The 25th Annual St. Louis Jewish Film Festival will have a new and exciting look and feel this year. From Sunday, November 9 through Thursday, November 15 the Festival will present a wonderful selection of 12 documentary and narrative feature films from around the world virtually, so you can watch them in the comfort of your home…either on your computer or TV! While all films depict a slice of the Jewish experience, the films are universal and meant to be appealing to all, regardless of faith.
Music and Broadway play a big part in this year’s festival including Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles, an incredible tale of the world wide influence of the famous musical, Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds, a portrait of Zuben Mehta, Conductor of the Israeli Philharmonic and Crescendo a feature about young Palestinian and Israeli musicians who try to find common ground through music. Remarkable historic figures will be showcased in The Spy Behind Home Plate, a documentary about Mo Berg, professional baseball player and Spy during WWII, and Golda, a window into the life and career of Israel’s only female Prime Minister. Holy Silence, looks into the role of the Catholic Church during the Holocaust and Shared Legacies examines the shared struggles of Blacks and Jews in the US. There is also a comedy called Love in Suspenders. Features originate from France, Germany, Uzbekistan, Israel, Poland and the United States.
Many of the filmmakers will be on hand for interactive film discussions the week of the Jewish Film Festival. For a complete list of films and discussions, go to www.stljewishfilmfestival.org.
All films will be available for viewing throughout the festival and screened virtually through the film platform Eventive. Ticket prices are $14 for each individual film and for the first time an all access pass can be purchased for $95. View the complete Film Festival schedule and buy tickets at stljewishfilmfestival.org starting on September 8.
This year’s Jewish Film Festival co-chairs are Marilyn K. Brown, Jeffrey Korn and Paula Sigel. The Jewish Film Festival is a program of the Jewish Community Center.
ABOUT THE J:
The J is an interactive, multi-generational gathering place that offers a variety of programs and services to both the St. Louis Jewish community, and the community at large. The Jewish Community Center provides educational, cultural, social, Jewish identity-building and recreational programming and offers two, state-of-the art fitness facilities, all designed to promote physical and spiritual growth. Everyone is welcome at the J.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.