MARCH 11 - 19, 2000

 FINAL - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 27, 2000

Family Films on-screen at Seattle Jewish Film Festival

Baseball’s unsung homerun hero.  Anne Frank.  Youth activists.  Even a boy and his dog.  All will be brought to life at the fifth annual Seattle Jewish Film Festival, March 11 – 19 at Loews Cineplex City Centre Theatre in downtown Seattle.  Presented by the American Jewish Committee and proudly sponsored by Starbucks Coffee Company, the festival offers a variety of films designed to appeal to the whole family.

 “Animated Anne Frank’s Diary” is the featured film at the Children’s Matinee on Sunday March 19 at 2:30 PM.  Geared for ages 9 and up, this animated treat is a retelling of the story of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who died in a concentration camp at age fifteen, whose diary is read and beloved by children everywhere.  Preceding “Anne Frank” is “God@heaven,” a short film that asks the question: what happens when a little boy sends an E-mail to God?  The answer comes as a surprise to the boy and his dog. 

“From Birth to Bris and Beyond” is the theme of the festival’s annual Bagel & Film Brunch on Sunday, March 19 at 10:00 AM.  This year’s Brunch, with bagels provided by Noah’s Bagels, features four short films, suitable for all ages, that take viewers on a light-hearted journey through life.  “A World to Come” is a rhyming tale about two babies living in a mysterious world with a heavenly angel. When their world seems to come to an abrupt end, it’s actually just a beautiful new beginning.  “L.A. Mohel” dispenses with stereotypes and caricatures long-associated with the profession and explores the lives of three popular ritual circumcisers working in Los Angeles. Balancing incredible humor and heart-felt emotion, this documentary explores what it means to perform an ancient ceremony in the modern world.  “Purim” is an unusual portrait of Hasidic children in Boro Park, Brooklyn who “do it up” on the holiday of Purim, a topsy-turvy day where costumes and tom-foolery are the order of the day. Also screening at the Brunch, “God@heaven,” a story of a boy and his dog for the computer age.

Teens will enjoy a provocative evening of documentary film on Wednesday, March 15, co-sponsored by Community High School for Jewish Studies and the Northwest Coalition for Human Dignity. “Antiracist” is a half-hour documentary about the proactive work of Swedish youth activists fighting bigotry in innovative and effective ways. Offering another perspective on prejudice,  “From Swastika to Jim Crow” presents the untold story of German-Jewish “refugee professors” from war-torn Europe who find an unlikely new home at Southern black colleges during the Depression.  The film celebrates the emotional bonds between a special group of teachers and students and the triumph of the human spirit in a racially charged environment.

And finally, for baseball (or softball or T-ball) enthusiasts, SJFF is hosting the Seattle premiere of “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg” on Sunday March 12 at 7:30 PM. Sold out across the country, Aviva Kempner’s award-winning documentary profiles the remarkable career of 1930s and ‘40s baseball great Hank Greenberg. A contemporary of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig, Greenberg courageously broke barriers and defied racial stereotyping both on and off the playing field.   A great warm-up for the spring sports season, you’ll leave this film singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”  (in Yiddish!)

The American Jewish Committee’s Seattle Jewish Film Festival (SJFF) is a week-long cinematic celebration of Jewish life and culture, showcasing over 20 Jewish-themed feature films and documentaries from around the world.  Celebrating its fifth anniversary in March, SJFF is a community-wide event that promotes education and understanding of historical and contemporary Jewish issues while exploring the universal human experience.

General admission tickets to the Seattle Jewish Film Festival are $7.50 for adults and $4.00 for children under 13.  Tickets for the Bagel & Film Brunch are $12.00 for adults, $6.00 for children.  For more information, call the festival office at 206-622-6315 or visit the website at www.ajcseattle.org.

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Contact: Cathleen O’Connell

PR Coordinator SJFF 2000

Tel: 206-622-6315

Fax: 206-622-3015

Email: PR_SJFF2000@hotmail.com