Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre is an essential documentary bearing witness to the barbaric attacks of October 7, 2023. The film–which previously aired on KAN in Israel–is currently playing the film festival circuit, including the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema, and appears to be available through Vimeo on Demand. This film, like #NOVA, is not an easy watch but it is still important to bear witness. I had to press pause no less than three…
"Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre Is Essential Viewing"Category: Film Festival
Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings) brings the family drama as the Israeli Ophir Award winner opens the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema. The film is described as a comedy-drama but it plays more to the dramatic side than anything else. If you’re Jewish, you can skip the rest of this paragraph. For my non-Jewish readers, the Sheva Brachot are the seven blessings at Jewish weddings. Any meals with the bride and groom in the seven days…
"Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings) – Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema"
Jesse Eisenberg’s sophomore feature film, A Real Pain, is a buddy comedy about a pair of cousins on a Holocaust tour in Poland. I watched A Real Pain on Thursday as soon as the virtual edition got underway. Knowing it was from Jesse Eisenberg and knowing it dealt with Jews touring through Poland, it was always going to kick off my virtual programming on Wednesday. Being Jewish myself, my family lived in Eastern Europe before…
"A Real Pain – Sundance 2024"
Sue Bird: In the Clutch is a newly premiered documentary that celebrates the career of one of the greatest WNBA players of all time. WNBA players do not get the same amount of respect as NBA players. The respect for one of the greatest point guards in history isn’t the same. They certainly do not make the same amount of money. Unfortunately, this is why so many of them turn to playing overseas in Europe.…
"Sue Bird: In the Clutch – Sundance 2024"
A 93-year-old woman finds herself falling victim to a phone scammer in Thelma and sets out on an adventure to reclaim what is hers. I’m glad that the film is available on the Sundance Film Festival viewing app. Many films in the Premieres section are not available for virtual viewing. While watching from my apartment, one of my thoughts was that it requires a shared communal experience. This is why I’m hoping it gets a…
"Thelma – Sundance 2024"
Remembering Gene Wilder is a moving and well made documentary about a comedian that provided us with many laughs in his career. It’s hard to believe that this summer will mark eight years since Wilder’s passing. I still remember learning the news and wanting to watch a film in tribute. This was before we had a surplus of screeners, not to mention my physical collection on hand. Luckily enough, The Crowd Theater announced a screening…
"Remembering Gene Wilder Offers Laughs And Tears"
Rabbi on the Block is a film that can play an important role in bringing the Jewish and Black communities together in dialogue. The film’s main subject is a rabbi and community activist, Tamar Manasseh. Manasseh hails from Chicago’s south side and is working to bring the Black and Jewish communities together. She is also the founder of Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killings (MASK). Anyway, the thing placing her in such a unique position…
"Rabbi on the Block – New York Jewish Film Festival 2024"
Irena’s Vow brings the Broadway play of the same name and the story of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Righteous Among the Nations, to the big screen. Antisemitism is at its worst levels in decades. All you need to do is take a look on social media, especially Twitter, where there are calls to ban the ADL. Worst of all is that the call is coming from the contemporary version of Henry Ford, Elon Musk. Irena…
"Irena’s Vow – Toronto 2023"
A cheerleader gets an opportunity to cheer for an All-Star cheer squad in Backspot but it doesn’t come without anxiety and such. Riley (Devery Jacobs) is a mid-level cheerleader for the Cheer Fuzion All-Stars, where she’s the backspot. When learning that she has an opportunity to cheer for the Thunderhawks, Riley screws up her first chance. Even though she probably shouldn’t get a second chance, she decides to do it again and nails the landing.…
"Backspot – Toronto 2023"
Eric LaRue has its roots in Brett Neveu’s 2002 stage play but the film adaptation being timely and relevant speaks to the current climate. I know what you’re thinking–Mass just premiered a few years ago in theaters. It’s an unfortunate side effect of school shootings still taking place. Or any mass shooting in general. Where Mass focuses on grieving parents meeting to discuss their sons, Eric LaRue focuses on the mother–Janice LaRue (Judy Greer)–of the…
"Eric LaRue – Tribeca 2023"