Press Releases:
BOSTON JEWISH FILM APPOINTS NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Joey Katz Rose Through the Ranks
NEWTON, MA. December 16, 2024. Boston Jewish Film, New England’s largest film-based organization, has promoted 2024 Boston Jewish Film Festival curator Joey Katz to the position of full-time Artistic Director. “This appointment means the world to me,” says Katz, who has served in a variety of roles at Boston Jewish Film since 2019. “I am honored that the BJF board has entrusted me with the responsibility for our creative side, to grow the organization, and to build on the momentum we achieved at our November festival. This is truly an honor.”
“We are thrilled to have Joey as our Artistic Director,” says Ken Shulman, President of the Board at Boston Jewish Film. “He knows our organization and community as well as anyone. With his energy, encyclopedic cinematic knowledge, and youth, he will provide thoughtful entertainment for our traditional audiences and help expand our reach into new communities and demographics.”
“Joey is the right man for the job!” says Susan Adler, Executive Director of Boston Jewish Film. Joey has learned about Festival curation and production in the best and worst of times – think Covid. He has a strong work ethic, a commitment to excellence, and a passion for advancing BJF’s mission. We are excited to have him as our Artistic Director.” Founded in 1988, Boston Jewish Film runs the annual Boston Jewish Film Festival and the Boston Israeli Film Festival. BJF also oversees SITCA—the School Initiative to Combat Antisemitism—and runs a series of year-long activities, including BJF Studio, a mobile filmmaking workshop, and the monthly BJF Film Club.
Born in Illinois and raised in Cooperstown, New York, Katz has loved film for as long as he can remember. “One of my earliest memories was attending a screening of ‘Yellow Submarine‘ at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago when I was five,” says Katz, who graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2018 with a degree in cinema studies. “From that moment, I was hooked.”
Katz moved to Boston in 2018 and joined BJF the following year as a Program Associate. “Entering the world of Jewish film was eye-opening,” says Katz, who at the same time worked as a house manager at The Brattle Theater in Cambridge. “I’d grown up in a town with just three Jewish families. There was so much I wanted to learn about my culture. Jewish film has such a broad global reach. In film, we see that Judaism isn’t monolithic. This is comforting for Jewish audiences and illuminating for non-Jewish audiences.”
The 2024 Boston Jewish Film Festival—curated and programmed by Katz—saw record post-pandemic attendance and multiple sold-out screenings. “We need to make sure our audience connects with our programming,” says Katz. “To include dance and music and card games and cooking classes—all the things that will bring someone to the theater instead of waiting to screen the film online. I have lived from paycheck to paycheck. I understand that a theater ticket might be the difference for someone going into overdraft in their checking account. I am dedicated to offering programming that is always worth the price of admission.”
About Boston Jewish Film
Founded in 1989, Boston Jewish Film runs the Boston Jewish Film Festival and the Boston Israeli Film Festival, along with various screenings and cultural events throughout the year. New England’s largest film-based organization, BJF is present in regional schools with its High School Antisemitism Initiative, and also offers filmmaking and storytelling workshops for Boston area youth. Learn more at bostonjfilm.org and follow Boston Jewish Film on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
BOSTON JEWISH FILM NAMES NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Emmy® Award-Winning Filmmaker Lisa Gossels Will Curate BJF’s Film Programming
NEWTON, MA – February 10, 2022. Lisa Gossels, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker whose films have garnered myriad awards, including a National Emmy, is the new Artistic Director at Boston Jewish Film. Gossels, a Wayland native, will curate BJF’s annual film festivals and play a lead role in BJF’s High School Antisemitism Initiative and Boston area filmmaking clinics.
“Lisa Gossels is eminently qualified to take on the Artistic Director position,” says Susan Adler, Executive Director at Boston Jewish Film. “She is a perfect fit for the organization and our team — a communicator, an educator, and an idea generator. We are so enthusiastic about working with her.”
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University, Gossels directed and produced “The Children of Chabannes,” an Emmy Award-winning film about a tiny French village whose inhabitants saved more than 400 Jewish refugee children during World War II. Gossels’ father, Peter, and Uncle Werner were two of the saved children.
Lisa also directed and produced “My So-Called Enemy,” a 7-year coming-of-age story that follows a group of Palestinian and Israeli teenage girls – from their first meeting at a women’s leadership program in New Jersey back to their lives in the Middle East. Both films were screened at the Boston Jewish Film Festival.
A sought-after speaker and guest educator, Gossels has presented her documentaries at hundreds of film festivals and conferences, and at educational, cultural, and religious institutions.
