10th Annual Jewish Film Festival happening May 1-9

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It’s lights, camera, action for the 10th Annual Jewish Film Festival.

Seven films will be shown at Thalian Hall May 1-9. Some include a tribute to Gene Wilder and a feature film about a self-proclaimed “bad Jew” who attempts to reconnect with her family after a failed music career.

Debbie Smith is the president of the Wilmington Jewish Film Festival.

She said being able to hold the event during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict helps bring the local Jewish community together.

“It’s an opportunity for our Jewish community to come together and show solidarity with each other,” Smith said. “But, it’s very interesting that our Jewish Film Festival does attract probably about a third of our filmgoers are not Jewish and so many of them come because they like our films, they like the community and they’re supportive of our organization.”

Here is a list of all the films:

• Irena’s Vow – Wednesday, May 1, 7 p.m. – Follows the life of a Polish nurse Irena Gut Opdyke who was awarded the Righteous Among the Nations medal for showing remarkable courage in her attempt to save Polish Jews during World War II.
• The Catskills – Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m. – “The Catskills” is a feature-length documentary film on the rise and fall of the Borscht Belt.
• Space Torah – Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m. – In 1996, NASA astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman brought a small Torah scroll on board Space Shuttle Columbia. On Shabbat, while orbiting Earth, he read from the book of Genesis, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
• Less Than Kosher– Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m. Feature Film – At 20, Viv was a promising young singer. At 30, her failing music career has forced her back into her mother’s basement. But when this self-proclaimed Bad Jew lands ass-backwards into a job as a Cantor at her family’s synagogue, she’s thrown into a wild ride. It’s “Shiva Baby” meets “A Star is Born.” Modern Jewish wit and Hebrew Electro-Pop.
• Remembering Gene Wilder – Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m. – This loving tribute to Gene Wilder celebrates his life and legacy as the comic genius behind an extraordinary string of film roles.  Illustrated with a bevy of touching and hilarious clips and outtakes, Remembering Gene Wilder shines a light on a quintessential performer, writer, director, and all-around Mensch.
• The Way to Happiness – Sunday, May 5, 7 p.m. – Saül Birnbaum is a “hidden child”, separated from his parents at the age of 6 to escape the upcoming Shoah, sent by a Kindertransport abroad, from Vienna to Brussels. In 1986, Saül is on the road to resilience, he tries to reinvent his life, to re-enchant it.
• The Monkey House – Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m. – Israeli author Amitai Kariv, once a famous writer, sees his reputation fading.  Crestfallen, he concocts a scheme to be remembered.  Celebrated Israeli director Avi Nesher gives us a story about the roles people play, and how their lives change.

Individual tickets can be found here, while festival passes can be found on the Jewish Film Festival’s website.