The 2010 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival should be an oasis for filmgoers seeking fare that strays from Hollywood formula. And while the festival obviously centers on films that fall in line with its namesake, viewers of any faith or nationality are likely to appreciate and enjoy its humanist-leaning, character-driven offerings.
The six-day fest (Jan 30-Feb. 4) opens Saturday with Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor’s A Matter of Size, a comedy about four overweight friends in Ramle, Israel, who decide to start a sumo wrestling club. The 7 p.m. opening night screening, which takes place at the Mayerson Jewish Community Center (8485 Ridge Road, Amberley Village), will also include a “decadent chocolate desert” as part of the $18 ticket price.
The festival also includes five other feature-length films that vary in style, genre and degrees of acclaim: Andrew Jacobs’ Four Seasons, Ayelet Menahemi’s Noodle, Eitan Anner’s Love and Dance, Ludi Boeken’s Saviors in the Night and Doron Benevisti’s Bittersweet.
Each film will screen at least once at the Mayerson JCC, with some also screening in other locations like Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati. Tickets for single films are $10 ($7 for seniors/students) or $50 ($35 for seniors/students) for a festival pass.
Read more about the films here.