“I believe deeply in the unique ability of film to open hearts and minds, educate and inspire,” says Gossels, who recently returned to the Boston area after 30+ years in New York City. “Just as I believe in the power of Jewish film to amplify the rich diversity and complexity of Jewish and Israeli experience. I am delighted to be joining Boston Jewish Film as it enters its 34th year.”
About Boston Jewish Film
Founded in 1989, Boston Jewish Film runs the Boston Jewish Film Festival and the Boston Israeli Film Festival, along with various screenings and cultural events throughout the year. New England’s largest film-based organization, BJF is present in regional schools with its High School Antisemitism Initiative, and also offers filmmaking and storytelling workshops for Boston area youth. Learn more at bostonjfilm.org and follow Boston Jewish Film on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
BOSTON JEWISH FILM ANNOUNCES FILM LINEUP FOR 2019 FESTIVAL
31st Anniversary Festival Runs Throughout Greater Boston November 6-17
WEST NEWTON, MA – October 15, 2019. Boston Jewish Film is excited to announce the official selections for its annual Boston Jewish Film Festival, showcasing a varied selection of films that explore personal identity, history, the environment, empowerment of women, legal advocacy, and more.
The 31st annual festival will feature 48 films at 12 venues throughout Greater Boston from November 6-17, 2019. With nearly 60 screenings and events, the Boston Jewish Film Festival (BJFF) is a destination to enjoy thought-provoking films and new media, and to join lively conversations with filmmakers.
The 2019 festival begins with an Opening Night screening of Safe Spaces, starring Justin Long (Dodgeball), Fran Drescher (The Nanny), Richard Schiff (The West Wing) and Kate Berlant (Sorry to Bother You). Other highlights include the MidFest screening of From Slavery to Freedom, as well as two short film series: the 9th Annual FRESHFLIX Short Film Competition and the Short Film Program: Beyond Expectations.
New this year, the Festival will feature a series of films with an “eye on the environment,” including a spotlight screening of Picture of His Life at a new venue for the Festival, the New England Aquarium’s Simon IMAX Theatre. In its second year, the TLV TV Binge will screen episodes of popular Israeli TV shows.
“Our 31st annual Boston Jewish Film Festival brings universal and timeless themes to the big screen, with an eye on what is affecting our world and our communities today. From exploring personal identities and the way they are shaped by — and sometimes despite — family and tradition, to focusing on the environment, this year’s festival gives space for people to deepen the conversations they may already be having around current issues and ideas,“ said Ariana Cohen-Halberstam, Artistic Director for Boston Jewish Film. “Our 2019 Festival is curated to bring meaningful film programs that will engage, excite, entertain, and inspire filmgoers of all ages and backgrounds.”
Here are the details on some of the featured screenings and events for the 2019 festival:
The Festival opens on Wednesday, November 6 with the Boston Premiere of Safe Spaces at the Coolidge Corner Theatre at 7 pm. In this coming of age comedy, Josh (Justin Long, Dodgeball) has a lot going on. His job as an adjunct writing professor is being threatened after a student accused him of being inappropriate in class. And his beloved grandmother (Lynn Cohen) is in the hospital, meaning his divorced parents (Fran Drescher, The Nanny, and Richard Schiff, The West Wing) and siblings (including Kate Berlant, Sorry to Bother You) need to all come together. This candid and often-humorous take on how we deal with modern crises, both unexpected and self-inflicted, is a testament to the importance of family — no matter how dysfunctional. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Actor Justin Long and Director Daniel Schechter.
On Wednesday, November 13, at 6:30 pm at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the MidFest Event features the New England Premiere of From Slavery to Freedom. This documentary (in Russian with subtitles) showcases the remarkable life of famous human rights activist, Natan Sharansky. In 1977, Sharansky was charged with spying for America, treason, and anti-Soviet agitation and was sentenced to 13 years of forced labor. No single person symbolizes the era more than he, a “Refusenik” who defied the entire Soviet system in his fight for freedom and national identification. The screening is followed by a conversation with Sharansky’s daughter, writer Rachel Sharansky Danziger, moderated by writer William Novak, who worked with Natan Sharansky on his memoir.
Developed for a young professional audience, the Festival’s 9th Annual FRESHFLIX Short Film Competition highlights the next generation of filmmakers on Thursday, November 7 at 7 pm at the Somerville Arts at the Armory. Filmgoers will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite film of the eight short films shown. The winner will receive a cash prize to go towards their next project.
