Podcasts about boston jewish film festival

Max and Evan are discussing the upcoming IFF Boston 2024 and the Boston Jewish Film Festival 2024. They discuss some of the movies playing during the two festivals, what you need to put on your radar, and how to watch some of the movies from your couch. Stay tuned afterwards for a discussion on The Substance and Carrie.  Website: https://itsthepictures.libsyn.com/ itsthepictures.substack.com Download the episode today and tweet at Max and Evan (@itsthepicpod). Like the show? Review us on iTunes! We are also available on Stitcher, Spotify, and Letterboxd.  Opening: "The Fire" by Dan_Mantau (c) 2022 - http://ccmixter.org/files/Dan_Mantau/64603 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) Closing: Pixie Pixels (featuring Kara Square) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/53778  Additional comments? Email us: itsthepictures@gmail.com

Executive Producer Paula S. Apsell talks about her new documentary “Resistance - They Fought Back” with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. The film is having its World Premiere at the Boston Jewish Film Festival November 2nd and  9th. “Resistance - They Fought Back” explores the misinformation that Jews went to their deaths like sheep to the slaughter during the Holocaust. Actually Jews fought back in more than sixty armed rebellions including six in death camps and thousands of Jewish partisans in forests of Europe. Through interviews with historians, survivors and their families the film belies a long-held myth and shines a new light on a lost chapter of history. Apsell co-directed this relevant and timely film with Kirk Wolfinger after a documentary they made for the PBS NOVA series in 2016 which she helmed for 35 years. Told by survivors, their children and expert witnesses from the U.S, Israel and Europe “Resistance - They Fought Back” is a revelation based on extensive research of how the Jews of Europe fought back. It uncovers evidence of non-violent methods which served as crucial tools of resistance and evolved into Jewish armed revolts in ghettos, forests and death camps even as the odds of success were alarmingly small. Today almost eighty years after the Holocaust this story remains largely unknown to the general public. It is important to understand this genocide that wiped out two-thirds of European Jews especially with the global rise of antisemitism, hatred and denial of the Holocaust itself. We talked to Paula about what she hopes to accomplish with “Resistance - They Fought Back” and as a fierce ally her spin on our LGBTQ issues.  Paula S. Apsell spent 35 years as the Senior Executive Producer of the PBS NOVA science series responsible for more than 650 documentaries in the sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine which won every major broadcasting award including the Emmy; the Peabody; the duPont-Columbia University Gold and Silver Batons and an Academy Award nomination for Special Effects. She has been recognized with numerous individual awards including the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Emmy of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Currently she is CEO of Leading Edge Productions, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. “Resistance: They Fought Back” is currently being screened at the Boston Jewish Film Festival and numerous screenings globally and is distributed by Abramorama.  For More Info & Tix… LISTEN: 600+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES

This week we start by reviewing Tal Michael's BUKRA FIL MISH-MISH (3:59), a fascinating documentary playing at the Boston Jewish Film Festival about three Jewish brothers who were pioneers of Egyptian animation. Next, we discuss Danis Goulet's NIGHT RAIDERS (16:41), a smart Indigenous sci-fi film about a mother (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) trying to rescue her daughter (Brooklyn Letexier-Hart) from a fascist state. After that we review Jeymes Samuel's THE HARDER THEY FALL (32:25), a bold Black Western with a stacked cast. And in this week's Patreon exclusive audio, we talk about Lou Adler's 1982 film LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS! 

Happy Hanukkah! This year the holiday is coming early in real life and on the show. Our gift to you is a bonus episode where Evan and his co-host in life, Shauna, review the shorts programs from the 2021 Boston Jewish Film Festival. First up is the FreshFlix block, where they concentrate on THE MOHEL (1:25), PARADISE (10:46), and THE BINDING OF ITZIK (17:42), with brief comments on DEVEK, GANEF, SCUM BOY, and IMMERSION. Next they discuss Shorts Made in Quarantine with a focus on TANGLED UP IN JEWS (27:13), LONG DISTANCE (29:15), and DIALOGUES AND MONOLOGUES (32:07), and brief nods to VOICES FROM THE BALCONIES and YOM KIPPUR IN LOCKDOWN. They wrap up with the In 32 Minutes or Less! block, engaging in discussions about NEVER AGAIN / PARA NADIE (39:11), BECOMING NAKUSET (47:55), MOM'S IN TOWN AND SHE DIDN'T TELL ME (47:55), and A JEW WALKS INTO A BAR (51:15), while briefly mentioning THE COLLECTION and ZAIDA. Hopefully these reviews inspire you to check out the shorts at the Boston Jewish Film Festival, which runs virtually through November 20, 2021.

