Miami Jewish Film Festival celebrates Jewish voices with 105 films
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From the film "Karaoke." Courtesy: Miami Jewish Film Festival
The Miami Jewish Film Festival kicks off tonight with a full slate of in-person programming for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Why it matters: "It is an essential time for Jewish voices to make themselves heard," Igor Shteyrenberg, the festival's executive director, told Axios in a statement.
- Local and national leaders have been sounding the alarm on rising antisemitic rhetoric and violence across the country.
- Antisemitic flyers were distributed around South Florida last year, and swastikas were recently spray-painted on a Broward County playground.
What they're saying: "The stories that are part of this year's Miami Jewish Film Festival lineup are hopeful, romantic, rebellious, and daring, and will remind us that our visibility, heritage, and community spaces are always worth fighting for as we celebrate who we are," Shteyrenberg said.
Details: This year's festival features 105 films, representing 25 countries, including a documentary produced by Nancy Spielberg, Steven Spielberg's sister, about the 2016 terrorist attack in Tel Aviv's Sarona Market, and a movie about a multiracial South African punk band that challenged apartheid.
- More than 70 films will be screened at seven venues across the Miami area through Jan. 26. Titles are also available to stream online.
What's ahead: In celebration of Israel's 75th birthday, the festival will host a screening of "Karaoke" — a comedic drama about a suburban couple drawn to their charismatic and karaoke party-throwing neighbor — tonight at 7:30pm at the Miami Beach Bandshell.
- The opening night event will feature a Q&A with director Moshe Rosenthal and actor Sasson Gabay after the screening.
If you go: Reserve tickets online or by calling 305-503-5182. You can also purchase all-access theater badges online for $325.