The Short Film Program: Beyond Expectations features a series of international short films about the surprises and triumphs that can happen at any point in life’s journey. View these shorts on Sunday, November 10 at 1:00 pm at the Emerson Paramount Bright Family Screening Room.
On Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 pm at New England Aquarium’s Simon IMAX Theatre, the Festival will screen Picture of His Life in a special spotlight event. In an intimate story of dedication, sacrifice, and personal redemption, the film documents the ultimate challenge of 65-year-old Amos Nachoum, one of the greatest underwater photographers of all time: photographing a polar bear, up close, without any protection. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Director Dani Menkin.
The Festival’s Closing Night will feature the New England Premiere of The Rabbi Goes West on Sunday, November 17 at 7 pm at the Somerville Theatre. When Rabbi Chaim Bruk moved from Brooklyn to Bozeman, Montana, he left a large Chabad Hasidic community. In all of Montana there are just 2,000 Jewish families — and Rabbi Chaim is determined to put a mezuzah on each of their doorposts. While Rabbi Chaim builds his community, becoming beloved by his congregants, some of the state’s Jews believe he is a threat to the other denominations of Judaism. At the same time, threats of anti-Semitism, including from neo-Nazis, loom. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Rabbi Bruk and Directors Amy Geller and Gerald Peary.
The Boston Jewish Film Festival will take place at 12 locations: The Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Brattle Theatre, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Emerson Paramount Bright Family Screening Room, JCC Riemer-Goldstein Theater, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, NewBridge on the Charles, New England Aquarium, Foxboro Patriot Place, Somerville Arts at the Armory, Somerville Theatre, and West Newton Cinema.
Tickets for individual screenings can be purchased online at www.bostonjfilm.org, by phone at 888-615-3332 or in person at select box offices. Group sales and Festival passes are available online or by phone from the Boston Jewish Film office. For the full film schedule or for additional information, visit www.bostonjfilm.org.
About Boston Jewish Film
Founded in 1989, Boston Jewish Film runs the Boston Jewish Film Festival and the Boston Israeli Film Festival, along with various screenings and cultural events throughout the year. New England’s largest film-based organization, BJF is present in regional schools with its High School Antisemitism Initiative, and also offers filmmaking and storytelling workshops for Boston area youth. Learn more at bostonjfilm.org and follow Boston Jewish Film on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Boston Jewish Film Announces Susan K. Adler as New Executive Director
NEWTON, MA – February 20, 2019. Boston Jewish Film is pleased to announce the appointment of Susan Adler as the new Executive Director. Adler brings more than 20 years of experience in leading nonprofits, extensive development work, and strategic planning to the organization. She previously held executive roles at Cradles to Crayons, Inc., The ALS Association, and the Utility Contractors’ Association of New England, Inc.
Adler’s background includes developing and managing corporate and community relations for many organizations, as well as providing philanthropic support and individual giving. In her latest role as Director of Corporate Relations at Cradles to Crayons, she was responsible for leading the corporate development strategy, managing fundraising efforts, developing community relations, expanding business partnerships, and executing special events to help achieve revenue goals.
“I am excited to be joining an organization that brings together communities and combines my passion for film and culture. Having worked with both national and local organizations in my career, I was happy to find a position at a growing Boston organization that truly brings people together to be engaged, educated, and entertained,” said Adler.
Board President, Taren Metson, said, “We are thrilled to have someone with Susan’s impressive background join Boston Jewish Film. Her notable track record of leading nonprofits and cultivating relationships with the community will continue to lead Boston Jewish Film through its next stage of dramatic growth and expansion.”
“In my role as the Executive Director of New England’s largest film-based organization, I look forward to expanding the reach and mission of Boston Jewish Film as a year-round film and media organization. As we recently saw with the first Boston Israeli Film Festival earlier this month, we successfully engaged a new audience in the community, which resulted in stellar attendance and multiple sold-out events,” said Adler.
Adler’s family has strong roots and close ties to the Brookline community. She then moved to Sharon to raise her family and now resides in the Metrowest area.
Boston Jewish Film also announces the following board changes effective in 2019:
- Taren Metson, Board President
- Barbara Resnek, Past President
- Doreen Beinart, Vice President
- Lee K. Forgosh, Vice President
- Dana Volman, Vice President
About Boston Jewish Film
Founded in 1989, Boston Jewish Film runs the Boston Jewish Film Festival and the Boston Israeli Film Festival, along with various screenings and cultural events throughout the year. New England’s largest film-based organization, BJF is present in regional schools with its High School Antisemitism Initiative, and also offers filmmaking and storytelling workshops for Boston area youth. Learn more at bostonjfilm.org and follow Boston Jewish Film on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Boston Jewish Film Announces 2018 Audience Awards
The 30th Annual Festival Announces Winners from Around the Globe
NEWTON, MA – November 29, 2018. The Boston Jewish Film Festival has announced the official Audience Award Winners for the 30th annual film festival.
