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Arts & Entertainment

JEWISH FILM FES IVAL

From Here To Entertainment

The JCC's Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival brings the whole Jewish world to
Metro Detroit. But first comes the adventure of just getting the films here in time.

Elizabeth Applebaum

Special to the Jewish News

I

t was the first year of the Lenore
Marwil Jewish Film Festival, and
director David Magidson was eager
to show Women of the Wall, the story of a
group of women at the Kotel.
All he had to do was find it.
The director's name was Faye
Lederman; but when Ivlagidson
called her in New York, the answering
machine reported that she had moved
to Philadelphia. So he got a number in
Philadelphia, where another answering
machine offered the information that any-
one looking for Faye Lederman should call
San Francisco. So he called San Francisco,
where an answering machine directed him
to Sandy in Philadelphia.
So he called Sandy. Sandy was Faye
Lederman's mother and yes, of course, she
would be glad to send him a copy of the
film. Wrapped in a bit of brown paper, it
arrived just in time.
The Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit's Lenore Marwil
Jewish Film Festival is turning 11 this
year, and with it comes a whole new set of
adventures in the films — stories of gang-
sters, a brash comedian, boxing, a tiny
Chinese boy lost in Israel, a bar mitzvah
in England, love and secrets. And while

the final product is always picture-perfect,
it can be quite an experience getting the
films here.
David Magidson has been director
of the film festival from the beginning.
Planning the event, he says, begins one
year before the festival even opens.
"We've already got a list for next year,"
he says.
The initial list comes from a variety of
sources: foundations for Jewish culture,
word of mouth, trade publications. Many
are small, low-budget gems from the world
of independent film — a place Magidson
calls "the most disorganized free-for-all on
Earthy'
It's not unusual to have to chase down
the contact, as with Faye Lederman, or
learn that a movie isn't actually available
because the filmmaker borrowed money
from a friend to finance his film but has
yet to pay anything on his bill so the
friend is holding the movie hostage.
Yes, it's really that weird and, actually,
fun — a rough-and-tumble, shoot 'em up
place where only the brave dare venture.
"It is the last frontier," Magidson says.
Trying to locate the films is just the first
step. Then there's the matter of actually
getting them to Detroit. Most arrive on
time. But with every festival comes at least
one filmmaker, like a certain Mr. X. He
received payment for the use of his movies

and then assured Magidson that they were
on their way. But nothing ever arrived. So
Magidson called him up and said, "Look,
these movies are supposed to show tomor-
row. Where are they?"
"Oh," the man replied. "I guess I forgot
to send them."
In a few cases, the filmmakers "have no
recollection of us at all — and then we
remind them that they've already received
their check."
As film festival director, Magidson is
dependent on the kindness of strangers,
not only of the artistic kind, like forgetful
filmmakers, but the deliverymen.
Sitting back in his chair, wincing a bit
but still managing to smile, Magidson
recalls when he forwarded one film, show-
ing here in Detroit, to another city. (It
often happens that only a handful of cop-
ies of a certain movie are available, so they
make their journey from one festival to
the next.) The movie arrived on time, but
the business closed before delivering it.
Magidson received a call from the forlorn
festival director who could actually see the
movie — slated to be shown that night
— on the floor of the locked office.
"Our goal is to have all the movies
here by the time the film festival starts:'
Magidson says. "But the truth is that we
have no control over when we get them."
In the end, though, everything manages

to come together. The movies arrive in
their 100-pound cans, or as a single DVD,
in Detroit. From there, it's a system of
"hub and spokes" as the films make their
rounds throughout the state. Magidson
explains one might be showing in
Birmingham on Tuesday and Ann Arbor
on Wednesday and Flint on Thursday. "It's
complicated," he admits. Yet the film festi-
val gang has a perfect system that involves
everyone being in the same place at the
same time to make the swap.
It's a bit different from Magidson's usual
daily operations. He also is a professor
of theater at Wayne State University, and
"with a play, all the rehearsals eliminate
uncertainties so by the time it's opening
night, you pretty much know what every-
thing is going to look like."
Film festival is a whirlwind that is com-
pletely chaotic, completely unpredictable,
but always fun, Magidson says. "I love it."

Elizabeth Applebaum is a marketing

specialist at the Jewish Community Center

of Metropolitan Detroit.

How To Order

Tickets are $10. A full-series film
festival pass to the Commerce
14/Birmingham Palladium theaters
is $154 for JCC members, $180 for
nonmembers. Film festival tickets
may be ordered by phone, online
and in person. Order forms may
be obtained online at www.jccdet.
org. To purchase in person, come to
either JCC location: 6600 W. Maple
Road in West Bloomfield, or 15110 W.
10 Mile Road in Oak Park. To order
by phone, call (248) 432-5459.
Please have credit card (VISA or
MasterCard) ready when calling.