On this podcast, we welcome the husband and wife filmmaking team behind THE RABBI GOES WEST. Gerry Peary should be familiar to Wisconsin Film Festival audiences. In recent years he has been a guest of the festival twice, in 2013 as a cast member of Andrew Bujalski’s COMPUTER CHESS, and in 2016 to present his documentary feature, ARCHIE’S BETTY. Gerry received a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1977 and in addition to being a filmmaker has had a long career in film criticism and journalism with his work appearing in The Boston Globe, the LA Times and many other publications. Amy Geller’s award-winning productions [PBS's THE WAR THAT MADE AMERICA (2005), FOR THE LOVE OF MOVIES (2009), and THE GUYS NEXT DOOR (2016), which she co-directed], have been broadcast and screened at prestigious film festivals around the world. She served as the Artistic Director of the Boston Jewish Film Festival and teaches production courses at Boston University.

This week we discuss the results of the election before the movies. We start with the 2020 Boston Jewish Film Festival at (7:32). Evan talks about the shorts, features, and documentaries he saw solo, before he and Megan dig into movies they've both seen like TAHARA (18:01), THE END OF LOVE (25:10), and SHIVA BABY (36:44). Then Megan and Dave discuss COME AWAY (43:48), a film that borrows from famous stories. And Evan and Megan wrap up with HIS HOUSE (53:07), a Netflix horror film about Sudanese refugees. And in this week's Patreon bonus audio, we discuss a Patron's choice, the 2014 German horror film DER SAMURAI.

After a plug for The Boston Jewish Film Festival, the episode starts with Nightstream, a collaborative event put on in part by The Boston Underground Film Festival. We talk LUCKY (5:16), PELICAN BLOOD (6:34), DARKNESS (9:00), and BLACK BEAR (11:08). Then it's films everyone saw at IFFBoston's Fall Focus this year. We talk NIGHT OF THE KINGS (15:38), MLK/FBI (18:49), ZAPPA (23:01), MINARI (31:57), FAREWELL AMOR (36:31), FREELAND (39:26), UNDINE (42:05), LITTLE FISH (45:03), and SOUND OF METAL (52:44). In our Patreon bonus audio this week we discuss a Patron's choice, Frank Gwo's 2019 sci-fi action flick THE WANDERING EARTH.

In this bonus episode, Evan chats on the phone with Ariana Cohen-Halberstam, Artistic Director of Boston Jewish Film. She reveals how the pandemic shaped this year's virtual Boston Jewish Film Festival and how her team is trying to go "beyond the screen" with classes and musical performances. She also talks about exciting filmmaker Q&As, important films in the lineup about Jews of color, and this year's Israeli TV binge, where viewers can watch an entire season of the show UNCHAINED. 

It’s a bountifully loaded week at Spoilerpiece! First, Megan talks about THE GOOD LIAR (3:00), starring Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen as two olds locked in a battle of rapidly aging wits. Is it good? Or is it just that Mirren and McKellen are good in an otherwise lackluster flick? Moving on to the Boston Jewish Film Festival, Evan talks briefly about the Tovah Feldshuh-starring GOLDA’S BALCONY (11:59). Then he and Megan share thoughts on MY POLISH HONEYMOON (14:40) and FLAWLESS (21:52). Finally, Megan and Dave deconstruct Elizabeth Banks’ CHARLIE’S ANGELS (29:29) reboot before getting into the Martin Scorsese opus THE IRISHMAN (41:03).

In this bonus episode recorded at the Boston Jewish Film Festival, Evan chats with writer/director Dan Schechter about SAFE SPACES (now called AFTER CLASS), the festival’s opening night film. They discuss how the movie, which stars Justin Long, mines quasi-autobiographical material to deftly tackle emotionally complicated subject matter. They also cover Jewish themes in the story, his casting process, what he hopes viewers will take away from the movie, and most importantly, his bagel order.  

