NOT A LAWYER, NOT A DOCTOR? JEWS IN THE ARTS

And what job will that degree get you? Join us for nine fantastic films and programs that shed light on the wellspring and bounty of Jewish creativity – from graphic novels and cartoons to Tin Pan Alley and Tinsel town – and the alternative career paths that bubbies, saftas, nonnas,abuelas and grandmas warn and worry about.

Film Series

THE ART OF SPEIGELMAN • BROADWAY MUSICALS: A JEWISH LEGACY • IN CASE I NEVER WIN THE PALME D'OR • JOANN SFAR DRAWS FROM MEMORY • MY DAD IS BARYSHNIKOV • ORCHESTRA OF EXILES • THE RABBI'S CAT • ROMAN POLANSKI • and.... CLOSING NIGHT WITH MICHAEL BENAROYA, our 2013 Reel Difference Award Winner

AJC BRIDGE SERIES

As the Festival's founding partner, AJC is proud to sponsor the AJC Bridge Series. These two films will delight audiences and engage them in deeper thought and dialogue with AJC experts and guest speakers.

Film Series:

A BOTTLE IN THE GAZA SEA • ANGEL OF BUDAPEST

About the Event

Start the Festival off right by attending this family-friendly special event on Sunday, March 3. Matzoh Momma Catering proudly hosts this annual soul- and belly-filling music-filled event before the screening of HAVA NAGILA (THE MOVIE) in the theatre lobby. This incredible spread features smoked salmon smear with a panoply of bagels, Matzoh Momma's famous blintz loaf with sour cream and fresh fruit preserves, egg salad with toasted almonds and a quashadu (Sephardic frittata of eggs, feta and Parmesan cheese). Come rave about Matzoh Momma's fresh homemade, flavorful Jewish comfort food. Bring the whole family! (All ages)

Enjoy music by the The Klez Katz and a giant Hava Nagila horah!

A special thank you to Pip and Miriam Meyerson of Matzoh Momma Catering and their staff for a wonderful event and generous donation.

Sponsors:

• Matzoh Momma Catering
• Community Partners: Camp Solomon Schechter, Congregation Bet Chaverim, Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound, SJCC Summer Camps

About the Event

Wednesday, February 27th | Palace Ballroom

Live the Chai-Life from the getgo! Kickoff SjFF's 18th annual "chai" (life in Hebrew) festival with a bang - our best party and stand-alone social event. 

Tom Douglas hosts in his swanky Palace Ballroom. Featuring the cross-pollinated flavors of Jewish cuisines and global cooking, the Jewish/Brazilian transnational rhythms of Sasson, and an exclusive, short film series - all accompanied by heavy hors d'oeuvres, Tom's famous mini-coconut cream pies Chateau Ste. Michelle wine and Pike Place Brewery beer. Served by Tom Douglas Catering's finest event location and staff. The festival's best swanky social and delicious celebration! Join us for great food, fanfare, friends and film before the festival begins!

The festival thanks Tom Douglas, Tom Douglas Catering and our libations sponsors for their generous donations.

 Sponsors

• Pike Place Brewery
• Tom Douglas Catering

About the Event

Wednesday, March 6

12:00 PM Lunch | 12:15 PM Performance | 12:30 PM Film

The Stroum JCC

SJCC hosts this lovely annual event for only 150 in their soon-to-be renovated auditorium, featuring a bagel spread, coffee and dessert, a scene from CROSSING DELANCEY performed by Seattle Jewish Theater Company, followed by the film. Seating limited. RSVP Required.

Sponsors

• Catering by Phyllis
• Stroum Jewish Community Center

About the Event

By invitation only - RSVP required

Sunday, March 3, 2013 @ 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Il Fornaio, 600 Pine Street

We thank sponsors and donors by offering them a scrumptious, expansive buffet of authentic rustic Italian dishes, great wine and desserts at downtown Seattle's favorite trattoria, Il Fornaio. Rub shoulders with Festival VIPs, filmmakers and guest artists, dignitaries and local leaders at this festive annual fete and feast.

Invitations mailed mid-February - RSVP by March 1.

Sponsors

• Il Fornaio
• Razzmatazz Jewelry
• Virginia Mason Medical Center and Medi Spa

About The Film

A charming dramatic comedy about a father's attempt to become closer to his commitment-phobic daughter, played by Mélanie Laurent (The Roundup, Inglourious Basterds), while preparing to become a father again...at age 60! Will they all be able to make peace before it's too late?

About Opening Night Program

Join us from 6:30-7:30 PM before the film in the AMC Lobby for happy hour ($3 beers, $5 wines) and after the film for another show-stopping centerpiece cake from Holly Levin, The Cake Lady.

