This year's Boston Jewish Film Festival, our 19th, runs November 1 through November 11, and shines a spotlight on Israeli films, which have been screening in and winning awards in major film festivals around the world, as you know. We also feature several films with local ties, and a few films that take a novel look at sports. In all we show nearly 40 films in 50 programs at 8 venues, with some 30 visiting artists present for introductions, question-and-answer session, panel discussions, and stand-up comedy.

The most up-to-date source of information on our Festival, which is www.bjff.org For schedule information, click on ANNUAL FESTIVAL, then on SCHEDULE.
For you alone (not for general publicaiton): If you go to the website, please click on Media, then on Press Information, and sign in as: bjff and use this password to log-in: festivalpress, you will be able to access photos and press kits for most films in our Festival. Of course, if you have any difficulties, just email me.

Among our World Premieres are THE POWDER & THE GLORY, directed by Ann Carol Grossman and Arnie Reisman, a look at two women entrepreneurs who together created an industry (make-up) at a time when only prostitutes and actresses wore "paint;" THE BUGANAS, directed by Tunisian Israeli Etty Bugana, a student in the film and television department at Sapir College in Israel's Negev desert, and FAITH, by Natalie Haziza, also a Sapir College student.

Israeli Ayelet Bargur's film, THE HOUSE ON AUGUST STREET (BEITH AHAWAH), about her remarkable great-aunt Beata Berger, who in 1933 began to ferret many poor Jewish children out of the home in Berlin that she ran for them, makes its North American debut in our Festival.

We also feature two foreign-language entries to this year's Oscars:
Israel's BEAUFORT, directed by Joseph Cedar and Brazil's THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION, by Cao Hamburger, with screenwriter Claudio Galperin in person.

Other notable films include Cannes Camera d'Or winner JELLYFISH
(Meduzot) by Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, HEARTBEAT DETECTOR (La Question Humaine), with director Nicolas Klotz and screenwriter Elisabeth Klotz in person, Tribeca winner MY FATHER MY LORD, by David Volach and Silver Docs winner SOUVENIRS by Shahar Cohen and Halil Efrat, Berlinale winners SWEET MUD by Dror Shaul and BEAUFORT by Joseph Cedar, and Sundance Grand Jury Prize Nominee STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, with director Andrew Wagner present.