Announcing the 2016 WJFF Audience Award Winners

2016 WJFF Audience Award Winners:

Best Narrative – Once in a Lifetime

Best Documentary – Raise the Roof

Best Short – The Setup

Best Classic Film – Sunday Bloody Sunday

Daily Mail: Inspired by Jackie O? Elegant beauty Natalie Portman stuns in pink couture coat at screening of her directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness

Natalie Portman never takes a fashion misstep. And the 34-year-old actress didn’t disappoint when she attended a screening of her directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness on Sunday. The Oscar winner cut a ladylike figure in a pink couture coat at the Jewish Community Centre Film Festival in Washington D.C. Read the article…

The Georgetown Dish: Look at us Now

Hollywood on the Potomac caught up with filmmaker and TV producer Gayle Kirschenbaum who was in town for The Washington Jewish Film Festival and we totally agree with the following comments: “An earthy, intense, tangy look at one mother-daughter relationship. Kind of like a Jewish-American Joy-luck Club. It’s even got Mah Johng. Only with matzoh…

Washington Post: Gary Lucas gives swing to the Max Fleischer cartoons of the 1930s

Veteran guitarist Gary Lucas has made some impressive albums over the years, but none more engaging than “Fleischerei: Music From Max Fleischer’s Cartoons.” Not even close. With its delightfully animated arrangements and inspired casting — Broadway vocalist Sarah Stiles nearly steals the show in twin roles as Betty Boop and Olive Oyl — Lucas’s latest…

WTOP: Jewish Film Festival returns to nation’s capital

WASHINGTON — The Washington Jewish Film Festival returns to Washington, D.C. this month to celebrate its 26th year. Each year, the festival celebrates the diversity of Jewish history, culture and experience through film and other events. Films can be screened at a variety of locations throughout the D.C. metro area, including the Aaron & Cecile Goldman…

Roll Call: Barney Frank Returns to Washington — in Person and on Film

Former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., was one of a kind, a self-described “left-handed, gay Jew” known as much for his policy chops as for his verbal bon mots. So if you’ve missed Frank since he left Congress after the 2012 elections, fear not. He’ll be in town this week for screenings of the documentary about…

City Paper: Only Have Eyes for Jew: The Washington Jewish Film Festival, Reviewed

Last night, the 26th annual Washington Jewish Film Festival kicked off with a screening of Yuval Delshad’s Baba Joon. Over the next 11 days, more than 130 films screening throughout the D.C. area as part of the fest. Below, capsule reviews of but a small portion of the films playing this year’s festival from Washington…

DCist: Guide to the Washington Jewish Film Festival

Now in its 26th year, the Washington Jewish Film Festival is bigger than ever, with over 150 screenings and events in 12 days. Highlights include closing night with Natalie Portman, introducing her feature length directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness; an opening night presentation of Baba Joon, Israel’s entry for the Best Foreign…

Washingtonian: Five Films to See at This Year’s Washington Jewish Film Festival

Knowing where to begin with the 27th annual Washington Jewish Film Festival is difficult. Aside from Natalie Portman’s debut effort as a writer and director and a documentary on former Representative Barney Frank, most of the 69 titles screening over the course of 12 days are foreign, independent pictures starring faces unfamiliar to the average moviegoer. To help narrow…

Washington Post: Going Out Guide

“Compared to What? The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank”Screenings of this documentary about former Massachusetts representative Barney Frank, one of the first openly gay members of Congress, are shown at Spotlight Evenings of the Washington Jewish Film Festival, which continues through March 6 at multiple venues. Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre (5612 Connecticut…

DCist: The 2016 Washington Jewish Film Festival Kicks Of This Wednesday

Now in its 26th year, the Washington Jewish Film Festival returns this week to explore gender, identity, sexuality, and artists at work. The Festival kicks off Wednesday, February 24 with its Opening Night presentation of Israel’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, Baba Joon, and runs for 12 days, presenting 69 films…

The Washington Post: 9 things to do in the D.C. area during the week of Feb. 22-28

With 69 films and more than 150 screenings, this festival culminates with the appearance of a familiar name: Natalie Portman will attend the closing night in support of her directorial debut, “A Tale of Love and Darkness.” That event has sold out, but you can see what’s still available on the festival’s schedule at wjff.org. Wednesday’s opening night features…

