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THE LEVIS JCC SANDLER CENTER ANNOUNCES 4th ANNUAL JUDY LEVIS MARKHOFF BOCA RATON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL (BRJFF) LINE-UP The Big Screen is Boca’s Main Scene this March Boca Raton, FL (January 17, 2019) – It’s time for ‘lights, camera, action’ as The Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center’s Sandler Center announces its 2020 line-up for its Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival (BRJFF), which runs from Sunday, March 8 – Sunday, March 29, 2020. Now among the top 10 Jewish Film Festivals in the US, this year’s BRJFF features the best narrative, documentary and short films from around the world. The broad array of films explores the Jewish experience, culture, history, identity, and topics relevant to Jewish life with a diverse collection of 55 international and independent premiere films from over 22 countries. Films will be screened at Cinemark Palace 20 Theaters in Boca Raton the first two weeks, at Movies of Delray the third week, and select films will be screened in Beifield Auditorium at the Levis JCC Sander Center. “The Festival has become one of the most anticipated events of the year in the Boca Raton community and we could not be prouder,” said Wendy Honig, BRJFF Artistic Director. “We continue to present an unsurpassed line-up of films, speakers, and events, not only during the festival but all-year-round. It is our hope that audiences leave these films feeling as passionate about Jewish cinema as we do,” said Lesley Rich, BRJFF Program & Production Director. The Festival’s opening night on Sunday, March 8 at 7 pm will feature the Florida Premiere of I’ll Find You. The film takes audiences back to 1939 during the German invasion of Poland. Two young lovers, Robert, a Catholic opera singer and Rachel, a Jewish violin virtuoso, dream of one day performing together at legendary Carnegie Hall. When they are torn apart, Robert vows to find Rachel, no matter what the war may bring. His search leads him on a life-threatening journey through the heart of Nazi Germany. Emmy-Award Winning Director and first female President of the Directors Guild of America Martha Coolidge, and Academy Award Winning Producer Fred Roos (The Godfather II, Apocalypse Now) will be making special guest appearances and will host a post-screening discussion. Also, in attendance will be Writer/Producer Bozena Intrator, and Actress Ursula Parker. The Automat is the closing day film will play at Zinman Hall on March 29 and will transcend movie-goers to a time when Americans once sipped coffee and ate pie around communal tables, sharing their struggles and dreams with strangers at Horn & Hardart’s iconic Automat. Lifetimes ago, these working-class palaces nourished a sense of unity that bridged the diversity of class, language, gender, and race in the urban melting pots of the East Coast. Audiences will travel back in time to experience this unique piece of America's history. More than just entertainment, The Automat is a parable of how Americans once dined happily together before turning to the isolated experience offered by fast food. The documentary is a Preview Work In Progress Feedback Free Screening directed by Lisa Hurwitz and stars Mel Brooks, Elliott Gould, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell, Carl Reiner, Bruce Vilanch, Ed Rendell, Wilson Goode, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Howard Schultz. An Automat themed party and screening will begin at 12:30 pm. Director Lisa Hurwitz will be in attendance. Other not-to-be-missed films and special events: • Viral: Anti-Semitism in Four Mutations - Florida Premiere. This film is a look at the rise of Anti-Semitism throughout the world through the eyes of some of those most affected by it. March 18th screening at 7 pm at Zinman Hall will feature special guest speaker Rabbi Jeffrey Myers from Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. $18. Advanced registration required. RSVP to 561-852-3214. • Flawless – Eden a 17-year-old high school student discovers that her two best friends are planning to sell their kidneys to pay for cosmetic surgery and a dress for prom. Eden, who is secretly a trans woman, realizes that this may be the answer to her prayers. Their trip does not go as planned and when Eden’s secret is exposed, all three of them need to come to terms with the prejudices they have and redefine who they really want to be in this world. Jeanette Jennings, mother of TV personality and LBGTQ+ activist Jazz Jennings, will speak at the March 9th Screening of Flawless at Cinemark Palace in Boca Raton. • Stand – East Coast Premiere of a musical inspired by a true story. 