The Festival’s Bar Mitzvah Year broke attendance and box office records, attracting nearly 3,000 ticket buyers!  Fifteen films (nine documentary and six features) were screened during the week of February 5-12, 2009, and a selection was presented as part of the 12th Miami Jewish Film Festival and at The JCC in Manhattan.  They included two World premieres, three U.S. premieres, and three New York premieres.  The films portrayed the cultural heritage, traditions, inter-generational struggles, and search for identify, of Jewish communities in 14 countries.  Most films were followed by post-screening discussions with international filmmakers and scholars.  Guests included dignitaries from the Consulate General of Israel in NY, Consulate General of Spain in NY, Consulate General of Turkey in NY, Consulate General of The Kingdom of Morocco, as well as Board members, journalists, artists, and an enormously diverse and appreciative audience.  First-time Israeli-Ethiopian filmmaker, Shmuel Beru, led a joyful discussion following the NY Premiere of his film, Zrubavel, with a performance by the unique talent of singer/actress Meskie Shibru-Sivan.  Zrubavel  was also presented at the Washington DCJCC to a sold-out house supported and attended by the Ethiopian Embassy and Ambassador, and a presentation the following day at the Library of Congress.  We thank all the filmmakers, our sponsors, donors and all who attended.

13th NYSJFF website
Press coverage of the Festival	Press Release
Support the Festival
Print Sources

February 1 - February 8, 2007
THE 11th NY SEPHARDIC JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

The NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival recently celebrated its 11th season this past February 2007. The film festival, a centerpiece of the public programming presented by the American Sephardi Federation with Sephardic House, continues to explore the varied and rich cultures, identities and widespread historical roots of the Sephardic Jews.

As in past years, this year’s film festival offered international and New York premiers, post-screening panel discussions moderated by filmmakers and scholars, and actors and directors from around the world.

Recognizing the growing impact and influences of Sephardim in the Israeli film industry, the 2007 festival spotlighted Sephardic Voices in Israeli Cinema featuring works of prominent as well as up and coming Israeli filmmakers.

Over the past three years, the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival has gained unprecedented critical and public recognition and has become a one-of-a kind and important event in the world of Jewish film festivals.

In 2007 the Sephardic Film Festival expanded its reach three distinct venues: the Center for Jewish History in the Chelsea Neighborhood and the Manhattan JCC on the Upper West Side in New York, and for the first time showcased outside of the New York area as part of the Miami Jewish Film Festival in January.

Program	View Jewish Week article
View Film Festival Brochure	View Forward article
View Press Release	View Film Festival Today article
temp temp1	View Print Source

The 2006 slate of films includes critically acclaimed and award-winning premieres as well as classic feature films and documentaries that examine the past and explore contemporary Sephardic identity around the globe. This year’s timely themes include a special focus on the courage and valor of Sephardic women and their efforts to reshape their role in today’s society.

View Film Festival Brochure [10MB PDF]
View Press Release [PDF]