The Austin Jewish Film Festival has announced the first slate of movies for the event, which will be held Nov. 11-16. And it will be a hybrid festival with theater screenings as well as simultaneous online screenings.
The festival will hold an early event on Nov. 2 by presenting “The New Jew,” a four-episode Israeli docs-series about the influence of the Jewish community in the United States. The screening will be held at Congregation Agudas Achim and feature Israeli comedian Guri Alfi.
The opening night film will be the newly restored “Hester Street,” featuring a Q&A with Marisa Silver, the daughter of director Joan Micklin Silver. The screening is in partnership with the Austin Film Society.
The festival also will present:
-
- “Angelica,” a Texas premiere, directed by Dan Peer. It explores the kidnaping of Boris Schatz’s daughter, Angelica. Schatz was a major figure in the art world of Israel. The director is Angelica’s great-grandson.
- “The Red Orchestra,” a Texas premiere, directed by Carl-Ludwig Rettinger. It’s a documentary about the resistance group in Nazi Germany that discovered Hitler’s plans for a Soviet invasion.
- “Xueta Island,” a North American premiere, directed by Felipe Wolokita and Ofer Laszewicki. It’s a documentary about Catholics of the island of Mallorca who have faced discrimination because their surnames have a connection to Jewish heritage.
- “200 Meters,” a Texas premiere, directed by Ameen Nayfeh. A drama about a man’s journey of 200 meters — and across a wall, to reach his injured son.
- Other titles include: “The Musicians,” “Tiger Within,” “Dirty Tricks,” “Two” and “Persian Lessons,” the closing night film.
The festival will be held at the Galaxy Highland Theater at 6700 Middle Fiskville Road. Individual tickets will go on sale in late October, after the full festival program is online. For more information on the movies and for updates, visit austinjff.org/2021-festival/.