Sponsors:

• The Samuel and Althea Stroum Jewish Community Center
• Holly Levin, The Cake Lady

About The Film

Fourteen-year-old Ali grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp and now lives in Berlin with his family. Longing for acceptance from fellow Arab youths in their housing project, Ali breaks into the apartment of an elderly Russian Jewish war veteran. To avoid deportation, Ali is forced to seek his so-called enemy's forgiveness.

Guest Speaker

German Consul General Peter Rothen

 Sponsors:

• Julie and Rabbi Jim Mirel
• Community Partners:  German Consulate in San Francisco, Temple B'nai Torah

About The Film

This layered romantic drama follows the harrowing tale of a young writer who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There's one catch – he didn't write it. He is forced to pay a steep price for his ambition and word theft. Starring Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons and Zoë Saldana.

Guest Speakers: 2013 Reel Difference Award & Interview

Michael Benaroya, Benaroya Pictures - 2013 Reel Difference Award Recipient
Seattle-born Hollywood-up-and-comer and Sundance Film Festival darling, Michael Benaroya is the CEO of Benaroya Pictures which he founded in 2006. The company has developed, financed and produced several major motion pictures with star-studded ensemble casts, including John Hillcoat's LAWLESS (Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska), NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU (Natalie Portman, Shia LaBeouf, Bradley Cooper, Christina Ricci, Orlando Bloom and Kevin Bacon), and MARGIN CALL - nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons and Stanley Tucci). Most recently, his film KILL YOUR DARLINGS starring Daniel Radcliffe as a young Allen Ginsberg was recently picked up by Sony Picture Classics for theatrical release this year. View filmography on IMDB

Emcee: Robert Horton, film critic, author and blogger
Robert Horton has been a film critic in Seattle for 25 years for The Herald (Everett, Washington), KUOW-FM, and the Seattle Channel. He is also the curator and host of the monthly Magic Lantern series at the Frye Art Museum, a periodic contributor to Film Comment and other publications, and the author of Billy Wilder: Interviews (University Press of Mississippi, 2001) and the upcoming Frankenstein (Columbia University Press/Wallflower Press, 2013); his work was also included in Best American Movie Writing 1999 (St. Martin's Griffin, 1999) and the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (St. James Press, 2000). He has also appeared on The Today Show, and is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Follow his Blog

Original festival award by Roger Nachmann Glassworks

 Sponsors

• Original festival award by Roger Nachmann Glassworks
• Catering By Phyllis
• The Maxwell Hotel

SJFF Welcomes

	Art Benveniste	Film Subject	Once Upon a Time at 55th and Hoover
	Michael Benaroya	Producer	The Words
	Robert Horton	Film Critic Emcee	The Words
	José Manuel Lorenzo	Producer	Angel of Budapest
	Valerie Joseph	Producer	People of The Graphic Novel (short) Joann Sfar Draws From Memory
Featured Panel	Who?	Artist	Why Jews in the Arts?
	Andy Horowitz	Theatre and Performance Art	Andrew Horwitz is the Founder and Publisher of Culturebot.org, a website devoted to fostering critical conversations on contemporary art, ideas and culture. A writer, producer and curator based in NYC, he is currently the curator of the River to River Festival, a free, month-long multidisciplinary festival throughout Lower Manhattan.
	Elana Jacobs	Dance	A Seattle-based Choreographer, Elana Jacobs graduated from Skidmore College in 2010 where she studied Dance, Choreography and Exercise Science. She is the Artistic Director of CabinFever, a new performance company that uses homes as its venue and families as impetus for creation.
	Hart Snider	Film	Hart Snider is a Vancouver, BC based filmmaker, editor and producer. His work in television has broadcast on the CBC, Globla, Bravo and MuchMusic. His interactive projects include the web/TV hybrid ZeD, the CBC Radio 3 web magazine and the Food Network's 100 Mile Challenge web series. The Basketball Game is Hart's first animated short film.
	Nissim	Music	Nissim (formerly known as D.Black) is a Seattle based Recording Artist and Producer at Orach Emet Music Company, a non-profit, multi-media Jewish outreach organization focused on inspiring Jewish youth to connect with their heritage and Creator via song, visuals and cultural events.
	Tamar Benzikry-Stern	Moderator	Tamar Benzikry-Stern is a Seattle based curator and arts administrator. Dedicated to expanding the discourse on what Jewish Art is, and can be, Tamar develops research and curatorial projects as community events to promote thoughtful visioning and meaningful dialogue. Tamar also manages 4Culture public art projects for King County and consulting clients in the Pacific Northwest.
	David Lasky	Comics/Cartooning	Seattle artist David Lasky has been writing and drawing comics for over 20 years. He co-authored the graphic novel "Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song," which is a finalist for the Slate Studio Prize. David has also been a graphic novel instructor at a wide variety of venues.