MARCH 11 - 19, 2000

FINAL - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 1, 2000

Seattle Jewish Film Festival Premieres New Documentary About Jewish Refugees in China

The Seattle Jewish Film Festival announces the Northwest premiere of "Port of Last Resort" on Tuesday, March 14 at 9:00 PM at the Loews City Centre Theatre in downtown Seattle. "Port of Last Resort" recounts the fascinating history of a Jewish refugee community established in the unlikely outpost of Shanghai, China during World War II.

Between 1938 and 1941, when many of the world's borders were closed to the desperate Jews of Europe, nearly 20,000 refugees fled to the free port of Shanghai. No permits, visas or paperwork were required to enter and in Hongkew, Jewish enclaves grew into cosmopolitan centers. Under Japanese occupation, however, the area became a ghetto where Jewish refugees suffered alongside fellow Chinese. "Port of Last Resort" recounts this fascinating little-known story through the recollections of former residents and rare archival footage.

In attendance at the March 14th screening, Rolf Preuss, Henry and Gerda Haas, Seattle area residents who were refugees in Shanghai in the 30's and 40's. They will speak after the film and take questions from the audience. "Port of Last Resort" is co-sponsored by the Northwest Yeshiva High School, Video Judaica and the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center.

The Seattle Jewish Film Festival is presented by the American Jewish Committee and is sponsored by Starbucks Coffee Company. General admission tickets to the Seattle Jewish Film Festival are $7.50 for adults and $4.00 for children under 13. For tickets, call the box office at 206-390-7791 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