The Jewish Community Center presents the 11th annual Jewish Film Festival, Feb 14 – Feb 24. Eight award winning, provocative and international films were chosen that are sure to spark interest in all avid film lovers. These films will provide audiences a means to experience and understand Jewish cultural complexity, richness and depth. They will explore historical and contemporary cultural issues, intercultural communication and build community awareness.

Seven films will be presented at Village 8 Theatres in Louisville. These include the Israeli films The Debt (Feb 14, 7:30 p.m.), The Secrets (Feb 17, 7:00 p.m.) and Noodle (Feb 21, 7:30 p.m.), the French film Un Secret (Feb 19, 7:00 p.m.), as well as the US films Love and Dance (Feb 15, 2:00 p.m.), Constantine’s Sword (Feb 22, 7:00 p.m.) and Praying with Lior (Feb 22, 7:00 p.m.).

An additional showing of Constantine’s Sword will be at the University of Louisville on Feb 16 at 7:00 p.m. and is free of charge.

These films deal with subjects such as cultural conflicts in both family and society (Love and Dance), the history of religious intolerance (Constantine’s Sword), and issues such as disability and who really talks to God in Praying with Lior. Noodle tells the story of a widowed flight attendant who finds herself taking care of an abandoned young Chinese boy. Un Secret reveals a long-hidden truth and points out the consequences that arise from trying to hide it. In The Secrets, Naomi postpones a marriage to attend a seminary for women. There, she and her new friend Michelle try to purge the sins of a terminally ill tortured soul through a series of secret rituals. The Debt relays the story of three Mossad agents who capture the “Surgeon of Birkenau”, a Nazi war criminal who later escapes, leading the agents to fake his suicide. When he resurfaces 30 years later the Mossad agents scramble to protect their lie.

In conjunction with the Jewish Film Festival, Comedy Caravan is hosting a comedy event on Feb 24 at 7:00 pm. The evening will feature the US film Making Trouble and a live performance by comedian Mark Klein. Making Trouble pays tribute to six legendary American Jewish women entertainers -- Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Wendy Wasserstein, and Gilda Radner. An impeccably researched documentary, skillfully produced by the Jewish Women’s Archive, Making Trouble includes rare archival footage and commentary from four of today’s funny Jewish women.

Tickets for all individual Village 8 films are $8.50 for adults and $6 for students. Tickets for the Comedy Caravan event are $15 a person. All tickets can be purchased in advance by calling (502) 459-0660 or one hour prior to the show at the theater. A Village 8 Reel Deal is also available, all 7 Village 8 Films for $50.

The 11th Annual Jewish Film Festival is funded in part by the Rosa Gladstein Fund of Jewish Community Federation and The Louis Levy Film and Theatre Arts Fund. The Making Trouble comedy event is funded by Comedy Caravan. University of Louisville sponsors include The Commonwealth Center for Humanities and Society, The Commission on Diversity and Racial Equality, The Division of Humanities, The College of Arts and Sciences, The Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity.

http://www.jccoflouisville.org/PDFs/JLL/Film%20Fest/Jewish%20Film%20Fest%2009.pdf