Editor

The 24th Annual San Diego Jewish Film Festival, presented by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, will run February 6-16, 2014.  Sponsored by Leichtag Foundation.

The San Diego Jewish Film Festival showcases over 60 of the best contemporary Jewish themed films from around the world celebrating life, human rights, and freedom of expression.  The mission of the Film Festival is to offer outstanding world cinema that promotes awareness, appreciation and pride in the diversity of the Jewish people to attendees of the community at large.  Festival programs aim to educate and illuminate through evocative, independent fiction and documentary films that portray the Jewish experience from current to historic global perspectives.

In addition to the carefully selected short-subject, documentary, and feature length films, the Film Festival features an international roster of visiting guest artists, including actors, filmmakers, and scholars, who introduce their work, participate in panel discussions, and meet and greet with the festival patrons. On February 10^th, a day will be devoted to short films (THE JOYCE FORUM), which is a juried competitive program of short films with awards being presented on the evening of February 10^th at the David and Dorothea Garfield Theater (LFJCC), JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS by a film industry group of jury members.

Highlights for this year's event will include a private advance screening on February 5, 2014 at 7:00pm for the film festival underwriters to NEIL DIAMOND: A SOLITARY MAN. He’s sold 130 million albums. Various contributors track Neil from his childhood in Brooklyn to his early days in the Brill Building, who then transformed himself into the legendary “Jewish Elvis”. This year’s official opening night on February 6th will feature a San Diego Premiere of IT HAPPENED IN SAINT TROPEZ. A French comedy directed by Daniele Thompson. Showdowns, misunderstandings, betrayals all serve to blow up the family landscape.  But out of the rubble will blossom a beautiful love story – or two! In addition to the official opening, the festival will feature a Teen Screen on February 11^th of BRAVE MISS WORLD directed by Cecilia Peck (daughter of Gregory Peck). The incredibly beautiful Linor Abargil was just 18 years old when she won the title of Miss Israel. Just a few weeks before she would be crowned Miss World, she was brutally raped. Ten years later, she speaks about her ordeal and travels the world to hear the stories of other rape victims. The film traces Linor’s inspiring journey and personal transformation as the former beauty queen who helps women find strength to speak up and battle for justice. Another highlight on February 11^th is THE CONGRESS, which blends live-action and psychedelic animation. Directed by Ari Folman, it stars 2014 Golden Globe winner Robin Wright, Jon Hamm, Paul Giamatti and Harvey Keitel. A late entry to our roster of films is a special screening, WALKING WITH THE ENEMY directed by Mark Schmidt of San Diego / Liberty Studios (a local San Diego film company) on February 16 at 4pm at Clairemont Reading 14, Starring: Jonas Armstrong, Ben Kingsley, Hannah Tointon.

Directors, speakers and film industry experts are available for interviews by phone, in person, and in-studio.  For more information and to arrange interviews or press tickets, please contact Nancy Richards at nancylrichards@gmail.com, or 917-873-6389