“I have a couch and a Netflix subscription…so why should I schlep over to the J for the film festival?”
Hmm. I am so glad you have asked this question, for the true meaning of a film festival is not in the films we have programmed, but rather, in the community we build by coming together in the name of appreciating great films and even better company.
In other words: we didn’t spend seven months assigning, viewing, reviewing, and critiquing hundreds of submissions, culling our list down to a precious few dozen, with tears and favorites on the cutting room floor, as a mere exercise. We programmed these films with you in mind, films we believe give much food for thought, and now that it’s finally festival time, we want to talk about them, dammit!
And talk about them, let’s. This year’s Denver Jewish Film Festival – presented by the Sturm Family Foundation – provides our audience with unique opportunities to connect about our films even after the credits roll and the house lights come up.
Aren’t you curious about what shooting in the Canadian Arctic was like for filmmaker Dani Menkin? Or what is was like for Matt Ratner to crack jokes with Billy Crystal whilst shooting his directorial debut? You won’t have to imagine what film scholars think about selections like Those Who Remained, Hungary’s submission for Best Foreign Language Oscar, or what our community’s Israeli Emissary has learned about water conservation in the Holy Land. We have an entire lineup of post-screening discussions planned, and we encourage you to join us! And for all other films, we’d love to keep the conversation going on our Facebook page and our new festival app.
No matter the film, the way your conversation spills out into the lobby afterwards and makes its way to your dinner reservations or evening coffee, that’s the reason we do what we do. These cinematic greats are not meant to be consumed by oneself, but rather, digested in the company of our peers.