Washington Blade: Gay content galore at Jewish Film Festival

The Washington Jewish Film Festival presents more than 150 screenings and events fromWednesday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, March 6 with numerous LGBT films to be screened. “Blush” (previously Barash) tells the story of a 17-year-old girl who turns to partying to escape her parents’ fighting and ends up experiencing first love with another teenage girl.…

Washington Post: Annual Washington Jewish Film Festival features local entries

Among the movies in the 2016 Washington Jewish Film Festival, which opens Wednesday and runs through March 6, are tales from Israel, Europe and Miami. But the event, co-founded 26 years ago by D.C. documentarian Aviva Kempner, usually includes work by area filmmakers, as well. This year, the local entries include “Miriam Beerman: Exploring the…

Gather the Jews: Top 5 Films to Watch at the 2016 Washington Jewish Film Festival

Now in its 26th year, the Washington Jewish Film Festival explores gender, migration, the supernatural, artists’ lives, and LGBTQ themes. In addition to the groundbreaking lineup of films, the Festival will host talkbacks and panel discussions with over 50 domestic and international filmmaker guests, as well as numerous Beyond the Films events including a storytelling showcase…

World Music Central: Gary Lucas to perform ‘Fleischerei’ at 2016 Washington Jewish Film Festival

Guitarist Gary Lucas is set to present a multimedia performance featuring 1930s cartoon tunes on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at the American Film Institute’s AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland. The event includes a 6-piece ensemble direct from New York City, Broadway vocalist Sarah Stiles and screenings of Max Fleischer cartoons (Betty Boop, Popeye).…

City Paper Spring Arts Guide

If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I wonder if Natalie Portman would make a good director,” the Washington Jewish Film Festival’s got you covered. Portman’s directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness, will close out a week-long festival of nearly 80 international films, screened across the city. Features, documentaries, and shorts illustrate the diversity…

Variety Reviews ‘Wedding Doll’

In what amounts to a contemporary Israeli take on “The Light in the Piazza,” a mentally handicapped young woman’s dreams of love and marriage are stymied by her overprotective mother in “Wedding Doll.” A big winner at last year’s Ophir Awards, documentarian Nitzan Gilady’s first narrative feature may have its international commercial travel somewhat hampered by…

The Big Takeover: Gary Lucas’ Fleischerei

Captain Beefheart/Jeff Buckleycollaborator and prominent solo/session guitarist, Gary Lucas, rekindles his love of soundtracks with an enthusiastic tribute to the Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailorcartoons that so shaped his upbringing. Music from Max Fleischer Cartoons celebrates the songs that accompanied Fleischer Studios’ early 1930s animation. Joined by trombonist/co-arranger Joe Fiedler, Jeff Lederer on woodwinds, bassist…

Chaotic artists, LGBTQ lives are the focus of DC Film Festival

A love affair between two Israeli high school girls and the career of former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank are among the gay stories explored on screen this month at the Washington Jewish Film Festival. Running Feb. 24 to March 6, the festival will offer 69 films around the Washington area, including at the Washington, D.C.…

Nell Minow Interviews Ilya Tovbis

Ilya Tovbis is director of the Washington DC Jewish Film Festival, which will take place from February 24-March 6, 2016. In an interview, he talked about what it means to be a “Jewish movie.” “It’s on one hand easy and on the other hand a much more complex question. The easy answer for us is…

Embassy of France: Announcing the 26th Washington Jewish Film Festival

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy announce the 26th edition of the Washington Jewish Film Festival. By presenting more than 80 international films, the festival celebrates the diversity of Jewish history, culture and experience through cinema.

Six French films or French co-productions will be presented during the 2016 edition.

Read the full announcement here.

Indiewire Festival Announcement

Now in its 26th year, Washington Jewish Film Festival (February 24 – March 6) explores gender, migration, the supernatural, Arab citizens of Israel, artists’ lives, and LGBTQ themes. In addition to the groundbreaking lineup of films, the Festival will host talkbacks and panel discussions with over 50 domestic and international filmmaker guests. The Festival is…

26th Washington Jewish Film Festival Announced

WJFF 2015 Audience Award Winners

Here are the winners of the 2015 WJFF Audience Awards.

Jewish archivist honored for using new technology to revive old films

For her work preserving Jewish film, Sharon Rivo was honored Monday during a special screening of a film her center restored. The screening was part of the Washington Jewish Film Festival.