Now in its 13th season, the Columbus Jewish Film Festival brings its biggest and most ambitious program to town, running from Sunday, November 5 through Monday, November 20.
“This year was a pretty spectacular year for movies,” says Emily Schuss, film festival president. “Some years are better than others. The topics were so diverse and somehow they just fit into our mission.”
Schuss has programmed the festival for 11 of its 13-year run.
“I probably start screening in January,” she says of the curated festival. To find films for each year’s program, Schuss keeps tabs on what’s screening at other festivals year round.
“I go to festivals and conferences,” she says. “I go to the bigger film festivals in Atlanta and San Francisco and see what’s there.”
And then what?
“I sit and watch movies a lot of the year and narrow it down.”
What exactly is she looking for? Films that fit into the Columbus Jewish Community Center’s mission.
“One of our missions is outreach,” Schuss says. “We’re always looking for movies that will appeal to everyone, the entire community in Columbus, not just the Jewish world. That’s really the mission of the film festival—to look at the world through a Jewish lens.”
Beyond that, there are specific criteria.
“There can be a Jewish director, a Jewish character, a Jewish theme, it can be made in Israel—those are the qualifications—but quality is key,” she says. “Our closing night film is on Autism and the actors in the film are actually on the spectrum. It was incredibly well-received in other festivals. The characters just happen to be Jewish in the movie.”
Another big part of programming the festival is coordinating a slate of visiting filmmakers and speaker panels to accompany screenings.
“We have a speaker with almost every movie,” Schuss says. “We have such a great pool to pull from with Ohio State and a group of local organizations.”
Among the engagements is Israeli director/producer Barak Heymann, who brings two documentaries to the event this year, with each screening boasting a provocative post-film Q&A.
“With (the documentary) Mr. Gaga, Edwaard Liang, the artistic director of Ballet Met, is interviewing him after the film,” she says. “And then David Brown of the Harmony Project is interviewing the same director the next night after Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?”
These documentaries are two of the films Schuss points to that show the engaging variety in this year’s line-up.
“We have a dance movie, we have movies about sports and politics,” she says. “There were just films about everything.”
Tickets for the opening night gala are $35.
For the balance of the festival, single advance tickets are $10 for JCC members and seniors; $12 for non-member. All tickets are $12 at the door.
Purchase tickets at www.cjfilmfest.org
Full festival line-up
The Women’s Balcony
Sunday, November 5, 6:30 p.m., Lincoln Theater
Screenwriter Shlomit Nehama will introduce the film and participate in a post-screening Q&A
1945
Tuesday, November 7, 7 p.m. Drexel Theater
Fanny’s Journey
Wednesday, November 8, 7 p.m. McConnell Arts Center/Worthington
Preceded by short film, Wig Shop
Monsieur Mayonnaise
Thursday, November 9, 7 p.m. Columbus Museum of Art
Screening followed by discussion with Philippe Mora
Forever Pure
Sunday, November 12, 1 p.m. Drexel Theatre
Screening followed by discussion
Preceded by short film, The Transfer
The Bloom of Yesterday
Sunday, November 12, 3:30 p.m. Drexel Theatre
Bang! The Bert Berns Story
Sunday, November 12, 6 p.m. Drexel Theatre
Preceded by short film, The Chop
Mr. Gaga
Tuesday, November 14, 7 p.m. Wexner Center for the Arts
Producer Barak Heymann introduces the film and participates in post-screening discussion with
BalletMet Artistic Director, Edwaard Liang.
Reception following screening
Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?
Wednesday, November 15, 7 p.m. Canzani Center (CCAD)
Director/Producer Barak Heymann in attendance to introduce the film and participate in a post-screening discussion with David Brown, The Harmony Project Founder & Creative Director
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
Thursday, November 16, 7 p.m. Jewish Community Center
Love Is Thicker than Water
Sunday, November 19, 5:30 p.m. Jewish Community Center
Past Life
Sunday, November 19, 8 p.m. Jewish Community Center
Keep the Change
Monday, November 20, 6:30 p.m. McCoy Center for the Arts, New Albany
Reception following the screening
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