Columbus Jewish Film Festival
is Sell-Out, Despite Blizzard

Neither snow, nor rain...nor gloom of night stayed fans of the Columbus Jewish Film Festival from making this 4th annual event a sell-out.

"This year's Film Festival, 'Filmed Globally Playing Locally,' was its best," said Melva Schottenstein, festival co-chair. "Despite the Blizzard of 2008 coming on opening night, we still succeeded in filling thousands of seats. We engaged audiences in thought-provoking dialogue at our educational symposium, initiated a new all-day documentary series, and entertained in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Spanish, French, and Arabic. In short, again we scoured the world and succeeded in bringing you the best of the best.

"Our sincere thanks to you, our loyal, terrific sponsors and audience, for allowing and encouraging us to continue to make this happen," she said.

From March 8 through 13, at four locations throughout Columbus, 11 independent films were shown including features and documentaries from Argentina, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico and the United States. The films were complemented by appearances by Oded Gur Arie (son of The Champagne Spy), a keynote speech by Greensboro filmmaker Adam Zucker, and a panel discussion on confronting the past to heal the community, as well as a few pre- and post-film receptions.

While the Opening Night festivities were canceled due to the record-setting snowfall earlier that day, the festival picked up right where it left off the following afternoon, with a sold-out presentation of documentaries at the Gateway Theater, including Making Trouble, Souvenirs, Orthodox Stance, and 5 Days. The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the Distinguished Arts Award to Dr. Wayne Lawson (Director Emeritus of the Ohio Arts council), which had been scheduled for the Opening Night festivities.

Another highlight of the festival was the presentation of Greensboro: Closer to the Truth at the Wexner Center for the Arts on the OSU campus, followed by a panel discussion on "Can Confronting the Past Heal a Community?" Panel members included Prof. David Goldberger of the OSU Moritz College of Law, OSU Prof. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, and Jane Ramsey, executive director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs.

The discussion, which was open to the community, prompted Dr. Ben Trotter of the Bexley High School Social Studies Department, to write to Film Festival Committee Co-Chair Melva Schottenstein, "I already have some plans for the film (Greensboro)when our World History class studies South Africa and their Truth and Reconciliation Commission. What a valuable resource for linking something so seemingly far away with something closer to our own backyard!"

On Sunday, March 16, the Gateway Theater served as the location for the unofficial "Closing Night" activities, which had been previously scheduled as the Opening Night event prior to the blizzard. Once again, the crowd filled the theater and enjoyed a Mexican fiesta reception to complement the film My Mexican Shivah.

"I want to thank our Co-Chairs, Marjie Coopersmith and Melva Schottenstein, the entire Columbus Jewish Film Festival Committee, sponsors, volunteers, JCC staff, and the patrons who made the 2008 Film Festival a 'sold-out' success," said Emily Schuss, film festival director. "Film Festival is a highly visible, community wide program for the JCC, and I am so proud to be a part of it. This event keeps getting bigger and better every year - and this year's festival was the best so far."

For more information on films and festival events, click here.