1919. Stefan and his father Mike fled Ukraine for the New World, where they struggle to earn enough to reunite the family. Stefan is instantly smitten with the Jewish suffragette neighbor, Rebecca – but Rebecca’s brother Moishe and Mike oppose the would-be Romeo and Juliet. Returned soldiers, angry at the lack of jobs after the war, violently threaten the city’s immigrants, including Emma, the refugee from racial persecution in Oklahoma. When a movement develops for workers to leave their jobs in protest, AJ Anderson, a wealthy lawyer, pits all against each other in a dramatic and inspirational final stand. • Incitement - This rigorous psychological thriller by American-Israeli director Yaron Zilberman depicts the lead-up to the 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin through the worldview of his assassin, Yigal Amir. • Golden Voices - Southeast US Premiere - Victor and Raya Frenkel were the golden voices of the Soviet film dubbing. In 1990, with the collapse of the USSR, they decide to immigrate to Israel, just like hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews. Victor and Raya’s attempts to use their distinctive talent in a country that doesn’t need it will turn the beginning of the new chapter of their life into an amusing, painful, and absurd experience. Individual general admission tickets will become available in mid-February. The full 2020 Program Guide including dates, showtimes, a synopsis of each film and theater location is available on bocajff.org. For more information on sponsorships and passes, please call 561-558-2514 or visit the Levis JCC Sandler Center Box Office located at 21050 95th Avenue S. in Boca Raton. Zinman Hall is located at 9901 Donna Klein Blvd. in Boca Raton. Beifield Auditorium is located at 21050 95th Avenue S in Boca Raton. About The Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival The mission of the Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival is to provide the newest, most stimulating and thought-provoking films that encourage audiences to expand their awareness and understanding of the Jewish world and engage in dialogue to explore the many diverse perspectives portrayed by the films presented. About the Levis JCC Sandler Center The Levis JCC’s Phyllis & Harvey Sandler Center, which highlights renowned talent from artists and actors to authors and so much more, gives adults of all ages and faiths an opportunity to connect with others who share similar interests in continuing education, travel and social events. Learn more at levisjcc.org/culture. ###
THE LEVIS JCC SANDLER CENTER ANNOUNCES 4th ANNUAL JUDY LEVIS MARKHOFF BOCA RATON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL (BRJFF) LINE-UP The Big Screen is Boca’s Main Scene this March Boca Raton, FL (January 17, 2019) – It’s time for ‘lights, camera, action’ as The Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center’s Sandler Center announces its 2020 line-up for its Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival (BRJFF), which runs from Sunday, March 8 – Sunday, March 29, 2020. Now among the top 10 Jewish Film Festivals in the US, this year’s BRJFF features the best narrative, documentary and short films from around the world. The broad array of films explores the Jewish experience, culture, history, identity, and topics relevant to Jewish life with a diverse collection of 55 international and independent premiere films from over 22 countries. Films will be screened at Cinemark Palace 20 Theaters in Boca Raton the first two weeks, at Movies of Delray the third week, and select films will be screened in Beifield Auditorium at the Levis JCC Sander Center. “The Festival has become one of the most anticipated events of the year in the Boca Raton community and we could not be prouder,” said Wendy Honig, BRJFF Artistic Director. “We continue to present an unsurpassed line-up of films, speakers, and events, not only during the festival but all-year-round. It is our hope that audiences leave these films feeling as passionate about Jewish cinema as we do,” said Lesley Rich, BRJFF Program & Production Director. The Festival’s opening night on Sunday, March 8 at 7 pm will feature the Florida Premiere of I’ll Find You. The film takes audiences back to 1939 during the German invasion of Poland. Two young lovers, Robert, a Catholic opera singer and Rachel, a Jewish violin virtuoso, dream of one day performing together at legendary Carnegie Hall. When they are torn apart, Robert vows to find Rachel, no matter what the war may bring. His search leads him on a life-threatening journey through the heart of Nazi Germany. Emmy-Award Winning Director and first female President of the Directors Guild of America Martha Coolidge, and Academy Award Winning Producer Fred Roos (The Godfather II, Apocalypse Now) will be making special guest appearances and will host a post-screening discussion. Also, in attendance will be Writer/Producer Bozena Intrator, and Actress Ursula Parker. The Automat is the closing day film will play at Zinman Hall on March 29 and will transcend movie-goers to a time when Americans once sipped coffee and ate pie around communal tables, sharing their struggles and dreams with strangers at Horn & Hardart’s iconic Automat. Lifetimes ago, these working-class palaces nourished a sense of unity that bridged the diversity of class, language, gender, and race in the urban melting pots of the East Coast. Audiences will travel back in time to experience this unique piece of America's history. More than just entertainment, The Automat is a parable of how Americans once dined happily together before turning to the isolated experience offered by fast food. The documentary is a Preview Work In Progress Feedback Free Screening directed by Lisa Hurwitz and stars Mel Brooks, Elliott Gould, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell, Carl Reiner, Bruce Vilanch, Ed Rendell, Wilson Goode, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Howard Schultz. An Automat themed party and screening will begin at 12:30 pm. Director Lisa Hurwitz will be in attendance. Other not-to-be-missed films and special events: • Viral: Anti-Semitism in Four Mutations - Florida Premiere. This film is a look at the rise of Anti-Semitism throughout the world through the eyes of some of those most affected by it. March 18th screening at 7 pm at Zinman Hall will feature special guest speaker Rabbi Jeffrey Myers from Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. $18. Advanced registration required. RSVP to 561-852-3214. • Flawless – Eden a 17-year-old high school student discovers that her two best friends are planning to sell their kidneys to pay for cosmetic surgery and a dress for prom. Eden, who is secretly a trans woman, realizes that this may be the answer to her prayers. Their trip does not go as planned and when Eden’s secret is exposed, all three of them need to come to terms with the prejudices they have and redefine who they really want to be in this world. Jeanette Jennings, mother of TV personality and LBGTQ+ activist Jazz Jennings, will speak at the March 9th Screening of Flawless at Cinemark Palace in Boca Raton.
• Stand – East Coast Premiere of a musical inspired by a true story. 1919. Stefan and his father Mike fled Ukraine for the New World, where they struggle to earn enough to reunite the family. Stefan is instantly smitten with the Jewish suffragette neighbor, Rebecca – but Rebecca’s brother Moishe and Mike oppose the would-be Romeo and Juliet. Returned soldiers, angry at the lack of jobs after the war, violently threaten the city’s immigrants, including Emma, the refugee from racial persecution in Oklahoma. When a movement develops for workers to leave their jobs in protest, AJ Anderson, a wealthy lawyer, pits all against each other in a dramatic and inspirational final stand. • Incitement - This rigorous psychological thriller by American-Israeli director Yaron Zilberman depicts the lead-up to the 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin through the worldview of his assassin, Yigal Amir. • Golden Voices - Southeast US Premiere - Victor and Raya Frenkel were the golden voices of the Soviet film dubbing. In 1990, with the collapse of the USSR, they decide to immigrate to Israel, just like hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews. Victor and Raya’s attempts to use their distinctive talent in a country that doesn’t need it will turn the beginning of the new chapter of their life into an amusing, painful, and absurd experience. Individual general admission tickets will become available in mid-February. The full 2020 Program Guide including dates, showtimes, a synopsis of each film and theater location is available on bocajff.org. For more information on sponsorships and passes, please call 561-558-2514 or visit the Levis JCC Sandler Center Box Office located at 21050 95th Avenue S. in Boca Raton. Zinman Hall is located at 9901 Donna Klein Blvd. in Boca Raton. Beifield Auditorium is located at 21050 95th Avenue S in Boca Raton. About The Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival The mission of the Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival is to provide the newest, most stimulating and thought-provoking films that encourage audiences to expand their awareness and understanding of the Jewish world and engage in dialogue to explore the many diverse perspectives portrayed by the films presented. About the Levis JCC Sandler Center The Levis JCC’s Phyllis & Harvey Sandler Center, which highlights renowned talent from artists and actors to authors and so much more, gives adults of all ages and faiths an opportunity to connect with others who share similar interests in continuing education, travel and social events. Learn more at levisjcc.org/culture.
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