The 20th anniversary Washington Jewish Film Festival
Where: Various locations through the D.C. area
When: Thursday to Dec. 13 (for specific times, see Web site)
Info: Ticket prices vary, including $25 for the opening and closing films, $10 for evenings and weekends, and $6 for matinees; various discounts available; wjff.org
When Aviva Kempner co-founded the Washington Jewish Film Festival 20 years ago, she had an inkling it would grow into the world-class event it is now.
“I knew how other festivals had started,” said Kempner, also a filmmaker. “I knew it would grow.”
And grow the JFF did, starting with just eight entries and now featuring 62 films spanning 20 countries. The event takes place from Thursday to Dec. 13 at eight area venues.
Having a Jewish film festival here in the nation’s capital was important to Kempner.
“I felt we were an important cultural outlet,” she said.
The international aspect of the festival adds an important dimension to the festivities. Venues showing the films include the embassies of Ethiopia, France and Switzerland.
“That’s always been a very, very important part,” festival director Susan Barocas said. “From the very beginning, we’ve been international.”
The number of venues for the festival also means better accessibility for filmgoers. In addition to the embassies, venues include the Avalon Theatre, AFI Silver Theatre, the Jewish Community Center’s Goldman Theater, the Goeth-Institut and the Greenberg Theatre.
Highlights this year include the opening night film “A Matter of Size,” followed by a gala anniversary dessert celebration; the closing night movie “The Gift to Stalin,” followed by a Hanukkah party; and the East Coast premiere of one of Patrick Swayze’s final films, “Jump.”
“It is very important to me because at the beginning, nobody believed I’d be able to make this movie,” said Lilly Berger, the producer of “Jump.” “There were so many obstacles.”
“Jump” is the true story of photographer Philippe Halsman, who at a young age was on trial on charges of murdering his father. Swayze, who died of pancreatic cancer in September, plays Halsman’s defense attorney.
“People know the work of Philippe Halsman, but nobody knew of the story of this person and how he became this famous photographer,” Berger said.
The movie takes place in late 1920s Austria, at a time when Nazism was starting to rise.
In addition to Berger, a number of filmmakers will be on hand at the festival for discussions with their audience, another appealing aspect of the event.
Twenty years ago, the festival welcomed 1,500 guests to the old Biograph Theatre in Georgetown. This year, more than 7,000 people are expected to attend.
“I’m very proud of this baby we birthed,” Kempner said.
