19th Denver Jewish Film Festival

FEBRUARY

4–15

2015

Denver Jewish Film Festival

19th

maccat the jcc

Mizel Arts andCulture Center

sponsored by Wagner Wealth Management

Best Film Festival

Wagner Wealth Managementwould like to thank MACC and the JCC for the

invaluable work they do for the community

“We wake up every day withthe goal of helping our clientsnavigate the chaos of their

financial lives.”– Gary Wagner, Wagner Wealth Management

Wagner Wealth Management, LLC | 210 University Boulevard, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80206 | Tel: 303-394-9600 | www.wagnerwealth.com

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS F E B RUARY 4— 1 5 , 2 0 1 5

SCHEDULE

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2015 DENVER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Denver Jewish Film Festival, Volume 19, 2015 • This program is published annually by MACC at the JCC, 350 S. Dahlia St. Denver, CO 80246

Box O f f i ce ( 303 ) 3 16 -6360 • www.macc j cc .o rg /f i lm

WEDN E S DAY, F E B . 45:30 p.m. Opening Night Celebration Honoring Kathy Neustadt7:00 p.m. Program and screening of It Happened in Saint-Tropez

T H U R S DAY, F E B . 55:30 p.m. Above and Beyond with Producer Nancy Spielberg8:15 p.m. God’s Slave

SAT U R DAY, F E B . 77:30 p.m. The Sturgeon Queens9:00 p.m. The Last Mentsch

S U N DAY, F E B . 810:15 a.m. Swim Little Fish Swim12:45 p.m. Blumenthal3:00 p.m. Last Dance5:30 p.m. Magic Men8:15 p.m. Run Boy Run

MONDAY, F E B . 95:30 p.m. Friends From France8:00 p.m. Big Bad Wolves

T U E S DAY, F E B . 1 05:30 p.m. For a Woman8:00 p.m. Let’s Go!

WEDN E S DAY, F E B . 1 15:30 p.m. Coexistence Shorts Program: Of Many, On the Road

to Tel Aviv and The Other Side7:45 p.m. 24 Days

T H U R S DAY, F E B . 1 22:30 p.m. The Art Dealer5:30 p.m. Broken Branches followed by Joachim Prinz: I Shall

Not Be Silent7:45 p.m. Little White Lie with Director/Writer Lacey Schwartz

SAT U R DAY, F E B . 1 47:00 p.m. Grand Finale Celebration8:00 p.m. The Outrageous Sophie Tucker

S U N DAY, F E B . 1 5 : I S RA E L T H ROUGH T H E L E N S10:15 a.m. Transit12:30 p.m. Zero Motivation3:00 p.m. Zaytoun5:30 p.m. Under the Same Sun7:30 p.m. Paradise Cruise

Box Office Hours, M-F, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Note: All seating is reserved. View the seating chart online at www.maccjcc.org/filmto select your seats when you purchase your tickets. Our seating policy is availableon page 32 and Tickets & Package information is on page. 3.

TICKETS AND PACKAGESRed Carpet Pass: $450, Includes:• Two Opening Night tickets• Two Grand Finale Celebration tickets• One Director’s Pass (10 tickets, transferable & shareable)

Screener Pass: $275, Includes:• One Opening Night ticket• One Grand Finale Celebration ticket• One Director’s Pass (10 tickets, transferable & shareable)

Opening Night Celebration Gala: $150 per person, Includes:• Dinner, Beer, Wine & Celebration of MACC Honoree• One Ticket to Opening Night Film

Grand Finale Celebration: $50/Adult; $45/Student & Senior, Includes:• Dessert Reception• Grand Finale Film, The Outrageous Sophie Tucker

Festival Pass: $180, Includes:• 20 tickets at $9 per ticket for any film (except Opening Night film& Grand Finale film)

• Tickets are transferable & shareable• To guarantee a seat for films that you wish to attend you mustreserve seats beforehand with the Box Office.

Director’s Pass: $100, Includes:• 10 tickets at $10 per ticket for any film (except Opening Night film& Grand Finale film)

• Tickets are transferable & shareable• To guarantee a seat for films that you wish to attend you mustreserve seats beforehand with the Box Office.

Individual Film Tickets:$12/Adults; $10/Student & Senior

Zoom in on Israel:All Sunday Feb. 15 shows/$45

BOX OFFICE:• All seating is reserved. See seating policy & chart on page 32.

• Ticket reservations must be made online or through the box officeto guarantee a seat for the films that you wish to attend. Make yourreservations early to assure the best seat selection. Once a filmis sold out a waitlist will be started and as tickets are releasedwe will notify people in the order they were added to the waitlist.

• Box Office hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and one hour before allscreenings. Box Office will not answer phone or messages onSaturdays and Sundays.

• Tickets may be purchased via phone, (303) 316-6360 (during BoxOffice hours), or on our website, www.maccjcc.org/film (24/7)

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(303)316-6360•www.maccjcc.org

“Much of the vitality in a friendship lies in the honoring of differ-ences, not simply in the enjoyment of similarities.”

–James Fredericks

As we were choosing films for this year’s festival a theme beganto emerge; COEXISTENCE. “Coexistence,” living in peace togetherdespite our differences, is the fabric of the 2015 Denver Jewish FilmFestival; whether between Israelis and Palestinians, fathers andsons, mothers and daughters or between friends. Exemplifying thetheme and new for this year is a committee curated shorts pro-gram, Wednesday, February 11, featuring Executive ProducerChelsea Clinton’s documentary short Of Many.

We kick off the festival on Wednesday, February 4, with a fun-filledparty celebrating our honoree Kathy Neustadt and a screeningof the dysfunctional Jewish family comedy It Happened In Saint-Tropez, by female auteur Danièle Thompson (only showing openingnight). We feel honored this year to welcome Executive ProducerNancy Spielberg with her documentary Above and Beyond,Thursday, February 5, and Director/Writer Lacey Schwartz with herdeeply personal film Little White Lie, Thursday, February 12. Join usfor our Centerpiece Film, The Last Mentsch, Saturday, February 7,

which reminds us that the best story is not always the one we pre-fer to hear. Topping off our extraordinary lineup is the Grand FinaleCelebration on Saturday, February 14 which includes a dessertbuffet and the film The Outrageous Sophie Tucker. Remember, thefestival does not end on closing night. Films continue all daySunday, February 16, with our focus on “Israel through the lens.”

We open on Wednesday evening and keep our expanded festivalwith 28 total screening this year. We continue to offer concessionsin our MorEvents Festival Lounge and many compelling discussionsfollowing films in our new Roet-Goodman Talkback Space. Don’tforget, unlike most festivals, our seating is reserved, so be sure topurchase your tickets early to get the best seat selection. To fullyenjoy these events and other films we strongly recommend ourcomprehensive packages, in particular the Red Carpet Pass.

We look forward to seeing you at the movies!

WELCOME TO THE BEST OF JEWISH CINEMA!2015 DENVER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

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Sharon HaberFestival Chair

Julie SchwarzFestival Chair

Erica SingerFestival Chair

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Kathy Neustadt

Kathy Neustadt embodies the true spirit of community giving. Currently in her11th year as a JCC Board member, Kathy was president of the JCC's Board ofDirectors from 2005-2008. She is also a member of the board of the Mizel Artsand Culture Center (MACC) at the JCC. From 2007-2013, Kathy sponsored theJCC's Jewish Community Reads project, held during the MACC's annual JAAMMFestival. In 2014, she established an endowment to provide general operatingsupport for the JAAMM Fest in perpetuity.

Kathy is also the co-founder of the internationally-renowned NSK NeustadtPrize for Children's Literature, which for the past ten years has celebratedthe significant achievements of living writers and author-illustrators of chil-dren's and young adult literature. She also serves on the Board of Trusteesof Rose Community Foundation and is a board member of Facing History andOurselves.

For the past 25 years, Kathy has worked as a freelance field producer for ABCTV's Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and Nightline.

