Do you think Life is a bowl of cherries? A Shining Debut Inaugural CC Film Fest Sells Out 70 Percent of Its Screenings Well guess what? So does Judaism Surprised? Then you must come to the PEAK EXPERIENCE .7• O O An interactive guide to greater spirituality based on Judaism's 3300 year legacy. You will come away with practical skills in living, loving and connecting to the ultimate source of all pleasures. presented by aish hatorah of metro detroit and hosted by Weight Watchers Inc. 28555 Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills Tuesday Evening, July 6th at 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Pre-paid admission $5, $8 at the door Call to register, seating is limited. 248-737-0400 Special thank you to World Wide Financial for their ongoing support in lifting the spirituality of the Detroit Jewish Community. MICHIGAN'S MOST WANTED Azz„ ARMED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TO SOLVE ALL OF YOUR IIEATING AND COOLING PROBLEMS. ONLY THE HIGHEST SKILLED SHARP-SHOOTERS IN THE INDUSTRY CAN CALL THEMSELVES AIR-MASTER TECHNICIANS! Mum a m al MALT2mm li HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING CO. RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL SERVICE • SALES • INSTALLATIONS BERKLEY W. BLOOMFIELD N. OAKLAND GROSSE PTE. 882-4870 682-9090 788-9073 399-1800 6/25 1999 16 Detroit Jewish News MASTER CARD & VISA WELCOME MICHAEL LEVEY OWNER & PRESIDENT web site://www.glolink.comfairmasler As part of the film festival, Jody Podolsky, screenwriter-director-producer, answers an audience question in introductory remarks to her film `All Oflt," June 16 at the Star Southfield Entertainment Complex. LONNY GOLDSMITH Staff Writer A dmittedly, organizers of the area's first significant try at a Jewish film festival started with modest goals. They even budgeted to lose money. But the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit's Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival didn't disappoint them. About 2,500 tickets were purchased over the June 10-16 run, with 70 percent of the 11 sched- uled sessions sold out. "We're still gathering all the infor- mation, but it looks like we'll break even," projected Nitzana York, direc- tor of the JCC's life and learning department. That's fine, she added, because the program was never intended to be a fund-raiser. Soleil, a French film starring Sophia Loren, sold out the 250-seat auditori- um at the Star Southfield Entertainment Complex the week before its June 13 screening. More than 150 people attended a special second screening of the film later that evening. Helping the Center not lose money _ on the endeavor were 35 community \-\ sponsors — more than expected — plus 18 patrons who paid $250 a piece for that honor. Several others bought tickets for the whole series, but York didn't track that number. York said the actual cost to put on the festival was $60,000, with $25,000 coming out of the Center's budget. The rest was defrayed by sponsorships. < "We didn't expect this kind of response," said Mindy Soble Kaufman, who co-chaired the plan- ning committee with Mark Chessler. She noted that the 5 p.m. session on June 15, which featured four short films including the 1999 Oscar win- ner for short documentary, was over- filled and people had to be turned away at the door. The festival definitely will return next year. "This was a trial year so people did- n't know what to expect," Kaufman said. "For a lot of people, once they got. in, it ignited their interest."