Jewish Film Festival in Silicon Valley Brings Community Together

SILICON VALLEY, CA — The 28th Annual Jewish Film Festival is set to kick off on October 27 and will run until November 17. Films will be shown at AMC Saratoga 14 in San Jose, the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, and CineArts in Palo Alto.

The mission of the event is to unite the Silicon Valley community through films showcasing Jewish culture, spirit, and traditions. The festival also aims to spark conversations about entertainment, art, politics, society and global issues.

Films range from a lighthearted story of a boy who uses cooking to bring together his Israeli and Palestinian family, to a thought-provoking piece about how a father-daughter relationship changes after the daughter attempts suicide.

The opening night event will show the film "Picture of His Life," about renowned underwater photographer Amos Nachoum's journey and his quest to photograph the polar bear. Nachoum is scheduled to appear at the event along with director Dani Menkin, two-time winner of the Israeli Academy Award.

The centerpiece screening is "Working Woman," the story of Orna, a career-oriented woman who must fight back against her boss's sexual harassment. The film won the 2019 Israeli Academy Award for Best Actress Liron Ben-Shlush, who played Orna. A panel discussion after the film will feature guests Jennifer Blakeley, Illana Shoshman-Diamant and Ann Ravel, former chair of the Federal Election Commission under Barack Obama.

The closing night screening is "Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles," a documentary that explores the immense impact "Fiddler on the Roof" had around the world. A discussion of the film and a reception will be held after the film. In attendance of the closing screening will be actor Michael Bernardi, the youngest person to play main character Tevye on Broadway.

Tickets can be bought at https://www.svjff.org/filmfest2019/ticket-info.shtml or by calling 1-800-838-3006.

The festival is also looking for volunteer ushers. Volunteers will be given a free movie pass to be used after their shift. Please contact Executive Director Tzvia Shelef at info@svjff.org if interested.