Virtual Joyce Forum Jewish Short Film Festival Kicks Off Friday

SAN DIEGO, CA — The Joyce Forum Jewish Short Film Festival kicks off Friday, and this year's event will be virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 31st annual San Diego International Jewish Film Festival hosts the stand-alone short film festival. The three-day event slated Friday through Sunday will feature 31 short films from the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Germany, Israel and Russia. Films are arranged into five distinct programs with a few introductions from filmmakers.

The festival is presented by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus. The festival is named after Joyce Axelrod, founder of both the Joyce Forum and San Diego International Jewish Film Festival.

This year's event was organized by a committee of volunteers spearheaded by Chair Francine Ginsburg.

"I am very excited to share the upcoming festival with our audience as much time and effort has been poured into it from the festival committee and JCC staff," Ginsburg said.

Short films have been incorporated into the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival since the annual event's early beginnings in 1990, Ginsburg said. In 2003, the Joyce Forum became a one-day event of shorts during the film festival.

The San Diego International Jewish Film Festival — which will also be held virtually Feb. 11-21, 2021 — takes place over 11 days and is the largest Jewish cultural event in San Diego. Because of the popularity of short filmmaking, the Joyce Forum became a stand-alone short film festival in 2018, with five distinct programs over two days in the Garfield Theatre at the JCC.

This year will mark the first year where the same five programs of 90 minutes each will span three days "to give the Joyce Forum more of a festival feel without rushing the event," Ginsburg said.

"What saddens me is the loss of community and the idea of watching, enjoying and discussing the films with friends in a theater setting. We will also miss film directors, producers and film subjects who have joined us in person in the past to dialogue with our audience," Ginsburg said about this year's virtual event. "Instead, we have added filmmaker introductions to the beginning of several films that need background information and to answer questions you may have after viewing."

The Joyce Forum Film Selection Committee, which is made up of 11 volunteers, screened 160 short films from around the globe using FilmFreeway, which brought the films to their individual homes.

They met twice a month over four months via Zoom to discuss and evaluate each film.

"Our goal is well-rounded programs celebrating Jewish life throughout history, culture and Israel," Ginsburg said. "We choose documentaries and docudramas from which to learn, and narratives and comedies for entertainment. Several animated films are also included that tell a story and are artfully portrayed."

Because the short film festival is virtual this year, films will be screened using Eventive, an online film platform.

"Although we will miss the feeling of community by screening the Joyce Forum in our homes, it allows those that cannot make it to 'the J' to view the programs in the comfort of their own home," Ginsburg said.

Tickets cost $15 per program, $12 for JCC members, and $10 for students, military and first responders. The Joyce Forum Festival Pass is $52 for JCC members and $65 for non-members.