Joyce Forum—A Day of Emerging Filmmakers
Monday, February 15AMC La Jolla 12
JOY F. KNAPP PRESENTATIONS
The Joyce Forum presents outstanding Jewish-themed short-subject, documentary
and feature films by student and early-career filmmakers from all over the world.
Named in honor of San Diego Jewish Film Festival Founder Joyce Axelrod, the
Joyce Forum supports emerging filmmakers by showcasing their talent and exposing
their work to established filmmakers, artists and industry peers. |
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Shorts in Winter
Part 1 • 1:30pm
| Theatre |
Date |
Time |
|
|
AMC La Jolla |
Mon, Feb 15 |
1:30 PM |
|
A coming-of-age drama set in Israel,
about 10-year-old Yoni who each Sabbath
attempts to sneak past curmudgeonly
Mr. Katz into Kiddush before the end of
services—but one day Mr. Katz is
nowhere to be seen.
[ Film Details ]
Awards: Best Short, New York Jewish Student Film
Festival, 2008 & Garden State Film Festival, 2008
Yitz Brilliant | USA | 2008 | 11 min. | Hebrew | BetaSP
Guest Artist: Yitz Brilliant
[ click to close ]
Mendel is a Jew with a problem—he
loves Christmas. His Orthodox parents
announce an unexpected visit and their
impending arrival causes Mendel’s illicit
secret love to come crashing around him.
When Jingle Bells meets Hava Nagila, the
resulting union is filled with laughter.

[ Film Details ]
A couple tenderly makes love in a cheap
hotel room. A few minutes later, while
the man and woman get dressed in
silence, the idyll that seemed so authentic
suddenly seems to have vanished.

[ Film Details ]
13-year-old Aaron witnesses his father,
Josef, being humiliated by a gang of kids.
Afterwards, Aaron does not want to hear
his fathers explanations. Josef’s
suppressed feelings find an outlet in the
unnerving final scenes.
[ Film Details ]
|
It is winter and Julian is heading to work,
as always. On his face signs of trouble are
noticeable, but maybe it isn’t so, maybe it’s
nothing, just another ordinary day at work…
[ Film Details ] |
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Shorts in Winter
Part 2 • 4pm • Ma’ale School Tribute
| Theatre |
Date |
Time |
|
|
AMC La Jolla |
Mon, Feb 15 |
4:00 PM |
|
When a father’s memory begins to fail
due to Alzheimer’s disease, his special
relationship with his Down syndrome son
breaks down. As their stable happy
routine collapses, they must face the truth
of their situation.
[ Film Details ]
When Lazer and Baila Hirsch make aliyah,
they struggle with financial hardship and
general misfortune. Their Bretzlav Hassidic
tradition challenges them to fulfill their
capacity for joy, so they pray for a
miracle—only to learn that miracles come
when and where they’re least expected.

[ Film Details ]
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Three sisters—a secular radio broadcaster,
a very pregnant woman who questions her
ability to mother a child, and the religious
heroine who is struggling to conceive—
gather at their widowed mother’s home for
an intense Shabbat together.
[ Film Details ] |
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When 27-year old Ma’ale Film School
student Pazit Lichtman experienced
marital trouble, she channeled her pain
into something creative. The resulting film,
Willingly, follows a young couple to the
rabbinical divorce court where they must
grapple with their decision to split.
[ Film Details ]
Pazit Lichtman | Israel | 2007 | 22 min. | Hebrew | DVD
Guest Artist: Pazit Lichtman
[ click to close ]
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Main Feature - 8pm
|
Avery is an African-American teen raised
Jewish, living in a multi-cultural home with
her lesbian adoptive parents, her Korean
brother and her mixed-race brother.
Curious about her biological roots, she
contacts her birth mother. The exchange
spurs a full-blown identity crisis. A gifted
runner, Avery planned to attend college on
a track and field scholarship, but she
becomes estranged from her loving family
and drops out of school. She decides to
pick up the pieces of her life and is Off
and Running to the brink of adulthood,
exploring the strength of family bonds and
the challenges of
becoming oneself.

Awards: Finalist Audience Favorite, 2009 Tribeca Film Festival; Best Documentary Screenplay, Silverdocs; Outstanding Documentary; Outfest; Best Documentary, Philadelphia Qfest
[ Film Details ] |
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Nicole Opper | USA |
2008 | 75 min. | English |
Digibeta | Doc
Guest Artist:
Director Nicole Opper
(named one of the top
25 independent filmmakers
to watch by
Filmmaker Magazine)
Community Partner:
Jewish Family Service
[ click to close ]
To submit your film to be considered for entry into the Joyce Forum, please send a screener (DVD NTSC format) to:
The San Diego Jewish Film Festival
Lawrence Family JCC, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS
4126 Executive Drive
La Jolla, CA 92037