SAN FRANCISCO JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL | SFJFF 2010

July 24-August 9 | 866-558-4253

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Six Points with Raaya Karas

 This June, SFJFF brings you an animated short by Raaya Karas.  Some Space for Tomorrow is a heart-rendering Holocaust story that screened at SFJFF in 2006.  

What inspired you to make this film?

It was during my last year in the Academy of Art & Design when my grandmother started sorting out her old papers and letters, and came across this letter she wrote years before, and kept with her since. As she read it to me, it seemed as if she was re-living the emotions she felt at the time.

I think what I found most heart-wrenching was the naive belief that motivated her when she wrote this letter. Unaware of what today is common knowledge – at the time she truly thought her Fiance was alive somewhere, and has just been relocated, as the Nazis claimed.

I tried to capture that raw emotion of painful longing verging on despair, but still grasping at hope. It was the attempt to hold on to normality and routine when everything around you is in turmoil that appealed to me the most.

  

Six Points with Nick Fox-Gieg

This April, SFJFF brings you another animated short from director Nick Fox-Gieg.  The Option of War adapts an early Kafka story, and screened as part of SFJFF's Jewtoons series in 2009.  Nick spoke to SFJFF about the film, its inspiration, and some of the challenges he had making it.

What inspired you to make this film?

This was my graduate thesis at Cal Arts. I was familiar with the Kafka story it's based on, and I was vividly reminded of it when driving through Mexico's Oaxaca State at night in 2002.  I'd already started work on it when the Iraq War began, and that couldn't help but strongly influence the direction it took from there.

  

Links

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Read All About It.

 

Articles

San Francisco Chronicle  Walter Addiego, Chronicle staff writer, talks about the exciting line-up for the festival

IndieWire  Nigel M Smith writes about a host of promising films and speciality events

J Weekly  "It's Jewish Movie Time"

J Weekly Michael Fox reviews Saviors in the Night

J Weekly Michael Fox reviews Budrus

Religion News calls Saviors in the Night "a saga of life during wartime"

Beyond Chron reviews Saviors in the Night and Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams

San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein, Chronicle Movie Correpondent, talks about "Tough Guys: Images of Jewish Gangsters in Film"

San Francisco Chronicle Staff writers highlight films

SF Weekly talks about the Gangster films and panel and about the international line-up of films

The Bay Area Reporter talks about the festival and the "fascinating array of films"

The Daily Californian talks about the festival and how it celebrates a "wide variety of voices and perspectives that can fit under the umbrella of Jewishness"

San Francisco Bay Times calls A Room and a Half "visually intoxicating"

Beyond Chron reviews Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story and other noteworthy films

Marin Independent Journal talks about participants in Half-Remembered Stories

SF 360 Michael Fox reviews the festival

San Francisco Bay Guardian reviews Protektor and A Small Act

San Francisco Bay Guardian talks about Einsatzgruppen: The Death Brigades and A Film Unfinished

San Francisco Chronicle  John Clark reviews the documentary The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground and interviews band member Lisa Gutkin

KQED Arts writes about the festival's Spotlight Series People of the Book  and calls it "a highlight of the festival."

Pacific Sun Renata Polt reviews the line-up of SFJFF films screening in San Rafael

New America Media provides an audio interview with Sayed Kashua, creator of Arab Labor and winner of the 2010 SFJFF Freedom of Expression Award

Haaretz Daily Newsletter / Israel News, Writer Sayed Kashua in a hilarious piece about winning the 2010 SFJFF Freedom of Expression Award

 

  Blogroll

The Squid List Laughing Squid predicts "You'll laugh, you'll cry...and you'll talk about it."

USA Travel Guide, Tips from a Rambling American Calls us "One of the stand-out events in a city known for its cinemaniacs."

Bay Flicks Writes about the line-up and spotlights

The Evening Class Michael Hawley previews the festival line-up

UC Santa Cruz SFJFF is an opportunity to come together as a group

My Cultural Landscape Talks about "Ingelore" and calls it "...a deeply moving documentary."

Women's Lens Writes about festival Sneak Peak events and Special Events

Building Jewish Bridges Is looking forward to Opening Night film Saviors in the Night

Six For Five Writes about Jewish Mobsters crossing the Golden Gate ("Tough Guys: Images of Jewish Gangsters in Film" Panel)

Culture Shuk Talks about Panel Event "Is Dialogue Possible? How Films Help Us Talk About Israel(...Or Not)"

Trust Movies The SFJFF "is like some amazing, 17-day, potluck supper in which nearly everything is likely to prove delicious"

Flavorpill says "…San Francisco Jewish Film Festival showcases complex perspectives on Jewish identity."

Brokeass Stuart predicts "...all you Judeo-cinephiles out there will find yourself in movie heaven."

Undine introduces Sayed Kashua, recipient of this year's SFJFF Freedom of Expression award in the newest blog

Zvent calls the screening of Hungry Hearts with live score provided by the Moab Strangers a "don't miss event."

TrustMovies provides a review of the "beautiful/devastating" film The Wolberg Family and an interview with director Axelle Ropert

TrustMovies reviews Grace Paley: Collected Shorts and calls it "...immediate, enthralling, moving and funny"

Voxtheatricum blogs about "Dirty Dancing" at Union Square

Tango Diva reviews the festival line-up and calles it "...diverse...promises to astound you with fantastic performances not likely to ever be seen at a theater near you."

Culture Shuk Elise Bernhardt, Executive Director of the Foundation for Jewish Culture gives her impression of the "most interesting" panel "Is Dialogue Possible? How Films Help Us Talk About Israel (...Or Not)"

JTA - Jewis & Israel News Sue Fishkoff writes about Arab Labor and it's creator and recipient of the 2010 SFJFF Freedom of Expression Award Sayed Kashua.

Chloe Veltman reviews Opening Night film Saviors in the Night and the Opening Night After-Film Bash at the Swedish American Hall "...there was a great buzz in the building."