Schedule:

February 18, 2024

The Catskills - 4:30 PM

“The Catskills” is a documentary about the rise and fall of the Borscht Belt, a refuge for Jewish immigrants fleeing poverty as well as a lavish playground for affluent Jewish families. Journey into the storied mountain getaway north of New York City. Resorts such as The Concord and Kutcher’s became a breeding ground for up-and-coming comedians as well as stars such as The Rat Pack and athletes like Muhammad Ali and Mickey Mantle. Reminisce with this unique view of vibrant American Jewish life and culture in the 20th century.?

Before the film, enjoy a nostalgic spread of classic Jewish delicacies. Then, transport yourself back to the beating heart of the Borscht Belt when Jewish vacationers made the Catskills their summer destination. After the film, producer, Lex Gillespie will lead a Q and A.

Tickets: $50

March 3, 2024

The Rhapsody - 7:30 PM

The Rhapsody is the story of composer Leo Spellman (born Leon Szpilman), a Polish Holocaust survivor who sets out on a riveting and emotional journey towards artistic liberation at the age of ninety-eight. The film features his musical masterpiece lost for more than fifty years; the revelation of a secret wartime diary; a harrowing tale of survival told through animation; powerful orchestral concert performances; and an uplifting finale as Spellman’s legacy is finally recognized in the town where he so narrowly escaped death.

Awards: Hong Kong Jewish Festival 2022 Best Documentary

Tickets: $15

March 4, 2024

Our Story at 3:00 PM

“Our Story” is a musical romantic comedy starring Lee Biran and Eliana Tidhar. He’s an ambitious and uninhibited musicians’ agent, she’s an insecure singer-songwriter who writes exclusively to her desk drawer. To discover who they really are, they’ll need to first find each other, get over their differences and let their love for music do the rest. “Our Story” tells the tale of young adults who find, together and alone, the courage to shake off what other people think they should be in order to connect back with their dreams and passions.

Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara at 3:00 PM

The story of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy living in Bologna, Italy, who in 1858, after being secretly baptized, was forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian. His parents’ struggle to free their son became part of a larger political battle that pitted the papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification.

Matchmaking at 7:00 PM

A lighthearted romantic comedy that gives a different perspective on the age-old rite of passage, dating. The more things are different, the more they are the same. Teens navigate the awkward world of dating in an ultra-conservative Jewish society. Within those parameters, the awkwardness and trials of dating are universal.

Irena’s Vow at 7:00 PM

Follow the life of a Polish nurse Irene Gut Opdyke in her attempt to save Polish Jews during World War II. Working in the home of a Nazi officer, she manages to hide several Jews in the basement. For her remarkable courage, she was awarded the Righteous Among the Nations medal.

Tickets: $15

March 5, 2024

A Pocketful of Miracles at 3:00 PM

Berlin born Aviva Kempner chronicles the lives of her mother Hanka and uncle Dudek Ciesla before and during World War II. From their idyllic Jewish upbringing in Poland, they survived the Holocaust bringing them to a tearful reunion after the war. This moving documentary follows the incredible story of two loving siblings and the lives they built in America as painter Helen Ciesla Covensky and businessman and philanthropist David Chase.

America at 3:00 PM

An Israeli swimming tutor living in Chicago returns to Israel 10 years later to bury his father. An encounter with a beloved childhood friend and his newly engaged girlfriend will set a series of events in motion that will affect everyone’s lives. A story set between a swimming pool in Chicago and the Mediterranean, between life and death – and somewhere in the middle friendships endure.

The Way To Happiness at 7:00 PM

Saul Birnbaum was a “hidden child”, who, at the age of six, was separated from his parents to escape the Holocaust. He was sent away by Kindertransport. Forward to 1986, Saul is on the path to recovery. He has opened a delicatessen unlike any other, where movies are shown every day. Saul and his protégé, Joakin, a young Chilean director who fled from Pinochet’s dictatorship, decide to write the story of Saul’s childhood and turn it into a film, allowing both of them to “heal” just a little more. However, love comes knocking on Saul’s door, forcing him to confront his past.

SHTTL at 7:00 PM

The 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany is shown through the life of inhabitants of a Yiddish village at the border of Poland.

March 6, 2024

Stay with Us at 3:00 PM

After years living and working in America, French-Jewish actor and comedian Gad Elmaleh decides to move back home to Paris. He tells his parents he misses his friends and family. However, it’s not long before his parents find that after a long period of ambivalence towards his own Jewishness, Gad has officially decided to convert to Catholicism. When Gad’s parents hear the news, they are devastated. Determined to bring Gad back to Judaism, they make his conversion a battlefield. Gad, however, manages to make them understand that his love for the Virgin Mary does not call into question who he is or the love he has for them. Stay With Us is a heart-warming story about faith, family, and acceptance.

The Story of Annette Zelman at 3:00 PM

The nostalgic aura of old-fashioned wartime romances envelopes this engaging and handsomely produced drama set in Nazi-occupied Paris. This film brings to light the tragic love story of Annette Zelman and Jean Jausion, whose affair was denounced to the Gestapo.

The Shadow of the Day at 7:00 PM

Italy, after the promulgation of the racial laws (1938). Luciano, a Fascist-abiding restaurateur, nonetheless believes he can still live by his own rules inside his business. However, everything changes when Anna, a girl with a dangerous secret, starts to work at his restaurant.

Home at 7:00 PM

A young and recently married Orthodox man’s dream is to open a computer store in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem. The dream turns into a nightmare when the entire neighborhood sees him as an existential threat. The threat enters his home and puts his marriage to the test, as he faces the reality of his own free will within a predetermined world.

Tickets: $15

March 7, 2024

Israel Swings for Gold at 6:30 PM

In 2021, Israel’s baseball team competed in the Olympics for the first time. As no media was allowed in Tokyo’s Olympic Village, the players recorded their own experiences. Mostly newly minted Israelis, they encountered unexpected battles against anti – Semitism and anti – Zionism. Victory for Israel comes on the playing field, even if not on the podium.

Enjoy a delicious dessert reception following the film.

Tickets: $36

Date: February 18, 2024 - March 7, 2024

Location:

Various Venue in Sarasota

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