The winners were voted on by the Boston Jewish Film Festival attendees and selected from thirty-one feature length films and twelve short films that screened during November 7-19, 2018 at theaters in and around Boston:
- Best Feature: Promise at Dawn, Director Éric Barbier (France)
- Best Documentary: Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, Director Samuel D. Pollard (USA)
- FRESHFLIX Short Film Competition Winner: The Double Date, Directors Eli Batalion & Jamie Elman (Canada)
Audiences were captivated and moved by Promise at Dawn, which won the Best Feature Award. Promise at Dawn is a drama about French writer Romain Gary’s extraordinary life. Based on Gary’s autobiographical novel, the film’s sweeping narrative takes Gary through his early years in Poland, his adolescence in Nice, his student years in Paris, and his pilot training during WWII.
Director Éric Barbier said, “The prize awarded by an audience is always very important for the directors. I am so touched that the audience was sensitive to this moving story, which concerns us and haunts us all, how dreams guide us or how they deceive us. But also why you should never give up.”
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me was voted Best Documentary and took the audience on a journey throughout Sammy Davis, Jr.’s legendary career as Davis strove for the American Dream despite the odds of racial prejudice. Audiences saw electrifying performance excerpts, never-before-seen photographs, and interviews that took them through the highs and lows of his amazing career and witnessed his impact on American culture.
Director Samuel D. Pollard, who attended the Festival and participated in a conversation after the screening on Opening Night, said, “It is fantastic to receive the award. What an honor to be recognized by the Boston Jewish Film Festival. A heartfelt thank you.”
The annual FRESHFLIX Short Film Competition celebrates the next generation of filmmakers. This year’s program included short films from Israel, the USA, and Canada. The winner of the FRESHFLIX Short Film Competition, The Double Date, tells the story of a blind date with the perfect woman, Chaya (Mayim Bialik), which quickly becomes a battle of nebbish proportions. The film is directed by Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman, creators of the comedy web series YidLife Crisis.
Director Eli Batalion said, “It was dayenu just to be included in the FRESHFLIX Short Film Competition, but to win? A mekhaye!”
The Boston Jewish Film Festival is a program of Boston Jewish Film. Visit www.bostonjfilm.org for upcoming screenings and events.
About Boston Jewish Film
Founded in 1989, Boston Jewish Film runs the Boston Jewish Film Festival and the Boston Israeli Film Festival, along with various screenings and cultural events throughout the year. New England’s largest film-based organization, BJF is present in regional schools with its High School Antisemitism Initiative, and also offers filmmaking and storytelling workshops for Boston area youth. Learn more at bostonjfilm.org and follow Boston Jewish Film on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Boston Jewish Film Unveils Lineup for 2018 Festival
Tickets Now on Sale for 30th Anniversary Festival Running November 7-19
NEWTON, MA – September 27, 2018. Boston Jewish Film is excited to announce the official selections for its annual Boston Jewish Film Festival, showcasing a wide array of films that explore intriguing themes, including music, women in film, intimate first-person narratives, cross-cultural identities, and more.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the festival will feature 41 films at 12 venues throughout Greater Boston from November 7-19, 2018. With more than 60 screenings and events, the Boston Jewish Film Festival (BJFF) is a destination for viewing thought-provoking films and new media, as well as joining lively conversations with filmmakers.
The 2018 festival kicks off with an Opening Night screening of Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me. Other highlights on the big screen include the MidFest screening of The City Without Jews (a recently restored silent film screening with musical accompaniment), as well as two short film series: the 8th Annual FRESHFLIX Short Film Competition and the Find Your Tribe Short Film Program. New this year, the Festival will feature a TLV TV Binge, screening several episodes of popular Israeli TV shows. The festival draws people of all ages, with BJFF Jr.! presenting An American Tail for young families and the new Teen Screen program Almost Famous.
“Our 30th annual Boston Jewish Film Festival delves into many of the profound themes we’ve been exploring throughout the years, as well as newly relevant ideas. And, this year’s festival enriches the conversation around identity and community with new media and new programs,“ said Ariana Cohen-Halberstam, Artistic Director for Boston Jewish Film. “For the first time, we are bringing an all-day binge of hot Israeli television shows, as well as a new program for teens. The 2018 Festival is the place for rich and varied film programs that will entertain, challenge, and inspire filmgoers of all ages and backgrounds.”
