Arts & Entertainment

Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival Showcases Films from Around the Globe

The film festival celebrates 20 years in Silicon Valley this year.

Tonight, transport yourself to Poland in the 1960s and partake in espionage, romance and drama. You don't even need a passport. Just head out to the to .

Little Rose, which won "Best Actor" in the Polish Film Awards and was nominated for "Best Film" kicks off the 20th Annual Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival in Campbell (includes graphic sexuality).

The festival, running Oct. 22 through Nov. 20 in Cupertino, Campbell, San Jose and Palo Alto celebrates Jewish filmmakers, culture and tradition through 26 films.

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Started in 1990 and screening their first set of movies in 1991 at the Towne Theatre San Jose, the film festival aims at creating a venue for the community to come together, discuss and share around Jewish topics.

The city of San Jose took the festival under its wings, the number of films expanded and Camera Cinema 3, 12 and 7 were added as screening venues. Ten years later, the event was named the San Jose Jewish Film Festival. In 2007, the festival then changed its name to the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival and in 2009, became an independent, nonprofit organization.

Find out what's happening in Campbellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Now, the festival includes the three Camera Cinema locations as well as the Bluelight Cinema in Cupertino and the Oshman Family JCC Albert Schultz Cultural Arts Hall and Cubberley Community Theater in Palo Alto.

"It was a perfect kind of event to get people together to watch some Jewish topic movies," says Tzvia Shelef, Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival. "It has grown a lot over the last 20 years but the main mission is still getting people together and keeping the culture up and running."

The organization is run mostly on donations and grants, along with about 40 volunteers doing everything from screening movies to ushering events, Shelef says.

"We are always looking for sponsors and volunteers," she says.

The festival also includes special events:

  • Oct. 30, 4:30 p.m.: After the film, Killing Kasztner: The Jew Who Dealt With Nazis, hear from its director Gaylen Ross.
  • Nov 3, 7:30 p.m.: After the film Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams, hear from Stanford professor and scholar of Israeli intellectual history Arie Dubnov, Ph.D.
  • Nov 5, 1 p.m.: After the film, The Concert, Boris Vladimirsky, Ph.D., will discuss the experience of Jewish musicians living in the USSR.
  • Nov 6, 5:30 p.m.: After the film, Precious Life, Dr. Robert Pearl will moderate a discussion with Filmmaker Shlomi Edlar, who will join from Tel Aviv via Skype.
  • Nov 17, 7:30 p.m.: After the film A Matter of Size, Big Joe and another sumo wrestler will do a mini-Sumo demonstration.
  • Nov 20, 3 p.m.: After the film, 100 Voices: A Journey Home, the audience will be treated to a special cantorial concert by Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy of Congregation Shir Hadash, Cantor Meeka Simerly of Temple Emanu-El, and Rabbi Philip Ohriner of Congregation Beth David.

Schedule By Location

Campbell: Camera Cinema 7, Pruneyard

Palo Alto: Oshman Family JCC Albert Schultz Cultural Arts Hall

Palo Alto: Cubberley Community Theater San Jose: Camera Cinema 12 Cupertino: BlueLight Cinemas            Oct. 26    Little Rose

Oct. 30

The Matchmaker & Killing Kasztner: The Jew Who Dealt With Nazis

Nov. 2

The Matchmaker Nov. 3 Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams Nov. 6 A Film Unfinished, Berlin '36, The Concert, Precious Life An Article of Hope - Teen Screening
Nov. 5 The Concert Nov. 9 Berlin '36 Nov. 10 The Human Resources Manager Nov. 13 Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story, Restoration, Jewish Soldiers in Blue and Gray, Intimate Grammar Nov. 16 Restoration Nov. 17 A Matter of Size Nov. 20 100 Voices: A Journey Home

For more information, visit the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival's site or to purchase tickets, go here.


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