Spread among the nearly 150,000 square miles of pastures, snow-capped mountains and lakes of Montana is a small Jewish community. Rabbi Chaim Bruk—of the Chabad Lubavitch movement—relocated from Brooklyn with his wife, Chavie, and their adopted children with the ambitious goal of affixing a mezuzah to the door of every Jew in the Big Sky state. Bruk's endeavor drew the attention of two Boston-area filmmakers, Amy Geller and Gerald Peary, who followed him on his journey and discovered a story much larger and more complex than just the tale of a man doing a mitzvah. Their new documentary film, “The Rabbi Goes West,” will premiere in New England at the Boston Jewish Film Festival on Sunday, Nov. 17. The film is a thoughtful, compelling look at the joys and challenges of Jewish life in rural America. Amy and Gerald join us on this episode to talk interdenominational cooperation and competition, growing anti-Semitism, the Jews of Whitefish (yes, that's a real place!) and the resilient Jewish community they found in Montana. Learn more about the film: https://www.therabbigoeswest.com Buy tickets to the New England premiere: http://bit.ly/32jJLSD

Kris laments the dangers of tweeting niche puns and searching for yourself on Twitter with Evan and special guest Sean Burns before they dig into this week’s movies. They kick things off with a “Crewind,” where Sean finally satisfies his curiosity about whether Paul Schrader’s FIRST REFORMED (3:30) really is an “Evan movie” or not. Then he and Kris describe the utterly dull OUTLAW KING (13:00), a forgettable movie that covers similar cinematic material to BRAVEHEART without any of its showmanship. Next Evan wraps up his coverage of the Boston Jewish Film Festival (21:00) by reviewing their entertaining Israeli TV binge and the cute French film SIMON & THÉODORE. And finally, by the time the bell sounds for this week’s main event CREED II (32:00), one of the guys finds himself on a different side of the ring than the other two, and who it is might surprise you.

This week, Kris kicks things off with his recent rewatch of BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (5:03) directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It's wacky and well worth your eyeballs. Meanwhile, Evan's been busy! He recaps some highlights from the Boston Jewish Film Festival (13:47), everything from documentaries to found footage horror flicks. Then it's back to Kris for ROMA (22:30) from Alfonso Cuarón, his best film in years. See it in theaters if you can, Netflix if you must. Then Evan runs us through his favorites from Montreal International Documentary Festival (32:36), highlighting a trilogy focusing on the judicial system in Brazil. Kris closes out the show with THE FRONT RUNNER (46:10), which has a couple of interesting ideas buried way too deep beneath intolerable self-satisfaction.

In this special mini episode Evan talks with Boston Jewish Film Festival (now Boston Jewish Film) Artistic Director Ariana Cohen-Halberstam about the festival's exciting plans for this year (its 30th). Ariana teases their Israeli film festival coming in 2019, as well as their Israeli TV show binge at the festival, which features SHABABNIKIM, SLEEPING BEARS, and YOUR HONOR. She also promotes notable films paired with performances like SHALOM BOLLYWOOD, SATAN & ADAM, and SAMMY DAVIS JR.: I GOTTA BE ME. Be sure to check out the festival, which runs November 7 - November 19. Learn more at http://www.bostonjfilm.org/.

The 30th annual Boston Jewish Film Festival kicks off Nov. 7 with two weeks of storytelling, music, human connection and Jewish identity told through 50 films. Perhaps no movie character will be more adorable, small, reckless or innocent than the star of Steven Spielberg's first animated production, “An American Tail.” This 1986 feature, which will be screened at the festival's BJFF Jr! event on Nov. 11, follows a reluctant hero, the young Jewish mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz. Fievel and his family flee Russia amid rising persecution from cats and escape to the rough-and-tumble New York City streets because, as his father sings, “There are no cats in America.” If only that were true. Fievel's adventures, which mirror the struggles of waves of Jewish immigrants arriving in America, take him from Ellis Island to the Statue of Liberty to Lower East Side sweatshops to Manhattan's sewers. Can he find his family again? Can they ever escape feline oppression and cruelty? Is there one righteous cat among the feline gangs? Listen in as Miriam, Dan and Ashley explore the Mousekewitz family's immigrant journey to America, wax nostalgic about the beautiful hand-drawn animation, wonder if Jewish mice received their own tiny Torah at a tiny Mount Sinai and discuss if the streets of America were ever truly “paved with cheese.” Learn more: https://www.jewishboston.com/series/boston-jewish-film-festival-2018 https://www.jewishboston.com/events/bjff-jr-presents-an-american-tail

Kolye Borodulin discusses his recent return to Birobidzhan, the town famed as the center of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast of Russia where he was born and raised. Kolye also discusses the upcoming Yiddish language classes offered by the Workmen's Circle, available both in-person and online. For further info: https://circle.org/what-we-do/yiddish-language/ The film Who Will Write Our History will be shown at the forthcoming Boston Jewish Film Festival in November 2018. We are airing an excerpt of our interview with the author of the book upon which the film was based, Sam Kassow, previously aired Apr 25 2018. For further info: http://www.bjff.org/ Historian Sam Kassow discusses Emanuel Ringelblum and the "Oyneg Shabbos Archive", the subject of his book "Who Will Write Our History" and the new film based on his book. The film, by director/producer Roberta Grossman and executive producer Nancy Spielberg, has recently been shown in preview form in Los Angeles and Warsaw and is expected to be released sometime in 2018. For information about the film see: whowillwriteourhistory.com Music: Wolf Krakowski: Varshe Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: October 3, 2018