Here are the details on some of the featured screenings and events for the 2018 festival:
The Festival opens on Wednesday, November 7 with the Boston Premiere of Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve GottaBe Me at the Coolidge Corner Theatre at 7 pm. With electrifying performance excerpts, never-before-seen photographs, and interviews with renowned performers, this award-winning documentary explores the life of this extraordinary artist and his success in the face of both racial prejudice and his decision to convert to Judaism. This Opening Night event begins with a live musical performance with local artists and concludes with a conversation featuring director Samuel D. Pollard.
On Wednesday, November 14, at 6:30 pm at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the MidFest Event features a silent film with English intertitles, The City Without Jews, accompanied by live musical from composer and performer Jeff Rapsis.T he 1924 film begins with the election of an anti-Semitic chancellor who exiles all his city’s Jews. With the Jews gone, the city’s economy declines, inflation becomes rampant, and cultural life disappears, leaving the government to decide whether to save the city or stand by its anti-Semitic legislation.
Created for a young professional audience, the Festival’s 8th Annual FRESHFLIX Short Film Competition celebrates the next generation of filmmakers on Thursday, November 8 at 7:00 pm at the Somerville Theatre.
The Find Your Tribe Short Film Program features a series of international short films that focus on people searching for community, often in the unlikeliest of places. See these shorts on Saturday, November 17 at 6:30 pm at the Museum of Fine Arts.
For children and families, BJFF Jr.! presents An American Tail on Sunday, November 11 at 12:00 pm at the JCC Riemer-Goldstein Theater. Steven Spielberg’s first animated production follows the fun adventures of a young Russian mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz, separated from his family when he arrives in America.
With a Massachusetts Premiere, the Festival’s new Teen Screen program brings Almost Famous to the West Newton Cinema on Sunday, November 18, 6:15 pm. This Israeli film, in Hebrew with subtitles, raises the question of how far Shir, a high school student, will go to woo the attention of the popular crowd.
Stay tuned for the announcement of the Festival’s Closing Night film. The festival ends on Monday, November 19 at 6:30 pm at the Somerville Theatre with a special preview screening that will be posted on the Boston Jewish Film website on October 19.
The Boston Jewish Film Festival will take place at 12 locations: The Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Brattle Theatre, The Center for the Arts in Natick, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Institute of Contemporary Art, JCC Riemer-Goldstein Theater, Maynard Fine Arts Theatre Place, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, NewBridge on the Charles, Foxboro Patriot Place, Somerville Theatre, and West Newton Cinema.
Tickets for individual screenings can be purchased online at www.bostonjfilm.org, by phone at 888-615-3332 or in person at select box offices. Group sales and Festival passes are available online or by phone from the Boston Jewish Film office. For the full film schedule or for additional information, visit www.bostonjfilm.org.
About Boston Jewish Film
Founded in 1989, Boston Jewish Film runs the Boston Jewish Film Festival and the Boston Israeli Film Festival, along with various screenings and cultural events throughout the year. New England’s largest film-based organization, BJF is present in regional schools with its High School Antisemitism Initiative, and also offers filmmaking and storytelling workshops for Boston area youth. Learn more at bostonjfilm.org and follow Boston Jewish Film on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
In The News:
WCVB 5 for Good – April 11, 2019
5 for Good: ReelAbilties Boston highlights films featuring people with different abilities
Former WNBA All-Star featured at film festival, promotes inclusion, empathy 
A three-time NCAA champion, six-time WNBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist, Chamique Holdsclaw was born to play basketball. But she was destined for something else, too.
“Sports gave me a platform, and this is what I was supposed to be doing,” Holdsclaw said.
The Times of Israel – November 17, 2018
The devil went down to Harlem — to team up with a Jewish harmonica player
Although racial tensions dominated headlines in late-20th century New York, an unlikely musical duo by the name of Satan & Adam offered a different glimpse of America’s great melting pot.
The duo paired veteran African-American blues guitarist Sterling “Mr. Satan” Magee — who had once played with such stars as James Brown and Etta James — with young half-Jewish white harmonica player Adam Gussow.
Boston.com – November 8, 2018
How the Boston Jewish Film Festival can be a place for healing amid tragedy
The 30th edition of the Boston Jewish Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday night and runs through Nov. 19, bringing together dozens of films that reflect varied perspectives on the Jewish experience. It’s a time to celebrate for the festival, which over the years has expanded from two days’ to two weeks’ worth of films, and also now offers programming year-round.
