Tickets on Sale Now at WJFF.org
Festival Occurs December 1-11, 2011
WASHINGTON — The 22nd Washington Jewish Film Festival (WJFF) returns to venues in Washington, DC and Maryland this December with 11 days of new and award-winning films, each highlighting the wonderful diversity of Jewish culture, history and contemporary life. The schedule includes 47 films from 15 countries including the US, Israel, Germany, Sweden, Poland and Rwanda. Thousands of people attend the festival each year, making WJFF the largest annual, Jewish cultural event in the DC area. In addition to feature films, documentaries and shorts, the festival presents programs, events, special guests and discussions with filmmakers. Descriptions of each of the films, along with a festival schedule are found at WJFF.org.
This year, film subjects range from politics and history to comedies and love stories with a special focus on two themes:
“Jews at Work,”which includes films such as Incessant Visions about the life and work of visionary architect Erich Mendelsohn, Breath Made Visible about dance pioneer Anna Halprin and An Encounter with Simone Weil about the French philosopher, writer and activist. “Jewish Film | Women Filmmakers,” which includes 19 films by women directors and a presentation on December 10th of the 2011 WJFF Visionary Award to award-winning DC filmmaker Aviva Kempner. The Festival will screen Kempner’s films Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, Partisans of Vilna and the work-in-progress of her latest film about the Rosenwald Schools. Kempner will attend all of these screenings.
Other local filmmakers included in this year’s WJFF are Nina Shapiro Perl, with the world premiere of Through the Eye of the Needle--The Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz and Nic Weinfeld who was just 16 years old at the time of filming The 36.
The 22nd WJFF is presented by the Washington, DCJCC’s Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts and co-sponsored by the Embassy of Israel and Washington Jewish Week.
What:
22nd Washington Jewish Film Festival
When:
Next Week: December 1 – 11, 2011
Where:
Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater at the Washington DC JCC, AFI Silver Theatre, Avalon Theatre, Goethe-Institut Washington, American University, Embassy of Italy, Embassy of Switzerland
Events:
- Opening Night at the Avalon Theatre: Thursday, December 1, 2011, 7:00 pm reception, 7:45 pm screening. DC premiere screening of Israeli box office hit Mabul (The Flood). Special guests: director Guy Nattiv and screenwriter Noa Berman-Herzberg. Tickets $25.
- Premiere Party: Sunday, December 4, 2011; 8:30 pm; Washington DCJCC. Cele ating the North American premiere of The Kissinger Saga: Walter and Henry, Two Brothers from Feurth (screening Sunday, 11:00 am with director Evi Kurz); the US premiere of Wunderkinder (screening Sunday, 6:00 pm with composer Martin Stock); and the Mid-Atlantic premiere of In Heaven Underground (screening Monday, December 5, 7:00 pm, and the next day at 8:30 pm with director Britta Wauer). Entry to party with ticket from any of these three films, $11 each.
- 2011 WJFF Visionary Award: Saturday, December 10, 2011; 6:15 pm; Washington, DCJCC. Award presentation to DC filmmaker Aviva Kempner and 25th anniversary screening of Partisans of Vilna, followed by a reception in Kempner’s honor. Tickets $11.
- Closing night at the Washington, DCJCC: Sunday, December 11, 2011; 7:30 pm; Mid-Atlantic premiere screening of Remem ance, followed by party; Special guests: director Anna Justice and screenwriter Pam Katz. Tickets $25.
Tickets:
Tickets are available on November 17, 2011, and can be purchased online at WJFF.org or by calling 800-494-8497.
Website:
The official website of the 22nd Annual Washington Jewish Film Festival is WJFF.org.
Event Phone:
Festival goers who have questions should call the film hotline at (202) 777-3231.
Media:
Members of the media who have questions should contact Jordan Stinnett at (202) 207-3662 or jstinnett@scottcircle.com.
Interviews, photos and screeners are available to the media upon request.
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Contact: Jordan Stinnett, jstinnett@scottcircle.com
w: (202) 207-3662, c: (239) 938-4960