The second installment from our live performance at the Boston Jewish Film Festival. In this old Jewish folktale, we tell a story about spicy, flavorful onions... but we promise it won’t make you cry. If anything you’ll laugh and laugh. Download a coloring page for this episode here: wbur.org/circleround/coloring-pages

Live from the Boston Jewish Film Festival! In this Israeli folktale, an adventurous princess learns that the greatest lessons may not be learned in far flung lands but rather--right at home. Download a coloring page for this episode here: wbur.org/circleround/coloring-pages

This week our good friend and co-host Kristofer Jenson is sidelined by the plague, so honorary fourth member Sean Burns fills in. He gets things started off (3:40) with a special guest segment, “Burned Out with Sean Burns,” in which he tells Dave and Evan what he thinks of THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. Evan follows things up with IN BETWEEN and KEEP THE CHANGE (8:50), which are showing at the Boston Jewish Film Festival. Then Sean and Dave weigh in on Richard Linklater’s LAST FLAG FLYING (18:00), the spiritual sequel to THE LAST DETAIL. Finally, it’s superhero time as Evan and Dave discuss JUSTICE LEAGUE (28:55) and Sean more or less correctly guesses the plot even though he hasn’t seen it.

Big week at Spoilerpiece! Lotsa movies. Evan fills us in on the Boston Jewish Film Festival (3:45) with the four shorts (JOIN THE CLUB with Ari Graynor, WIG SHOP with Emily Mortimer, BLACK SWELL with Richard Kind, and THE CHOP, about a Jewish butcher who gets a job in halal shop), and one feature (WINTER HUNT) he watched in anticipation of the festival’s run from November 8-20. Dave follows at 17:20 with Frances McDormand in THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, which he characterizes as one of the best films of 2017. Next up is Kris and Dave with Kenneth Branagh’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at 30:00. Lastly, all three guys saw Greta Gerwig’s masterful LADY BIRD and take turns gushing about how much they love it.

We have a bumper crop of movies on this week's show (have we used that description before?)! First, it's a bout of RIEDEL'S RECAPS, with James Bridges' BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (3:57) and John McTiernan's THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (10:03). Then we're KEEPING UP WITH THE JENSON's and his take on MEMINO (14:32) (not to be confused with MEMENTO or former Boston mayor Tom Menino). Evan takes one for the team and watches REBEL IN THE RYE, which is NOT about Rebel Wilson, but J.D. Salinger (27:00). Then it's THE WOMEN'S BALCONY (36:02), an Israeli film that Evan missed at the Boston Jewish Film Festival but is making up for it now. Lastly, it's AMERICAN ASSASSIN (42:33), which Kris and Dave saw together against their better judgment (Evan took a pass - kudos to him).

We’ve got movies coming out the wazoo this week! First, Dave and Kris tackle the ambitious Harry Potter prequel FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (at 4:00), which tries to cram five movies into one. Much to their annoyance, only three of those five movies are good. Next, Dave explores NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (at 24:56), writer/director/fashion designer Tom Ford’s sophomore film. It has two stories about toxic masculinity that don’t add up to a whole movie, so during the review Kris develops a new segment called “Dr. Kris, Medicine Man,” where he shares how he’d fix the film. Following that segment, Dave offers his brief thoughts on the music documentaries OASIS: SUPERSONIC and RUSH: TIME STAND STILL, which only seem to be for diehard fans. Evan bats cleanup with three more movies from the Boston Jewish Film Festival (at 51:00): the mediocre crime thriller GRAIN OF TRUTH, the emotionally compelling documentary FREEDOM TO MARRY, and the thought-provoking comedy doc THE LAST LAUGH.

On this week’s episode, Dave gripes about his record club’s inability to send him records he wants, before discussing his burgeoning November beard and his latest Baby Henry story. After the guys get some good laughs in to compensate for their election sadness, Kris gets things going with ARRIVAL (at 6:10), a sci-fi film starring Amy Adams as a linguist that speaks heptapod. Adams plays the same character she always does, but it does some very interesting things Kris doesn’t expect and really turns out to be the kind of high concept sci-fi he enjoys. Next, Evan and Dave keep the good movie momentum with their description of LOVING (at 21:26), an emotional drama based on a true story with amazing performances by Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton. Kris follows with his take on MOONLIGHT (at 33:32) a three-party story of a gay man’s life that’s not revolutionary, but so well-assembled that it kind of is. Evan closes out the show with THE ORIGIN OF VIOLENCE (at 48:36), a French film playing at the Boston Jewish Film Festival that turned out to be more about the Holocaust than he expected, although not in a bad way, since the film uses it to tell a compelling story.