A native of Ardmore, OK, Kathy attended high school in Lake Forest, IL,attended the University of Oklahoma, and received her BA degree from theUniversity of Denver. She is also the very proud mother of Tess and Josh.

OPENING NIGHT CELEBRATIONAn Evening Honoring Kathy Neustadt

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

5:30 p.m. Dinner, Beer & Wine, Phillips Social Hall

7:00 p.m. Program & Film It Happened In Saint-Tropez,Elaine Wolf Theatre, MACC

Kathy Neustadt, 2015 Mizel Arts and Culture CenterCultural Achievement Honoree


OPENIN

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CELEBRATIO

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OPENING NIGHT FILM

Wednesday, February 4, 7:00 p.m.(following reception)

Opening Night SponsorJoanne and Erica Singer

In Kind SponsorAlliance Française


OPENING

NIGHT

FILM

It Happened in Saint-Tropez(Des Gens Qui S’Embrassent)Director: Danièle Thompson2012/France/96 minutes/ComedyFrench with English subtitles

Bad timing—an unexpected event the weekend of a wedding serves to bringout the differences between two brothers, Zef and Roni, in It Happened inSaint-Tropez. Zef, a religious violinist in New York, and Roni, a lapsed Jew andgem mogul in Paris, are forced to come together for Roni’s daughter’s wed-ding. This only exacerbates the conflict between the two brothers, as theirprofessions, their life choices, and even their wives couldn’t be more differ-ent. Religious austerity on one side, enjoyment of life’s pleasures on theother. The only thing they have in common is an aging father who is losinghis grip and their respective daughters who adore one another.

From London to Paris, New York to Saint Tropez, showdowns, misunderstand-ings and betrayals all serve to blow up the family landscape. Out of therubble of those arguments and haphazard reconciliations will blossoma beautiful love story — or two! Romantic and hilarious, It Happened InSaint-Tropez is a comedy full of mix-ups and betrayals that test the bonds offamily. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsAtlanta Jewish Film Festival 2014; UK Jewish Film Festival 2014; San DiegoJewish Film Festival 2014; San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2014; PalmBeach International Film Festival

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Thursday, February 5, 5:30 p.m.

Film & Speaker SponsorVicki & David Dansky, Essie & Jordon Perlmutter,

Lisa & Shell Cook, Lisa & Jay Perlmutter andLisa & Jonathan Perlmutter

Guest SpeakerExecutive Producer Nancy Spielberg


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Above and BeyondDirector: Roberta Grossman2014/USA/UK/Israel/90 minutes/DocumentaryEnglish

Produced by Nancy Spielberg, Above and Beyond is a story of courage, com-mitment, and sacrifice. In 1948, a group of World War II pilots volunteered tofight for Israel in the War of Independence. As members of “Machal” – vol-unteers from abroad – this ragtag band of brothers not only turned the tideof the war, preventing the possible annihilation of Israel at the very momentof its birth, they also laid the groundwork for the Israeli Air Force. At a timewhen much of the world stood by, unwilling to help a fledgling nation underattack, a tiny band of airmen answered the call for help. They risked their cit-izenship, their futures and even their lives. Above and Beyond is their story,told for the first time. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsSan Francisco Jewish Film Festival; Jerusalem International Film Festival;U.K. Jewish Film Festival; Boston Jewish Film Festival; Philadelphia JewishFilm Festival; Jewish International Film Festival Australia


God’s Slave(Esclavo de Dios)Director: Joel Novoa2013/Argentina/Venezuela/90 minutes/Drama/ThrillerSpanish/Hebrew/Arabic with English subtitles

Based on true events, God’s Slave is a complex and captivating thriller setagainst the backdrop of the terrorist bombings of Jewish targets inArgentina, in the early 90’s.

