MARCH 11 - 19, 2000

FINAL - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1 2000

Guest Speakers at Seattle Jewish Film Festival Encourage Audiences to Get a Word in Edgewise

Special guest speakers at this year's Seattle Jewish Film Festival include filmmakers, artists, academics, community leaders and film critics. "Festival guests provide context to the films," explains Festival Manager Molly Sedlik. "We're flying in nationally recognized directors as well as drawing upon the community's rich local resources to engage the audience in post-film discussions designed to enrich their filmgoing experience."

Did you ever want to tell a film critic what YOU think about a movie? Then SJFF's Saturday, March 18 "Everyone's A Critic!" event is for you. Former film critic and Film.com founder Lucy Mohl teams up with radio personality and Cinema Seattle staffer Warren Etheredge for a post-film dissection of the Canadian coming-of-age drama "Emporte-Moi." They'll share their "professional" perspectives on the film and give the audience an opportunity to engage in the critical process of film reviewing.

Or maybe you want to skip the critic and go right to the top - the director. Filmmaker Aviva Kempner is one high-profile director who will be attending the festival. Her documentary film "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" is an engaging portrait of the Jewish-American baseball hero. She'll be interviewed on KUOW's "Weekday" program on Friday, March 10 and will take Q&A from the audience at the Sunday March 12 screening of her film. Earlier on Sunday the 12th, the Young Leadership Division of the Jewish Federation is hosting New York and LA funnymen Sam Seder and Charles Fisher discussing their comedy "Who's The Caboose?" following the film's 3:00 PM matinee.

On a more serious note, "One Upping The 'Anti': Confronting Bigotry and Hate" is the theme of an inspiring evening of film on Wednesday March 15. Chicago documentarians Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher will speak about the making of "From Swastika to Jim Crow." Joining the filmmakers to offer a local perspective on the topic of racism and bigotry will be Terre Rybovich, Executive Director of the Northwest Coalition for Human Dignity and Professor Thaddeus Spratlen, co-chair of the African American/Jewish Coalition for Justice.

Several speakers will share their very personal perspectives with SJFF audiences. Raphael Soifer, son of Boston filmmaker Marlene Booth, will introduce his mother's memoir about growing up Jewish in Ohio, entitled "Yidl In The Middle," on Sunday, March 19 at 4:00 PM. Former Shanghai refugees and current Seattle area residents Rolf Preuss, Henry Hass and Gerda Haas will offer their firsthand memories of China under Japanese occupation following the Northwest premiere of the documentary "Port of Last Resort" on Tuesday, March 14 at 9:00 pm.

Festival programmers have invited prominent Jewish community leaders to facilitate post-film discussions following some of the festival's more intense film presentations. Rivy Poupko Kletenik and Rabbi Dan Bridge will be on hand to discuss the issues of orthodoxy, devotion and love raised in the complex and controversial film "Kadosh." And providing a historical perspective to SJFF's Closing Night film "After The End of The World," Dr. Dan Chirot, Professor of International Studies and Sociology at University of Washington will bring his expertise to this rich Bulgarian drama.

The American Jewish Committee's Seattle Jewish Film Festival (SJFF) is presented by the American Jewish Committee and sponsored by Starbucks Coffee Company. General admission tickets to the Seattle Jewish Film Festival are $7.50 for adults, $6 seniors and students, $4.00 for children under 13. For tickets, call the festival box office at 206-390-7791 or visit the website at www.ajcseattle.org.

####

Contact: Cathleen O’Connell

PR Coordinator SJFF 2000

Tel: 206-622-6315

Fax: 206-622-3015

Email: PR_SJFF2000@hotmail.com