Six communities plan Jewish film festivals

Six communities in the area are planning Jewish film festivals for the coming months.

The ninth annual New Orleans Jewish Film Festival is being presented by the Jewish Community Center of New Orleans and Shir Chadash, in association with Loyola University Interfaith and Black Studies Ministries. All presentations are being held on the campus of Loyola University.

The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life begins its four festivals in Jackson on Oct. 21, then adds Montgomery on Oct. 28, Mobile on Oct. 29, and the inaugural Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival on Jan. 25. Many of the screenings include discussions with filmmakers, historians and other special guests.

Shreveport, which got its start with Jewish Cinema South, is producing its own festival, beginning on Nov. 4.

“The Ritchie Boys” begins the New Orleans festival on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m., at Nunemaker Auditorium. “Live and Become” will be screened on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m., and the festival concludes with “Everything is Illuminated” at 2 p.m. on Oct. 22, followed by an additional screening of “The Ritchie Boys” at 4 p.m., in Roussel Auditorium.

Tickets are $10, $8 for seniors. A festival pass is $25, or $21 for seniors. Student admission is $5 for those under 17, or with a Tulane or Loyola student ID.

The Jackson festival kicks off on Oct. 21 with “Live and Become.” On Oct. 22, there will be an afternoon of short films, including “The Tribe,” “Skylab,” “America,” “Backseat Bingo” and “West Bank Story.”

On Oct. 23, “The Tollbooth” will be screened, and “Walk on Water” will finish the festival on Oct. 24.

All Jackson screenings will be at Millsaps College Recital Hall. Tickets are $10 each, $5 for students. Festival passes are $35 for adults and $20 for students. A patron pass for $125 includes all films and a sponsor reception. Tickets are available at Beth Israel in Jackson, or at the door 30 minutes prior to screening.

The Montgomery festival, held at the Capri Theatre, starts on Oct. 28 with “The First Time I Was Twenty,” following a patron’s reception. “Live and Become” will be the afternoon show on Oct. 29. On Oct. 30, there will be a screening of “Rene and I” for school groups in the morning, with filmmaker Gina Angelone giving a presentation. That evening, “Ushpizin” will be screened.

Tickets for the festival, which is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Central Alabama, are $7, or $5 for students. A series pass is $18, and a patron’s pass is $100.

In Mobile, “Live and Become” will start the festival on Oct. 29 at the Hollywood Theaters. Sirak Sabahat, who stars in the film, will speak. On Oct. 30, “Sister Rose’s Passion” will be at Spring Hill College’s Byrne Hall. Father John T. Pawlikowski, director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies Program at the Catholic Theological Union, will be the guest speaker.

The festival returns to the Hollywood Theaters on Nov. 1 with “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days,” then has a school screening of “Nicholas Winton, the Power of Good” on Nov. 2. The finale will be “Wondrous Oblivion” that evening.

Ticket prices will be $7 for adults, $5 for students, and will be available from the Mobile Area Jewish Federation.

Shreveport’s festival begins with “Amen” on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m., followed by a discussion and reception, hosted by the Robinson Film Center. A double-header of “Sleeping With the Enemy” and “Behind Enemy Lines” will be screened on Nov. 5 at 2 p.m., with a discussion between the films. “James’ Journey to Jerusalem” closes the festival on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.

Screenings will be at the Performing Arts Center in Shreveport. A $5 donation is requested.

The Baton Rouge festival kicks off on Jan. 25 with two school screenings of “Paper Clips,” at 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. Coach David Smith, assistant principal of Whitwell Middle School, will discuss the film and the project that drew international attention. That evening, “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days” will be screened.

The next two evenings are double-features. On Jan. 27, “All I’ve Got” will be paired with “West Bank Story,” and on Jan. 28, “Strange Fruit” will be screened with “The House I Live In” at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Filmmaker Joel Katz will speak.

Baton Rouge screenings will be at the Manship Theatre. Reserved seating is $8.50. Tickets will be available in advance from the theater box office. There will be a patron’s reception prior to the Jan. 27 screenings. Patron levels are set from $100 to $2,000, and can be arranged through the Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge.