AVALON
Dir. Barry Levinson
(128 min, USA, 1990) Narrative
Barry Levinson directs this evocative, nostalgic film which celebrates the virtues of family life and traces several generations of Baltimore Jewish immigrants. Headlined by a memorable performance from 2016 WJFF Visionary award winner Armin Mueller-Stahl.
BABA JOON (Opening Night)
Dir. Yuval Delshad
(91 min, Israel, 2015) Narrative
Israel’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award® is a tender tale of a generational divide and immigrant experience.
CREMATOR
Dir. Juraj Herz
(95 min, Czechoslovakia, 1969) Narrative
Ahead of its time, the blend of black comedy and horror in The Cremator is a stunning example of the Czech New Wave movement, gliding effortlessly between Surrealism and Expressionism.
DEMON
Dir. Marcin Wrona
(94 min, Poland/Israel, 2015) Narrative
In this chilling, modern interpretation of the Dybbuk legend, Piotr’s joy at visiting his bride-to-be at her Polish home is quickly upended by a gruesome discovery. A wickedly sharp and creepy story of possession set against a wild wedding celebration.
DIRTY WOLVES
Dir. Simón Casal de Miguel
(105 min, Spain, 2015) Narrative
In this WWII thriller imbued with notes of magical realism, two women help a Jewish prisoner cross the border to Portugal, putting their survival squarely at odds with their sense of justice.
FIRE BIRDS
Dir. Amir Wolf
(105 min, Israel, 2015) Narrative
The body of an 80-year-old man with three stab wounds to the chest washes up by the Yarkon River. Amnon, a downtrodden detective, takes on the case, and soon finds himself contending with con men, crooked cops, romanced widows and a secret society of Holocaust survivors.
GARY LUCAS’ FLEISCHEREI: Music From Max Fleischer Cartoons (Spotlight Evening)
Legendary guitarist Gary Lucas joins forces with Tony®-nominated singer and actress Sarah Stiles for a loving musical tribute to the swinging, jazzy soundtracks that adorned master animator Max Fleischer’s cartoons of the 1930’s.
A GRAIN OF TRUTH
Dir. Borys Lankosz
(110 min, Poland, 2015) Narrative
A horrendous crime has been committed in the picturesque small town of Sandomierz . Prosecutor Teodor Szacki, recently moved down from Warsaw, recognizes that the murders are connected to allegedly historic Jewish ritual killings.
THE HEBREW SUPERHERO
Dir. Shaul Betser and Asaf Galay
(53 min, Israel, 2015) Documentary
Shaul Betser and Asaf Galay outline the origins of Israeli comics, tracing their evolution from the cultural fringe to a mainstream reflection on Israeli heroes.
MOUNTAIN
Dir. Yaelle Kayam
(83 min, Israel/Denmark, 2015) Narrative
An orthodox Jewish woman and her family live a quiet life on the grounds of Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, the oldest active Jewish cemetery. The mountain introduces her to another world – but one day she is forced to choose sides.
NATASHA
Dir. David Bezmozgis
(93 min, Canada, 2015) Narrative
Adapting his prize-winning story collection, Natasha and Other Stories, to screen, David Bezmogis delivers a tragic story of young love.
NO HOME MOVIE
Dir. Chantal Akerman
(115 min, France/Belgium, 2015) Documentary
No Home Movie is a Chantal Akerman’s intimate portrait of her dying mother (and the last film she made before her own premature death). A work of great formal precision and beauty that is both personal and universal.