The Morris and Mollye Fogelman International Jewish Film Festival will operate Feb. 18–March 1 in Memphis. It is presented by the Memphis Jewish Community Center (MJCC) and sponsored by Wendy and Avron Fogelman.
Events include:
- The opening reception and showing of “The Green Prince” at the Malco Ridgeway Four at 7:15 p.m. Feb. 18.
- Showing of “Run Boy Run” at the MJCC Belz Theater at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 and 3 p.m. Feb. 22.
- Showing of “Hunting Elephants at the MJCC Belz Theater at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21.
- Showings of “Above and Beyond” at 11 a.m. Feb. 22 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25.
- Short films competition at the MJCC Belz Theater at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26.
- Showing of “For a Woman” in the MJCC Belz Theater at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28.
- Showings of two documentaries on March 1 in the MJCC Belz Theater. “Havana Curveball” will start at 2 p.m., followed by a 20-minute intermission and then “I Shall Not Be Silent” at 3:20 p.m. Winners of the short films competition will be announced, as well.
All films are $7 for community members and $5 for MJCC members. People can purchase tickets online at www.jccmemphis.org/film, by calling the MJCC member services desk at (901) 761-0810 or by visiting the MJCC. For more information contact Amy Israel, director of cultural arts and Judaic enrichment, at (901) 761-0810 or aisrael@jccmemphis.org.
Film descriptions
“The Green Prince” received the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary at Sundance Film Festival. “The Green Prince” is the gripping and intimate documentary by Nadav Schirman about Mosab Hassan Yousef’s extraordinary double life as the son of a Hamas radical who turned informer for Israel’s Shin Bet agency.
“Run Boy Run,” a saga of courage and compassion, tells the true story of a Polish boy who was smuggled out of the Warsaw Ghetto at age eight and ran for three years to escape the Holocaust. This film has won countless Audience Awards, among them the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival and The Boston Jewish Film Festival.
“Hunting Elephants” is nominated for seven Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Film. Sir Patrick Stewart (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) and an impressive cast of Israeli top talent give bravura comic turns in this bank heist caper and coming-of-age tale from writer-director Reshef Levi (“Lost Islands”). The Israeli Post states that Hunting Elephants is “a delightful concoction of jocular hijinks and tender moments sure to leave audiences smiling.”
“Above and Beyond” is the untold true story of a group of Jewish American pilots who secretly smuggled planes out of the U.S., trained behind the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia, and flew for Israel in its War of Independence. It wasn’t their country, but they made it their war. Produced by Nancy Spielberg, “Above and Beyond” has won the Best Documentary Award at the Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival as well as many Audience Awards from the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema and the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival.
The short films competition is a new addition to the Morris and Mollye Fogelman International Film Festival. The audience will vote on six short films — three documentaries and three dramas. There will be a cash prize for the winners of best documentary and best drama. The films are “Moses on the Mesa,” “German Shepherd,” “Hannah Cohen’s Holy Communion,” “GreenHorn,” “People of the Graphic Novel,” and “What’s in a Name.”
“For A Woman” has multiple official selection awards from the New York Jewish Film Festival, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, San Diego and Washington Jewish Film Festivals. A daughter digs up her parents’ old WWII-era memories, a clandestine love affair, and secrets about her own origins in “For A Woman,” a time-shifting melodrama from veteran writer-director Diane Kurys.
“Havana Curveball” affords the unusual pleasure of observing a child growing up, both physically and emotionally. Mica is a classic young teen who is both enthusiastic and idealistic. As he launches a grand plan to send baseball equipment to less fortunate kids in Cuba, he learns quickly that good intentions might not be enough. “Havana Curveball” has won Best Documentary at the Boston International Kids Film Festival and was awarded official selection at the Havana International Film Festival, among others.
“I Shall Not Be Silent” is a documentary film about a rabbi who would not be silenced. From Nazi-torn Berlin to speaking alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 at the March on Washington, Rabbi Joachim Prinz refused to stay silent. Throughout his career, Prinz spoke out for justice, unconcerned with the popularity of his positions. “I Shall Not Be Silent” has been recognized as an official selection at The Jewish Film Festival in Berlin, New Jersey, Toronto and the Jerusalem International Film Festival.
