What initially began as a small, yet impactful way to support Israel’s film industry and filmmakers, the Weinstein JCC’s Israeli Film Festival has proudly shown close to 100 films during its 12-year existence. With the support of our film festival, along with the multitude of other Jewish and Israeli film festivals that take place across the globe, the Israeli film industry has grown substantially.
The Israeli Film Festival Committee, co-chaired by David and Leslie Greenberg, reviewed a broad selection of films this year and found that the production of Israeli films was greatly hampered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, it was decided that the 13th Annual Israeli Film Festival will not only offer Israeli films, but new this year, will also introduce Jewish films from other regions of the world into the primarily-Israeli film lineup.
This year’s festival will feature some in-person film screenings along with the opportunity for viewers to watch the films from the comfort of their living rooms.
For virtual screenings, viewers will be provided a Vimeo link (free account is required) to watch the film at their convenience during the film-viewing window (normally 3-5-day availability).
A few highlights of the film festival include:
- The documentary film, Upheaval: The Journey of Menachim Begin, shown in partnership with the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond
- Save the Date: For a Holocaust-related film planned for Tuesday, Jan. 25, in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and in partnership with the Virginia Holocaust Museum.
- The first two episodes of the hilarious Israeli TV series, The New Jew, hosted by Israel’s most popular comedian, Guri Alfi, showcasing the cultural and political influence of the Jewish community in the United States, the variety of alternative models it offers for living a rich Jewish life and the rifts in relations between them and the State of Israel.
A full listing of the films, along with screening dates and viewing windows, can be found at weinsteinjcc.org.
