Editor

The Boston Jewish Film Festival is proud to announce Ariana Cohen-Halberstam as its new Artistic Director.

Cohen-Halberstam comes to the Festival from the JCC Manhattan where she was Associate Director of Film Programming. She has been active in the New York film community for over ten years and now brings her comprehensive curatorial and festival production experience to Boston.

Cohen-Halberstam’s background includes film production and editing in a variety of documentary and short films and television, as well as curating and coordinating numerous film festivals.

At the Boston Jewish Film Festival, Cohen-Halberstam’s chief responsibilities will be selecting films and programming for the annual Boston Jewish Film Festival as well as other film programs and Festival events throughout the year. Cohen-Halberstam, 31, was chosen after a national search.

The Boston Jewish Film Festival Executive Director Jaymie Saks said, “I am thrilled to have Ariana bring her vibrant, thoughtful artistic sensibility to the Festival. She has a keen sense of Jewish tradition and is out in front of current trends in film and filmmaking. She is the right person to continue to move the Festival forward.”

Film Festival Board President Denise Widman added, ”Ariana’s unique combination of experience, talent, and enthusiasm allows her to jump in and continue the Festival’s record breaking expansion into the Boston area community.”

“I am honored to become part of the story of one of the largest and longest running Jewish film festivals in the world,” said Ms. Cohen-Halberstam. “I believe the role of The Festival is even more significant at a time when Jewish life is taking place more and more outside the walls of synagogues. The Festival enables people of all ages to engage with their Jewishness in new ways.”

Cohen-Halberstam had a full plate at the JCC Manhattan where she managed and worked with festival teams to curate and program Cinematters, the JCC Manhattan’s year-round film program, ReelAbilities: New York Film Festival, the Other Israel Film Festival, and the Israel Film Center Festival.

Cohen-Halberstam added, “Jews have undoubtedly played a role in shaping the history of film, particularly in America, but today more than ever, we are seeing reflections of Jews and Jewish life on screen. The Boston Jewish Film Festival will continue to celebrate Jewish culture while creating a space for conversation and community building among all filmgoers in the Boston area.”

The Boston Jewish Film Festival presents the best contemporary films from around the world on Jewish themes at its annual November Festival and throughout the year. Through features, shorts, documentaries, and conversations with visiting artists, The Festival explores Jewish identity, the current Jewish experience, and the richness of Jewish culture in relation to a diverse modern world. The Boston Jewish Film Festival, Inc. is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit arts organization.