
ALL TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR LAJFF!
April 30 - May 7, 2015
Films will sell out quick!
The LA Jewish Film Festival is brought to you by THE JEWISH JOURNAL