* * * * * * * * * * * IT'S NOT TOO LATE For All Of Your Seder and Pesach Week Dinner -4( Feasts Prepared By Our Fabulous Chefs! "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." ❑ Passover Catering! VII IV, • • IPF 1 141 4( LIP -4( Go at, fine fou st roc' gaits ■ • FAIL mArbis • 15 4 ' pp Complete Passover Dinners From Appetizers To Our Fabulous Desserts * * * * * * * * * * * 1045 Brush Street - Detroit • phone (313) 965-1245 • www.sweetsb.com LUNCH BUFFET in WEST BLOOMFIELD IS BACK FOR $6 95 • MONDAY-FRIDAY Exp. 4/30/03. Not good with any other offer. . r ... . • . , V . .htT4Rjr'' M, INIV1.1111k.1 ■, 1=1 -M■ ANN, at., OMPOP :43.1*: 248-668-1800 • 6123 HAGGERTY ROAD • WEST BLOOMFIELD Just N. of Maple (opposite Meijers) 248-559-9099 27060 EVERGREEN • Lathrup Village at 696 OFF j i TBoLTLAL Exp. 4/30/03. Not good on buffet it Not good with any other offer e appreciate your business! 31T 4/11 2003 101 •