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"Outreach is a
sequence of activities.
People don't see a Jewish
film and run out and join
a synagogue," she says.
The institute's report
urges Pests to program
"next steps" to greater
Jewish activity. Ideas
include information
tables, panels of experts
around film topics or even
crossover events to other
communities featured in
some of the films.
David Benchetrit, director of "Kaddim Wind: Moroccan
Synagogue affiliation or Chronicle," one of 45 films from 14 countries shown at
ties to organized Jewry
last year's Boston Jewish Film Festival.
might come later. But
Siegel says traditional
remains a matter of dispute, but quality
notions of Jewish affiliation — such as
aside, Pucker Rivo also remains skeptical
synagogue membership or federation
about the Jewish film festival phenome-
donations — must be expanded as well. non. Today's festivals, she says, are the
Jewish film-going is "not affiliation;
successors to yesterday's "film series."
it's participation in an active and mean-
Whether film festivals can raise
ingful way," he says. "Why should a
Jewish consciousness depends on
synagogue dues payer who attends
where they're held, she contends.
three times a year be considered more
The most effective use of Jewish
engaged than an active participant who
films as a hook for Jewish involvement
debates films at a festival?"
is to show them in venues "that have
What's more, the film-going experi-
an ongoing mission which is not just
ence — a collective act that is experi-
entertainment but life cycle, whether a
enced individually — is "essentially
synagogue, or a Jewish community
what the prayer experience is," he says. center, or a university," she says.
But some disagree. Plotkin says
independently run festivals like San .
Too Many Films?
Francisco's are accountable only to
If Jewish film festivals are becoming
their board of directors rather than
the spiritual realm of the barely initiat-
some outside agency sponsor, and so
ed, then film topics run a gamut
have "complete curatorial" freedom.
almost as wide as the great Jewish texts.
Not all Jewish film festivals even list
Jewish filmmaking is blossoming, in
"outreach" as part of their picture. But
part to meet the demands of the festi-
San Francisco's, among others, seeks
val scene.
not only to celebrate Jewish "diversity"
In San Francisco, for example, festival but to "reach out to the young and
officials screen 240 films a year, select-
unaffiliated," Plotkin says.
ing about 50 for the annual event,
In fact, she was "thrilled" by the
Executive Director Janis Plotkin says.
outreach report, which "validated" her
In Boston, Rubin says festival offi-
festival experience.
cials screened 450 films before picking
An audience survey at last year's San
last year's selections.
Francisco festival found that nearly 60
But Sharon Pucker Rivo, executive
percent of the 34,000 patrons said they
director of the National Center for
were returning for the third straight
Jewish Film at Brandeis University and
year. Five percent said they had been
an associate professor of Jewish film, sees
returning each year for a decade.
a downside to the Jewish film explosion.
Some 30 percent were newcomers,
Whether such festivals can raise
according to a 2001 survey.
Jewish consciousness remains an
Those results reflected what other
amorphous )) equation; says Pucker
festival officials sensed: They're attract-
Rivo, who doubts that 40 good Jewish ing old and new audiences who are
films are produced each year.
prime outreach targets.
Jewish film festivals often show films
In San Francisco, for instance, the
"that didn't make it commercially:
2001 survey found 80 percent of film-
Either they're really lousy films or
goers were Jews, while 64 percent were
they're inaccurate, historically," she
married to non-Jews.
says. "But the imprimatur of a film
"Secular Jews," Plotkin says, "come
festival gives it legitimacy."
to the Jewish film festival as it if were
Just what makes a good Jewish film
their high holiday." ❑
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