Ahmed Al Hassama, a trained Islamic terrorist assigned to use a suicide bombinside a synagogue, is living undercover as a doctor with a family that heloves. His counterpart, David Goldberg, is a bitter and intense Israeli MossadAgent who is determined to prevent the attack and eliminate the terroristsleeper cell. As time is running out before the attack, the two characters col-lide, resulting in startling consequences. God’s Slave examines the themes ofsacrifice and duty for country, family, and religion. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsAtlanta Jewish Film Festival; Chicago Latino Film Festival; Santa BarbaraInternational Film Festival; Toronto Jewish Film Festival; San FranciscoJewish Film Festival; Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival; Palm BeachInternational Film Festival


Film SponsorCarol & Irwin Wagner

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The Sturgeon QueensDirector: Julie Cohen2014/USA/52 minutes/DocumentaryEnglish

Lox, Whitefish, Herring: Mouthwatering delicacies served up daily at RUSSAND DAUGHTERS APPETIZERS on the lower east side of Manhattan. TheSturgeon Queens is a delightful story of how four generations of the samefamily took their business from a tiny storefront to what is now an iconicappetizing shop featured on HBO’s Girls.

Created by Julie Cohen, the director of The Jews of New York on PBS, the doc-umentary was produced to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the store.The film features interviews with longtime customers Supreme Court JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg, chef Mario Batali, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, 60 Minutescorrespondent Morley Safer, and New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin. A story oftradition, family, and the power of food as culture, The Sturgeon Queensdepicts early 20th century Jewish life in New York City as a land of immi-grants where it took hard work, humor, and lots of love to make a recipe forsuccess. Denver Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsSan Diego Jewish Film Festival (Audience Choice Winner); Palm Beach JewishFilm Festival (Audience Choice Winner); San Francisco Jewish Film Festival;Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival; Washington DC Jewish Film Festival; LosAngeles Jewish Film Festival; Toronto Jewish Film Festival.


Saturday, February 7, 7:30 p.m.

Film SponsorThe Farber, Grueskin & Miller families

in memory of Joseph Farber

In Kind SponsorRuss and Daughters


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The Last Mentsch(Der Letzte Mentsch)Director: Pierre-Henry Salfati2014/Germany/Switzerland/France/93 minutes/DramaGerman/Hungarian/Hebrew/English/Yiddish with English subtitles

Born Mena’hem Teitelbaum, Marcus Schwarz has denied his Jewish heritageall his life. After surviving the horrors of Auschwitz, he creates a new identi-ty for himself in Germany, one without Jewish friends or ties. Now faced withhis own mortality, he suddenly decides he wants to be buried in a Jewishcemetery. Much to his dismay, his word is not enough for the rabbis. He mustprove that he is, in fact, Jewish. However, with all his family gone and noremaining records, he has no evidence, save for the faded tattoo on his fore-arm. Marcus’s only hope is to return to the village he grew up in to try to findproof of his birth. Needing a way to get there, he enlists a young Turkishwoman to drive him. The unlikely duo sets out on a road trip across Europethat will end up irrevocably changing them both. Award-winning documen-tarian Pierre-Henri Salfati creates a deeply moving story of friendship andhealing. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsSan Francisco Jewish Film Festival; Kinofest Lunen (Opening Film); ShanghaiFilm Festival; UK Jewish Film Festival


Saturday, February 7, 9:00 p.m.

Film SponsorMarcia & Bernie Karshmer,

Sharon & Jeffrey Haber

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Swim Little Fish SwimDirector: Ruben Amar2013/USA/France/95 minutes/Surreal ComedyFrench/English with English/French subtitles

Lilas, a 19 year old French artist (with a nearly expired visa) is trying to makeit in New York, an ocean away from her overbearing mother. Needing a placeto stay, she is invited to crash on the couch of Leeward, a charming, idealis-tic musician who fancies himself a misunderstood artist. There is only oneproblem–Mary, Leeward’s wife, who resents his Bohemian lifestyle.

Swim Little Fish Swim is both a delightful indie-homage to the art mecca thatis New York City and a dreamlike journey that explores the theme of artistson the verge of adulthood. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsSXSW Film Festival; Jerusalem Film Festival; San Francisco Jewish FilmFestival, Olympia Film Festival (Seattle); Festival de la Ville de Quebec;Festival International de Films de Femmes de Créteil

Sunday, February 8, 10:15 a.m.

