Boston Jewish Film Festival Features Two Newton Residents

The Boston Jewish Film Festival kicks off this week with a virtual festival that brings together more than 40 films and interactive online performances and programs – including two short films with connections to Newton residents.

The Festival, with offices based in West Newton, has always offered many programs at West Newton Cinema. In this unique year, the Newton community and others throughout Massachusetts will have the opportunity to experience the same rich films and programs from home.

Newton-based Filmmaker Jen Kaplan’s film, A Father’s Kaddish, documents the story of Steve Branfman, a potter and teacher who, a week after his son died of brain cancer at age 23, went to his studio and made a Japanese-style tea bowl. He made a bowl (chawan) each day for a year, as his personal way of “saying” Kaddish – the Jewish prayer that is said to honor someone’s death.

“This is the poignant and remarkable story of the intersection of love, art, and ritual,” said Kaplan, who was born and raised in Boston. Kaplan and Branfman will answer questions about the film during a live Q&A as part of the Festival’s short film program “Where Do We Go From Here?” on Sunday, November 8th at 4pm.

In another short film, Miss You, Filmmaker Ellie Lobovits uses the answering machine messages her mother – Newton resident Lisa – has saved for more than a decade, along with home movies, to make a loving film about her mother, their relationship and memory.

More Festival details

The Festival will be screened online, including content for all ages, during the 32nd annual Festival. All films are available now and viewers can choose when they would like to watch the films of their choice, until the Festival concludes on Nov. 15th.

There will be a robust schedule of live, virtual events, including a live Opening Night Performance featuring music from both Saul and Ruby of Saul & Ruby’s Holocaust Survivor Band, a conversation that goes Behind the Scenes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with show writer Noah Gardenswartz, and a virtual Closing Night Cocktail Celebration.

Themes include social justice and activism, Jewish history, music, LGBTQIA, and immigration. The Festival will share stories from across the globe, including Israel, France, and Morocco, with a focus on films by female filmmakers.

All-Access Festival Passes ($360), 10-Film Passes ($118), and individual tickets ($15) for screenings are now available on Boston Jewish Film’s website at bostonjfilm.org.