Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Israel Film Fest to fete Martin Landau

By Pat Sierchio

When he was barely out of his teens, Martin Landau was already a successful cartoonist working for the New York Daily News. In fact, the young artist. . .

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Three films to focus on Israeli Air Force

By Tom Tugend

Some 65 years after a band of foreign volunteers fought in the skies above Israel to assure the nation’s birth and survival, filmmakers are racing. . .

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

OSCARS BALLOT 2013- Fill yours out for a chance to win great prizes

By JewishJournal

Oscar Ballot 2013

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

‘The Rabbi’s Cat’ got your French tongue

by Michael Aushenker, Contributing Writer

At only 41, Joann Sfar has enjoyed a meteoric rise in France, rocketing from cartoonist to filmmaker in short succession.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ and the Jews: an untold story

by Lance J. Sussman

I loved "Lincoln" as much as anyone and, as an American historian, took a special pleasure in it. Among many other things, I thought the depiction of. . .

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

“The Flat” uncovers a relationship between a Nazi and a Jew

By Tom Tugend

The Israeli documentary “The Flat” begins in a Tel Aviv apartment, where half a dozen people are clearing out 70 years of clutter left behind by. . .

Monday, September 10, 2012

Fall Films: Identity crises, controversy, conflict, creativity and chicanery

by Iris Mann, Contributing Writer

A careful search has uncovered a small treasure trove of unusual and provocative films slated for release this fall.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Faith, not just gayness, informs filmmaker’s works

By Pat Sierchio

This has been a good year for filmmaker Ira Sachs. His new feature, "Keep the Lights On," received a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at the. . .

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Herzl: A visionary father of a nation

By Tom Tugend

Theodor Herzl was an assimilated Viennese journalist who became the unlikely founder of modern Zionism and a main catalyst for the creation of the. . .

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Filmmaker writes from experience for post-Holocaust drama ‘Mighty Fine’

By Naomi Pfefferman

Filmmaker Debbie Goodstein has taken to heart the adage, “Write what you know.” Her 1989 Holocaust documentary, “Voices From the Attic,”. . .

Thursday, March 15, 2012

At home, on stage and screen

by Evan Henderson

Somewhere in Creede, Colo., en route to a mountain cabin in Santa Fe, N.M., Mandy Patinkin is above 10,000 feet. “If I sound stupid, it’s because. . .

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Family-focused stories at forefront of Israel Film Fest

By Tom Tugend

It’s springtime in Los Angeles, which means raising the curtain on the 26th Israel Film Festival, this year displaying a colorful palette of more. . .

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Two Israeli films take Berlin festival prizes

JTA

Two Israeli films that deal with the conflict with the Palestinians in much different ways were recognized at the 62nd annual Berlin International. . .

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A sneak peek at ‘Footnote,’ Israel’s Oscar nominee

by Maxine Dovere, JointMedia News Service

In his latest film, Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar has created a drama of personal controversy. He explores spirit, resilience and. . .

Friday, February 17, 2012

For Mideast foes’ Oscar films, family trumps flag

by Dan Williams, Reuters

As their nations warn of war, the Israeli and Iranian directors facing off at next week's Academy Awards share a reluctance to see politics read into. . .

Thursday, February 16, 2012

A casting director’s dream

by Iris Mann

Casting director Heidi Levitt had to fill more than 60 character roles for “The Artist,” the Oscar-nominated film about a 1920s silent movie star. . .

Thursday, February 16, 2012

‘Footnote’ could make this Israel’s year to win [VIDEO]

By Tom Tugend

For Israelis, winning the country’s first Oscar would be akin to scoring its first Olympic gold medal, which happened at the 2004 Games in Athens.. . .

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Who is that masked Jewish man? It’s Hero Man!

by Sam Blum

David Filmore is a mild-mannered filmmaker. A Shabbat-observant Jew from Australia who moved to West Hollywood 10 years ago, he spends his days. . .

Friday, January 13, 2012

Israel’s entry to Oscars does not plan to become a ‘Footnote’

By Tom Tugend

Joseph Cedar has made four movies during his 11-year career, and the first three have represented Israel in the Oscar races for Best Foreign-Language. . .

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Back to Ukraine: A filmmaker’s diary of living in her ancestors’ land

by Jonathan Maseng

Naomi Uman is a woman of many talents, but drawing is not one of them. “I always knew that I was an artist, but I can’t and I couldn’t draw. . .

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Beyond the blockbusters

by Iris Mann

Among the holiday-oriented movies slated for this season, we find some quite unusual, fascinating fare, including a spy story, a silent movie, a. . .

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Spielberg in talks to direct Moses film

JTA

Steven Spielberg is in talks to direct a movie about the life of Moses.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Getting to know the homeless

by Pat Sierchio

When first meeting Rachel Fleischer, her innocent, girl-next-door appearance may lead you to wonder why this nice Jewish girl from a good home would. . .

Monday, October 17, 2011

Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain is feeling ‘Connected’

by Dvora Meyers, JTA

Filmmaker Tiffany Shlain is certainly no Luddite. She co-founded the Webby Awards in 1996 to showcase excellence on the then-fledgling Internet. Yet. . .