Rather than let our brains roast like the rest of our
peers from the scorching, relentless July heat and ‘hot’, similarly deadening
summer blockbusters, we’d rather keep on our toes by checking out film
festivals that make us think, question, and most importantly, participate.
Here’s the lowdown on programs for youth at the San Francisco Jewish Film
Festival, the coolest event in town.
* Interview with festival Executive Director Peter Stein below
SAN FRANCISCO
JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
Jul 21 - Jul 28 : San Francisco
Jul 31 - Aug 6 : Berkeley
Jul 31 - Aug 4 : Mountain View
Aug 6 - Aug 8 : San Rafael
Tickets by phone:
Monday - Friday between 9am to 5pm
(925) 275-9490
Fax to: (925) 866-9597
Mail orders to:
SFJFF Box Office
PO Box 2229
Danville, CA 94526
Online Box
Office
- produced by Citizen’s Film
- now in its 4th year
- 5-12 kids, 15-19 years old
- work throughout the year on their own
film project, brainstormed, storyboarded, written and directed themselves
-
shot on 16 millimeter
“We have a
pretty innovative project called the New Jewish Filmmaking project…it’s an
attempt to have that cohort, that group of youth articulate their own stories
about negotiating their Jewish identity in today’s world. The youth who’ve been
making these films have addressed everything – love…”
“This
year, there’s a 12 minute film called Yelena’s Story from a trilogy about teens in
conversation with their grandparents. It’s about how the kids are sorting out
what it is to be both an American teen and still carrying this very different
world that their grandparents and parents have brought with them. All of them
are immigrant kids born in the former Soviet Union, who only speak Russian or
Ukrainian to their family.”
SFJFF
is currently recruiting a small group of kids, specifically young men who have
immigrated from the former Soviet Union to finish their trilogy.
Shown
last Saturday at the Castro theater. Upcoming screenings at the Mountainview Century Cinema Tuesday, August 2, 4:15, and at
the Berkeley Roda Theater
Saturday, August 6, 12:00.
REEL PASS
$40
gets you into any movie you want to see if you're 25 or under.
YOUTH
AND FAMILY PROGRAM
- ages 10 and up & families
- special program of short films
- primary audience ages 10-17 and their
families
“It’s
a set of films called “Peace One Day” about kids around the world grappling with
issues of peace even when their world is in conflict. There’s everything from
animated features to documentaries.”
Showing
this Sunday, free of charge at the Roda | 
