New York's upcoming Israeli film festivals

October 31, 9:53 PMNY Jewish Culture ExaminerDavid Cooper

THURSDAY, 11/12/2009

7:30 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
Opening Night Gala
JAFFA
Followed by an exclusive cocktail reception with Actor Mahmood Shalabi.
In this Cannes Film Festival favorite, Director Keren Yedaya (Or) brings forth the dramatic
story of Mali, who lives with her family in Jaffa, and works with her brother.

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FRIDAY, 11/13/2009

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
18 PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT - Opening Reception
18 focuses on young Arab men and women at the pivotal age of 18 years old.
FREE ADMISSION

7:00 pm @ Cinema Village
TELLING STRINGS
A rare look into the profound workings of the Jubran family, a Palestinian family of
musicians from al-Rameh village in the northern Galilee...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Anne Marie Haller
Co-presented with New Israel Fund.
 

7:30 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
NEW GENERATION'S FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER WITH
FILMMAKER MOHAMMAD BAKRI
Join the NIF's New Generations and other young leadership groups for a Shabbat dinner and discussion with award winning filmmaker Mohammad Bakri.
6:30PM Pre-dinner exhibit gathering / 7:30PM Dinner
(Advanced registration required)

9:00 pm @ Cinema Village
LAILA'S BIRTHDAY
A comically existential fable about a day in the life of a former-judge-turned-taxi driver, on
the day of his daughter Laila's seventh birthday...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Actor Mohammad Bakri
Co-presented with Human Rights Watch Film Festival.

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SATURDAY, 11/14/2009

2:30 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
SESAME STREET
The latest incarnation of Israel's Sesame Street focuses on building tolerance and
understanding between Arab and Jewish children...Read More
FREE ADMISSION

3:30 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
THE ART OF CHANGE
Many artists in Israel are torn by their conflicted identity and their political integrity.
Some are taking a stand and refusing to participate...Read More
FREE ADMISSION

4:30 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
THE HISTORY OF ARABS IN ISRAELI CINEMA
Israeli cinema has a relatively short history. The visions of Arabs in Israeli cinema has
been developing since the early days of cinema...Read More
FREE ADMISSION

5:00 pm @ Cinema Village
SAYED KASHUA - FOREVER SCARED
Despite being one of Israel's leading columnists, novelists and screenwriter,
Sayed Kashua feels he doesn't belong...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Producer Barak Heymann

7:00 pm @ Cinema Village
ID BLUES
Two new episodes from the five-part travel-log by legendary news person Chaim Yavin,
examining different sectors of Arabs living in Israel...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Chaim Yavin

7:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
BADAL
'A Badal deal marriage' is the common practice of a Muslim tradition where a brother and
sister from one family marry a sister and brother from another family...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Abeer Joubran Dakwar (NIF US-Israel Civil Liberties Law Fellow)
Co-presented with Givat Haviva.
 

9:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
LAILA'S BIRTHDAY
A comically existential fable about a day in the life of a former-judge-turned-taxi driver, on
the day of his daughter Laila's seventh birthday...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Actor Mohammad Bakri
Co-presented with Brit Tzedek V'shalom and Jstreet.
 

9:00 pm @ Cinema Village
JAFFA
In this Cannes Film Festival favorite, Director Keren Yedaya (Or) brings forth the dramatic
story of Mali, who lives with her family in Jaffa, and works with her brother...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Actor Mahmood Shalabi
 

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SUNDAY, 11/15/2009

2:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
TELLING STRINGS
A rare look into the profound workings of the Jubran family, a Palestinian family of
musicians from al-Rameh village in the northern Galilee...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Anne Marie Haller
Co-presented with New Israel Fund.
 

2:00 pm-6:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
BEDOUIN RUGS - SALE & PRESENTATION
Prue Thorner founded BedouinWeaving.com to promote the well being of the Bedouin
women in the village of Lakiya in Israel's Negev Desert...Read More
FREE ADMISSION

3:30 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
18 PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT: REVIEW & TALK WITH ARTIST,
PHOTOGRAPHER NATAN DVIR
18 focuses on young Arab men and women at the pivotal age of 18 years old...Read More
FREE ADMISSION

5:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
SAYED KASHUA - FOREVER SCARED
Despite being one of Israel's leading columnists, novelists and screenwriter,
Sayed Kashua feels he doesn't belong...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Producer Barak Heymann
Co-presented with Meretz USA.