Film SponsorJennifer & David Wiener

BlumenthalDirector: Seth Fisher2013/USA/86 minutes/ComedyEnglish

The sudden death of a famed New York playwright dominates an eccentricfamily struggling with personal issues in Blumenthal, a richly layered andbriskly paced dramedy.

Emmy winner Brian Cox co-stars as Harold Blumenthal, who succumbs tocardiac arrest while laughing at his own joke, but remains a constant pres-ence in the lives of his family. As the theater community mourns the loss,estranged younger brother Saul harbors resentment that Harold plagiarizedhis ideas, a grudge that manifests itself in chronic gastric dysfunction.Meantime, Saul’s actress wife Cheryl obsesses about aging, while egotisticalson Ethan (Director Seth Fisher), a pharmaceutical rep hawking birth controlpills and hormone replacements, suffers a few women issues of his own. Canthis family peacefully coexist in this tangled web of relationships?

“A brisk Manhattan comedy!” – The Wall Street Journal

Selected Awards & FestivalsAtlanta Jewish Film Festival; Oldenburg Film Festival (Audience Award);Boston Jewish Film Festival; UK Jewish Film Festival


Sunday, February 8, 12:45 p.m.

Film SponsorJudy & Harvey Cohen and family

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Last DanceDirector: David Pulbrook2012/Australia/90 minutes/Drama/ThrillerEnglish

Holocaust survivor Ulah Lippmann hears of a terrorist attack in herMelbourne neighborhood. She has no idea she’ll soon find herself heldhostage by a Muslim radical on the run after the bombing. Severely wound-ed, Sadiq Mohammed sees Ulah’s home as a place to hide while he plans hisnext move. And so begins a terrifying ordeal that will force Ulah and Sadiq toconfront their own pasts. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsMelbourne International Film Festival (Official Selection); Cinefest OZ (OfficialSelection)


Sunday, February 8, 3:00 p.m

Film SponsorMarsha & Gary Blum


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Magic Men(Ha-Ben Shel Elohim)Director: Guy Nattiv and Erez Tadmor2014/Israel/100 minutes/Drama/ComedyHebrew with English subtitles

Avraham Kofinas, a 78-year-old Greek Holocaust Survivor, wants to make apilgrimage from Israel back to his homeland to find the Greek magician thatsaved his life years ago. Reeling from his mother’s recent death, his Hasidicrapper son Yehuda agrees to accompany his father in an attempt to savetheir relationship. During their Greek sojourn the men must put aside theirdifferences in order to find closure. Their journey opens up old wounds andboth men are forced to face the consequences of their life choices. ColoradoPremiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsPalm Springs International Film Festival; Maui Film Festival; Haifa InternationalFilm Festival; Boston Jewish Film Festival; Ofir Award (Best Actor for MakramKhoury)



Film SponsorDr. Hilary & Rabbi Eliot Baskin,

All About Braces

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Run Boy Run(Lauf Junge Lauf)Director: Pepe Danquart2013/France/Germany/107 minutes/DramaGerman/Polish/Russian/Yiddish with English subtitles

An outstanding saga of courage and compassion, Run Boy Run tells the extraor-dinary true story of a Polish boy who seeks the kindness of others in his solitarystruggle to outlast the Nazi occupation and keep alive his Jewish faith.

Escaping the Warsaw ghetto, nine-year old Srulik flees to the woods. There, helearns to hide from SS patrols until loneliness and the harsh onset of winterdrive him back to civilization. Taken in by a kindhearted farmer’s wife he isgiven shelter and a new identity, passing himself off as Jurek, a Christian warorphan. Srulik’s struggle to survive and to maintain his secret Jewish identityproves to be an impressive story of strength, bravery and character. An unfor-gettable cinematic experience directed by Oscar-winner Pepe Danquart andbased on the bestselling Holocaust novel by Israeli author Uri Orlev.

