Join us as the voices of Jewish women are revealed through the medium of film.
The JEWISH WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL is a presentation of films submitted in competition. The films focus on experiences, aspirations, and accomplishments of Jewish women through the ages and throughout the world. Each session will be followed by a Q&A.
Session 1 – 11:00AM to 2:00PM
My Paradise of Shards: Director- Anna Katrin Schneider (43 Minutes – English and subtitles) − A chain of miracles is how Israeli artist Ilana Shafir describes her story. As a girl, she fled the Holocaust in the former Yugoslavia. Confronted with war throughout her life, Ilana found escape in a world of art. Surrounded by her own garden, where “there is no evil,” she lives in the midst of conflict. The treasures of her astounding life story are uplifting, moving, and unbelievably optimistic.
The Sunrise Storyteller: Director- Kasha Sequoia Slavner (64 Minutes) − At age sixteen, the filmmaker convinces her mother to travel the world with her for six months. The trip’s purpose and its resulting documentary is to introduce us to people determined to rise above adversity. In search of stories of hope and resilience, Ms. Slavner shines a light on what it means to be a global citizen and how any one of us can make a difference.
Munich ‘72 and Beyond: Director- Stephen Crisman (29 Minutes – English and subtitles) − In chilling detail, the film revisits the tragic day 11 Israeli coaches and athletes, participating in the Munich 1972 Olympics, were murdered. An intensely emotional account, the film brings forth new information about the first act of modern terrorism to be viewed worldwide– and its devastating aftermath.
Session 2 – 3:00PM to 6:00PM
Let Me Hear Thy Voice: Directors- Mili Ben Hayl and Tamar Shippony (48 Minutes – Subtitles) − After generations of silence, women are daring to give their own personal and musical interpretations of Jewish texts, a territory known only for men. Combined with beautiful musical segments, the film unravels an intimate conversation with four talented female musicians: Alma Zohar, Victoria Hanna, Maureen Nehedar, and Lea Avraham.
Shockwaves: Director- Kineret Hay-Gillor (70 Minutes – Subtitles) − Be mesmerized by the stories of three Israeli families who live every day with the results of war and terror. The film explores sadness and frustration in response to physical and mental challenges, but also shows us resilience in the face of hardship and the determination to live life as normally as possible. *US Sneak Preview
Stitchers: Tapestry of Spirit: Director- Tassie Notar (15 Minutes) − What a splendid and original project — creating the entire Torah in needlepoint. Join more than 1,000 stitchers in twenty countries as they each diligently stitch a portion of the Torah. Their desire and hope is that the final work will become an inspiring traveling museum exhibit. You will applaud them.
Reception at Bar Thalia – 6:30PM to 8:30PM
The Eleanor Leff Jewish Women’s Resource Center will present its “Ellie Award” to the Director of the Best Film as selected by an independent panel of judges. There will also be an “Ellie Award” presentation to Lynne Littman, representing the Original Six women directors, who, in 1979, “banded together to challenge the male-run Hollywood machine…”
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