Jacob Burns’ Popular Jewish Film Festival Returns for 20th Year
The Jacob Burns Film Center’s Jewish Film Festival has been the longest-running of all its annual special programming and events.
It’s been 20 years since the independent, nonprofit theater and cultural arts in downtown Pleasantville opened to film lovers, and for 20 years the Jewish Film Festival has been a fixture on the calendar.
Now in the second half of 2021, after more than a year of closures and schedule upheavals, the festival is opening for two weeks on Thursday evening in an uncustomary spot on the calendar. Previously, it had typically been held in March or April.
Regardless of season, subject matter or generation of filmmaker or film patron, Bruni Burres, who programmed the 23-film lineup for the festival, said its popularity has been unwavering. That speaks to the wealth of talented Jewish filmmakers but also of stories that span the decades that appeal to multiple generations of families who enjoy the Jewish Film Festival.
“I think different waves of what people wanted to tell stories at different times in the world, especially just soon after or just before World War II,” Burres said. “But I would say the last 20 or 30 years, there’s been a real awakening of the breadth of what are the Jewish stories of people of different ages want to tell, especially young people.”
The festival kicks off Thursday with the Nir Bergman feature “Here We Are,” a dramedy that explores the complications of family ties, the rights of the differently abled and the melancholy of aging. Aharon, a middle-aged divorcé, has devoted himself to raising his son, Uri, who is autistic. Uri is becoming a young man, and his mother is eager for him to move away from her ex-husband, but father and son are reluctant to separate.
“Shiva Baby” is the first feature-length work from filmmaker Emma Seligman, hilarious and witty comedy-drama about life, families, religion and taboos, all timeless themes, Burres said.
“I think people of all ages can see it because they can see their own relatives in this, even if their own relatives and their timing was from the 1950s and this is from 2020,” Burres explained.
Previous festivals have in the past also pieced together episodes of televisions series from other countries that focus on topics of general Jewish interest, and this year is no different. Six episodes of a television miniseries from Switzerland, “Labyrinth of Peace,” will be shown twice, each in sets of three episodes each.
It explores whether or not the Swiss were neutral during World War II when the Nazis had overrun much of Europe.
The first program consisting of the series’ first three episodes will be screened on Oct. 1 and 11 while the final three episodes are scheduled for Oct. 4 and 13.
Burres said an intriguing and inspirational film on the schedule is “Irmi,” about a German woman who had experienced life-changing tragedies at a young age. However, because of her life’s story, after World War II she develops a love of life, living until 96 years old.
“This is an incredible film about her story about all the chapters in her life and how she kept going,” she said.
As part of this year’s festival, the Burns will present a three-film tribute to actor George Segal, who died earlier this year at 87 years old. The tribute is comprised of the movies “The Hot Rock,” “A Touch of Class” and “California Split.”
For tickets and the full schedule of films that are in this year’s festival, which runs from Sept. 30 through Oct. 14, visit www.burnsfilmcenter.org. The theater is operating with 60 percent audience capacity and vaccinations and face masks are required for all patrons. If a patron is seated and is eating or drinking, they may remove their mask.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