Selected Awards & FestivalsSan Francisco Jewish Film Festival; Atlanta Jewish Film Festival; Los AngelesJewish Film Festival (Audience Award-Best Drama)


Film SponsorMindy & Steve Peckar


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Friends from France(Les Interdits)Director: Anne Weil and Philippe Kotlarski2013/France/Russia/Canada/Germany/92 minutes/DramaFrench/Hebrew/Russian with English subtitles

It’s 1979. Carole and Jerome are idealistic, naive 20 year olds from Francewho sign up for an organized tour to Odessa, behind the Iron Curtain. Or atleast, that is their cover story. They are Jewish cousins, pretending to beengaged in order to get into the country. By day, they maintain their coveras tourists, visiting monuments and museums, but at night they steal awayand provide valuable assistance to refuseniks. They discover a clandestineworld that is both brutal and absurd and it catches both of them unawareand unprepared. While Carole is driven by her political commitment and will-ingness to take risks, for Jerome the real motivation is his strong attractionto Carole. Friends From France is a film about obsession, love, politics, and thedark underground world of Soviet Russia. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsToronto International Film Festival (Opening Night); NY Jewish Film festival;Jerusalem International Film Festival; Cinepolitica International Film FestivalBucharest; San Diego Jewish Film Festival

Monday, February 9, 5:30 p.m.

Film SponsorSusan & Bob Wagner and

Diane & Jack Zelinger


Big Bad Wolves(Mi Mefahed Mezeev Hara)Director: Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado2013/Israel/110 minutes/ThrillerHebrew with English subtitles

Disclaimers: Extreme graphic violence

Quentin Tarantino declares Big Bad Wolves “[the] best film of the year.”Nominated for 11 Israeli Academy Awards and the Official Selection of theTribeca Film Festival in 2014, this Israeli thriller will put audience members onthe edge of their seats.

A series of brutal murders puts the lives of three men on a collision course:the father of the latest victim, a vigilante police detective, and the main sus-pect in the killings. Things begin to spiral out of control as new facts come tolight in a sequence of plot twists. Darkly humorous, Big Bad Wolves is unpre-dictable as it strikes the balance between moral questions about the natureof evil and reacting to the loss of a loved one. Denver Premiere

“… a haunting, brilliant, surprisingly funny Israeli revenge thriller,” a reviewfrom Indiewire

Selected Awards & FestivalsIsraeli Academy of Film and Television (Best Cinematography, Best ArtDirection, Best Sound, Best Music, Best Makeup); Cannes Film Festival; ChicagoInternational Film Festival; Atlanta Jewish Film Festival; Tribeca Film Festival;Saturn Award (Best Foreign Film and Best Music)


Monday, February 9, 8:00 p.m.

Film SponsorErica Singer


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For a Woman(Pour une Femme)Director: Diane Kurys2013/France/110 minutes/DramaFrench with English subtitles

Anne is a thirty-something writer who knows very little of her family’s past.After her mother’s death, she discovers old photos and letters that convinceher to closely examine the life of her parents, Michael and Lèna. The vieweris transported to post-WW II France as the couple begin their married lifeafter meeting in a concentration camp. As Ann delves deeper into their com-plex history which includes involvement in the Communist Party, darksecrets are unearthed and she is desperate to make sense of it all. Switchingbetween post-war France and France in the 1980’s, Anne’s destiny intertwineswith her father’s to create an unforgettable story. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsSanta Barbara International Film Festival; Atlanta Jewish Film Festival; NewYork Jewish Film Festival; San Diego Jewish Film Festival; Toronto JewishFilm Festival; San Francisco Jewish Film Festival


Tuesday, February 10, 5:30 p.m.

Film SponsorDebby Herz, Marilyn & Jerry Kopelman


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Let’s Go!Director: Michael Verhoeven2014/Germany/90 minutes/DramaGerman with English subtitles

Disclaimers: Female nudity

In 1968, 20-year-old Laura returns to Munich to attend her father's funeral.Overcome with grief, Laura and her mother must face the family's traumatichistory. Having survived the Holocaust, Laura’s parents start a new life in post-War Germany, however, their horrific experiences loomed over their daily lives.Now, in the face of another tragedy, will Laura come to understand her par-ent’s traumatic past?