On this week’s episode the guys ponder the strange variety of foods available in New York City diners before they dive into movies. Kris kicks everything off with his rundown of HACKSAW RIDGE (at 4:50), Mel Gibson’s World War II film about a conscientious objector who volunteers for military service. The first half has a delicate touch, while the second half is standard Mel Gibson, which Kris emphasizes with enthusiasm. Evan jumps in next to talk about The Boston Jewish Film Festival (at 26:57). He comments on four films playing there; two documentaries (DISTURBING THE PEACE and WOMEN IN SINK) and two narrative shorts (AND THEN, VIOLENCE, and JEWISH BLIND DATE). He discusses the things that each do well, and the reasons why they’re all worth watching. Dave and Kris close out by recapping the 16th Annual Halloween Horror Movie Marathon at the Coolidge Corner Theatre (at 41:40). They share brief reactions to the films they saw there, which include SCREAM, SCREAM 2, THE FOG, THE HOWLING, CREEPSHOW, and GHOST STORY.  

Jesse is joined by Laura Mandel, executive director of the Jewish Arts Collaborative, and Ariana Cohen-Halberstam, artistic director of the Boston Jewish Film Festival. They discuss the 28th annual festival, which runs Nov. 9-21, whether Holocaust jokes are ever OK, their mutual love of all things Mel Brooks and if a documentary can really be animated. Purchase tickets at http://www.bjff.org. Read about three of the feature films at http://www.jewishboston.com/the-boston-jewish-film-festival-brings-jewish-experiences-to-the-big-screen. Read about Jerry Lewis' unreleased 1972 Holocaust drama at http://variety.com/2016/film/news/the-day-the-clown-cried-footage-jerry-lewis-holocaust-movie-online-1201798194. And, lastly, Betty Boop for President (1932): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0-q_ZkDcsk

Apparently Erik Estrada doesn’t just play a cop on TV anymore. He’s one in real life too, as the guys learn in this week’s episode. After they speculate about what would happen if Ponch was charged with police brutality, Evan reviews the first movie of the week: THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (at 5:48). According to him, this cute animated film, which features an all-star voice cast, is strongest when it’s cracking jokes about animal clichés and making you feel genuine danger for its characters, but becomes increasingly predictable as it goes on. Next Kris reveals why FREE STATE OF JONES (at 21:11) is a dry film that turns a story about Reconstruction into a VH1 biography. This conversation leads to a tangent on why GONE WITH THE WIND shouldn’t be held in such high regard, before Evan wraps up with THE MAN IN THE WALL (at 42:48), an Israeli thriller that keeps you guessing with its tale of a missing husband and a wife who might have something to do with his disappearance. He eagerly plugs its screening at the Somerville Theatre on July 12 by the Boston Jewish Film Festival and recommends checking it out on Netflix streaming.

This is the first episode of the JewishBoston.com podcast with Jesse and Jen. We discuss who we are and what our podcast will be about, plus we have a lovely chat with Ariana Cohen-Halberstam, artistic director of the Boston Jewish Film Festival, which starts Nov. 4.

There is one rule more important than any other in an fMRI experiment: no metal. But a stuck piercing makes aspiring neuroscientist Anna Wexler make a crucial choice -- end her career, or face possible serious injury? Anna Wexler is a documentary filmmaker and writer currently pursuing her PhD at MIT in the Science, Technology, and Society Program, where she is studying the social and ethical implications of neuroscience advancements. She graduated from MIT with two Bachelors of Science degrees, one in Brain and Cognitive Science and the other in Humanities and Science with a focus in Writing. She was selected as a 2007-2008 filmmaker-in-residence at WGBH to work on her debut feature documentary, UNORTHODOX, which follows three rebellious Orthodox Jewish high school teenagers through a transformative post-high school year in Israel. The film premiered in November 2013 at the Boston Jewish Film Festival and at DOC NYC. Anna's writing has been published in numerous outlets and anthologized in "Best Travel Writing, Vol. 9 (2012)" and "Best Women's Travel Writing 2011." Help keep us going! If you love the podcast, please donate here: www.patreon.com/thestorycollider Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices