Film critic and historian, Leonard Maltin will step on to the stage to address the opening night audience. The Lenore Marwil

Film critic and historian, Leonard Maltin will step on to the stage

to address the opening night audience.

The Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival has something for everyone

On May 7, the lights will dim on the stage in The Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield, and renowned film critic and historian Leonard Maltin will step on to the stage to address the opening night audience of The Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival.

Leonard Maltin, who is one of the world’s most respected film critics and film historians, who appeared for 30 years on “Entertainment Tonight” and is the author of Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide. In this fascinating talk, he draws on his vast know- ledge of movie history to share the story of how immigrant Jews became movie moguls who sold WASP America an idealized, non-ethnic image of itself. He will share his insights on the cultural impact of Jews in American show business and how that relates to our sense of humor.

Followed by his Leonard Maltin’s talk the film, The Last Laugh will be shown. The world’s foremost comedians debate the outer limits of comedy in The Last Laugh, an exploration of the taboo topic of Holocaust humor and the implications for free speech. Filmmaker Ferne Pearlstein puts prickly questions about the limits of subversive humor to a pantheon of funny people and Holocaust survivors to present an intriguing conversation as to whether - and where - to draw the line when it comes to jokes about so-called untouchable subjects.

The event kicks off 11 days (May 7 – 18) of documentaries and features from around the world. For those who shy away from subtitles, there is plenty of American fare, including the Oscar-nominated documentary “Life, Animated,” about Pulitzer-prize winning author Ron Susskind’s autistic son Owen, and “Norman Lear: Another Version of You.”

“Our goal is to create a festival with something for everyone in the community. If you like grandiose ideas or you like to laugh until you cry, with 30 films, there are so many choices,” says Beth Robinson, the festival’s director.

Robinson says that the festival always includes the best features from Israel’s robust film industry, and this year the selections include, “Wedding Doll,” about a developmentally disabled young woman and her mother, “Our Father,” about a night club bouncer who is seduced into organize crime, and “A Quiet Heart,” which examines the conflict between the religious and secular communities in Jerusalem.

The festival partners with organizations across Metro Detroit on programs and will present “Seed: The Untold Story” in cooperation with non-profit organizations Hazon and Repair the World, at Detroit’s MOCAD on Tuesday, May 16. Hazon, which means vision, promotes sustainable communities, and Repair the World promotes service as a defining element of American Jewish life. The film, which examines the vital importance of the world’s seed supply, the threats to it, and those who are working to preserve it, will be presented with a panel discussion and seed activity.

Several of the films will include “talk-backs,” an opportunity to speak with the filmmaker or discuss the film with a facilitator. This year, in addition to talk-backs with local clergy and activists, the festival will feature an appearance by award-winning filmmaker, Dani Menkin, writer and director of “On The Map,” a documentary about the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team’s “miracle on hardwood” victory over the Soviet team in the 1977 European Championship. Producer/Director, Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov will discuss her film, “Operation Wedding,” which chronicles the story of a group of Jewish dissidents, including her parents, who attempted to flee the Soviet Union by hijacking a plane.

During the festival, The Berman Center of The Performing Arts will host the WDET: Framed series exhibit “Hummus: Heartland.” The exhibit was created by producer, Zak Rosen, who collected stories about the Metro Detroit region’s Middle-Eastern food culture, and photographer, Marvin Shaouni. The exhibit includes audio stations and Shaouni’s photographs, and Rosen and Shaouni will speak at the festival following the May 17th screening of “Hummus! The Movie,” which tells the story of Israel’s multi-cultural cuisine.

Screenings will be at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts, at 6600 W. Maple Road; MOCAD, 4454 Woodward Ave in Detroit; and the Maple Theater, 4135 W Maple Road in Bloomfield Township, MI. Be sure to check website for times and listings.

Information, film trailers and tickets are available at jccdet.org/film and tickets at