5:00 pm @ Cinema Village
BADAL
'A Badal deal marriage' is the common practice of a Muslim tradition where a brother and
sister from one family marry a sister and brother from another family...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Abeer Joubran Dakwar (NIF US-Israel Civil Liberties Law Fellow)
 

7:00 pm @ Cinema Village
ARAB LABOR
More episodes from the successful groundbreaking satire, following Amjad, a 35-year-old
Arab journalist, married to Bushara (a social worker) and father to Maya...Read More

7:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
CITY OF BORDERS
In the heart of Jerusalem stands an unusual symbol of unity that defies generations of
segregation, violence and prejudice: a gay bar called Shushan...Read More

9:30 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
SAZ - LIVE CONCERT
A staple of the Palestinian hip hop scene, Sameh "SAZ" Zakout rhymes in Arabic, Hebrew
and English and is widely hailed for his beatbox technique...Read More

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MONDAY, 11/16/2009

7:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
ID BLUES
Two new episodes from the five-part travel-log by legendary news person Chaim Yavin,
examining different sectors of Arabs living in Israel...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Chaim Yavin

7:00 pm @ Cinema Village
THE INVISIBLE
A 12-year-long diary of the Bedouin village "Arab al-Na'im" in the Galillee and their
struggle for their rights. The people of Arab al-Na'im...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Gil Karni

9:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
ARAB LABOR
More episodes from the successful groundbreaking satire, following Amjad, a 35-year-old
Arab journalist, married to Bushara (a social worker) and father to Maya...Read More

9:00 pm @ Cinema Village
SAZ - The Palestinian Rapper for Change
An intimate documentary following budding Palestinian-Israeli hip-hop star from Ramlah,
Sameh Zakout, a.k.a. Saz. The film follows his transformation...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Gil Karni and protagonist Sameh Zakout
Co-presented with New Israel Fund.

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TUESDAY - 11/17/2009

7:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
THE INVISIBLE
A 12-year-long diary of the Bedouin village "Arab al-Na'im" in the Galillee and their
struggle for their rights. The people of Arab al-Na'im...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Gil Karni

7:00 pm @ Cinema Village
VOICES FROM EL SAYED
In the picturesque Israeli Negev desert, the Bedouin village of El-Sayed has the largest
percentage of deaf people in the world...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Oded Adomi Leshem
Co-Presented with Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival

7:30 pm @ 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street, www.92YTribeca.org)
JAFFA
In this Cannes Film Festival favorite, Director Keren Yedaya (Or) brings forth the dramatic
story of Mali, who lives with her family in Jaffa, and works with her brother...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Actor Mahmood Shalabi

9:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
SAZ - The Palestinian Rapper for Change
An intimate documentary following budding Palestinian-Israeli hip-hop star from Ramlah,
Sameh Zakout, a.k.a. Saz. The film follows his transformation...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Gil Karni and protagonist Sameh Zakout
Co-presented with New Israel Fund.

9:00 pm @ Cinema Village
SHORTS
A Journey into the next generation of films by and about Arab citizens or Israel...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Amos Gil (Former Executive Director of Ir Amim)
Co-presented with Ir-Amim.

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SCHEDULE - 11/18/2009

7:00 pm @ Cinema Village
CITY OF BORDERS
In the heart of Jerusalem stands an unusual symbol of unity that defies generations of
segregation, violence and prejudice: a gay bar called Shushan...Read More

7:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
SHORTS
A Journey into the next generation of films by and about Arab citizens or Israel...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Amos Gil (Former Executive Director of Ir Amim)
Co-presented with Ir-Amim.

9:00 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
VOICES FROM EL SAYED
In the picturesque Israeli Negev desert, the Bedouin village of El-Sayed has the largest
percentage of deaf people in the world...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Oded Adomi Leshem
Co-Presented with Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival
 

9:00 pm @ Cinema Village
ZAHARA
With touching personal style and breathtaking cinematography, Director Mohammad
Bakri tells the story of his 78 year old aunt Zahara...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Mohammad Bakri
Co-presented with New Israel Fund
 

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THURSDAY, 11/19/2009

7:30 pm @ The JCC in Manhattan
Closing Night Event
ZAHARA
With touching personal style and breathtaking cinematography, Director Mohammad
Bakri tells the story of his 78 year old aunt Zahara...Read More
Followed by Q&A with Director Mohammad Bakri and dessert reception

SAVE 35%!
GET YOUR FESTIVAL PASS TODAY  - 5 General Admissions for only $36!

FOR COMPLETE FESTIVAL INFORMATION VISIT:
WWW.OTHERISRAEL.ORG

                                                                                                                                                                                  For Jewish Israeli films there will be two festivals in New York in December and January. The Israel Film Festival will have screenings in Manhattan from December 3-13, 2009 and will include:

The following month brings the 6th Annual Brooklyn Israel Film Festival at Kane Street Synagogue with screenings on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 at 8:00PM, Sat. Jan. 30th at 8:00PM and Sun. Jan. 31st at 7:00PM.   The titles of the films has not yet been announced but as in previous years the film festival will feature thought-provoking and award-winning Israeli films.