Boston Jewish Film Fest explores the theme “coming of age.”

November 3 and continuing through November 14, the 22nd annual Boston Jewish Film Festival presents films exploring the theme “coming of age.”

“We all did it. We all grew up, sometime, somewhere,” said Sara L. Rubin, artistic director. “When you remember growing up, you might recall simplicity and freedom. Or, you might cringe about awkwardness and anxiety. We bring our own history to these films and they bring us stories that are both fresh and familiar.”

A second keynote for 2010 is music in film, from tango to klezmer. A third highlight is the broad expanse of local New England talent displayed throughout many films, evincing creativity, star power, and expertise in documentary filmmaking.

The Boston Jewish Film Festival presents the year’s most innovative films on Jewish themes. Films are accentuated by panel discussions; visits by directors, actors, and subjects; and musical events. The Festival program explores what it means to be Jewish – in the U.S., Israel, and around the world.

The Festival is New England’s largest Jewish cultural event, with last year’s attendance at over 10,000 people. “The Fall Festival is the homecoming event for Jews and film lovers throughout New England,” added Rubin. “We challenge, celebrate, and engage each other in a reunion that is an annual highlight for Boston’s Jewish and film communities.”

This critically acclaimed Festival screens 37 independently produced films in nine locations, and reflects the work of film artists from 15 countries, spoken in 12 languages. Highlights include five North American premieres, four US premieres, four East Coast premieres, and 14 New England premieres. The Festival presents more than a dozen film artists, speakers, panelists, and musicians from around the globe, including Israel, Spain, Poland, Germany and New York. Suburban screenings begin October 26 and run through November 16.

Coming of Age Films
The opening night film, Maya, directed by renowned Israeli actress and director Michal Bat-Adam, features a play within a movie. When a young actress wins the lead role in a new play by a well-known director, she wrestles with his suggestion that she spend time at a local mental hospital to understand her role. Simultaneously, she thinks about accepting the director’s advances. Maya’s deepened knowledge of her character changes herself, the play, and the power play between actress and director. Bat-Adam and producer Moshe Mizrahi will be present, with a musical prelude courtesy of Berklee College of Music.

A legend is captured in Vidal Sassoon the Movie: How One Man Changed the World with a Pair of Scissors. From an impoverished London childhood in a Jewish orphanage to his start as a shampoo boy at age 14, Vidal eventually became the most influential hairdresser in the world. The movie is preceded by a fashion show organized by Marilyn Riseman, Boston’s doyenne of style.

Closing night features Little Rose, a thriller set in Poland in spring 1968, when the government’s anti-Semitic campaign puts citizens on edge. Security policeman Rozek sends his young lover to investigate whether a well-known dissident writer is Jewish. As her assignment progresses, she wins not only the writer’s trust but also his love. Director Jan Kidawa-Blonski visits in person, with a musical introduction by Berklee College of Music.

Music Films
The mid-fest event features Tango, A Story with Jews, with a special tango performance by local tango masters Pracha Eamranond and Martha Castano and musical accompaniment provided by Berklee College of Music. Argentinean filmmaker Gabriel Pomeraniec’s first feature documentary tells the fascinating story of how Jewish musicians, who fled Russia for Buenos Aires at the end of the 19th century, contributed to the romance of tango music.

The “Socalled” Movie shows us “old” klezmer music turned avant-garde. This ingenious documentary unmasks the performer known as Socalled, with his unique hybrid of klezmer and hip-hop music, and his quirky, lovable personality.

New England’s Home Grown Talent
From creative plots to insightful documentaries, from actors to directors, New England contributes powerful talents. Festival topliners include My So-Called Enemy, by Wayland native Lisa Gossels; My Perestroika by Andover’s Robin Hessman; Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story by Lexington-born Peter Miller; and I Was There in Color, a portrait of Boston businessman Fred Monosson.

This year’s major fall fundraiser features honorary guest Kevin Bright, executive producer and director of the long-running TV comedy series, Friends. Bright is Executive Artist-in-Residence at Emerson College, and is volunteer instructor for Perkins School for the Blind filmmaking students. The event, Friendsational Celebration, takes place October 23 at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at the Harvard Medical School.

Festival Locations, Tickets, Sponsors
Primary venues are the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), and the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline. Screenings also take place at AMC Framingham, the Arlington Capitol Theatre, Hollywood Hits Premiere Theatres in Danvers, Showcase Cinema de Lux Patriot Place, Showcase Cinemas Randolph, Stuart Street Playhouse and the West Newton Cinema.

The Festival’s website offers film descriptions and schedule information. Tickets can be purchased through www.bjff.org. For more information, email info@bjff.org or call 617-244-9899.

The Festival offers three pass options: the all-access Friends Pass, at $225; the REELPass, a $30 three-film pass for viewers in their 20s and 30s; and the Weekday Pass for $40 for five regularly-priced shows Monday through Thursday.

Tickets for most films are $12 for general admission and $11 for seniors, students, and current members of The Boston Jewish Film Festival, MFA, Coolidge, and WGBH. Discount tickets for groups of 20 or more are available at $10 per person. For more information, or to request a mailed brochure, contact the Festival office at info@bjff.org or 617-244-9899x200.

Lead Festival sponsors are the Consulate General of Israel to New England, CBIZ Tofias, Hebrew SeniorLife and Staples Advantage. Major sponsors include Boston Financial & Equity Corporation, Emerson College, Eileen Fisher, JDate.com, Northeastern University and swissnex Boston/Consulate of Switzerland. Other sponsors include National Public Radio station WBUR, WGBH-TV, The Jewish Advocate and Air France. The Festival is supported by Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Jewish Federation of the North Shore, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, French Cultural Services, the Goethe-Institut Boston, and the Québec Government Office in Boston.

About The Boston Jewish Film Festival
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.