Michael Verhoeven artfully presents a biting commentary on post-War Germansociety through the cinematic adaptation of the autobiographical novel byLaura Waco.

Selected Awards & FestivalsJerusalem International Film Festival; Munich Film Festival


Tuesday, February 10, 8:00 p.m.

Film SponsorKrista & Mark Boscoe, and

Ryley Carlock & Applewhite


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Of ManyDirector: Linda G. Mills2014/USA/34 min/DocumentaryEnglish

From Executive Producer Chelsea Clinton, Of Many tells the story of the rela-tionship between an Orthodox Rabbi and an Imam at New York University, setagainst the backdrop of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Topical and humorous, thisdocumentary offers an inspiring narrative of how this friendship united acommunity around multi-faith dialogue and action. Colorado Premiere

On The Road to Tel AvivDirector: Khen Shalem2008/Israel/France/15 minutes/DramaHebrew with English subtitles

A young Israeli and his fiancée find themselves in a difficult situation whena suspicious-looking Arab woman gets on the same bus. On The Road to Tel-Aviv is a dramatic short film about how terror and war can affect our dailylives. Colorado Premiere

The Other SideDirector: Khen Shalem2012/Israel/22 minutes/DramaHebrew with English subtitles

An Israeli boy forms an unusual friendship by kicking a ball to the Palestinianside of the West Bank barrier. Alienated by his classmates, the boy’s effortsto understand the struggle come to a head with this newfound friendship.Can this faceless relationship overcome the inevitable escalation of conflictmanifested by the wall’s towering presence? Colorado Premiere


COEXISTENCE SHORTS PROGRAM

Wednesday, February 11, 5:30 p.m.

Film SponsorCeleste & Jack Grynberg

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Wednesday, February 11, 7:45 p.m.

Film SponsorSusan Mathews

Fuller Sotheby’s International RealtyAssured Title Agency

Katherine Fogel



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24 Days(24 Jours)

Director: Alexandre Arcady2014/France/110 minutes/DramaFrench with English subtitles

French director Alexandre Arcady delivers one of the most “wrenching andpolitically astute” films to come out of France in 2014. Based on a book co-written by the protagonist’s mother, Arcady’s cinematic adaptation presents acomplex web of dangerously realistic events. The film zooms in on the griev-ing and frightened family, Moroccan-Parisian Jews, and the efforts of both thefamily and the police to rescue the ill-fated Ilan. 24 Days is a harrowing film ofmodern-day anti-Semitism and what that means for the family and the world.Strong violence. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsUnited Kingdom Jewish Film Festival; Greater Vancouver International FilmFestival; Toronto Jewish Film Festival

The Art Dealer(L’Antiquaire)Director: François Margolin2014/France/95 minutes/DramaFrench with English subtitles

The stylish and compelling Parisian drama from renowned French directorFrançois Margolin The Flight of the Red Balloon follows journalist Esther whoembarks on a quest to recover family paintings that were stolen by the Nazis.Using her investigative training she turns modern day detective and discov-ers that some family secrets are best kept hidden. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsAICE Israeli Film Festival; UK Jewish Film Festival (Opening Night)


Thursday, February 12, 2:30 p.m.Weekday Matinee

Film SponsorAmy Snow & Priscilla Pressin honor of B’nai Havurah:

The Reconstructionist Congregation of Denver


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Broken BranchesDirector: Ayala Sharot2014/Israel/25 minutes/Animated Documentary ShortHebrew with English subtitles

Broken Branches is an animated documentary about loss, family and hope.Michal Rechter was only 14 years old when, on the eve of the Second WorldWar, she left her family in Poland and traveled to Israel. Now, at the age of 92,she tells her story to her granddaughter, the film’s director, who brings hergrandmother’s memories to life in colorful animation. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & Festivals: Krakow International Film Festival; Ofir Awards(Nominated for Best Short Doc); Athens, Ohio Film & Video InternationalFestival (Won Best Short Doc); Hai fa Int’l Film Fest (Best Short Film)

Joachim Prinz: I shall Not Be SilentDirector: Rachel Fisher and Rachel Pasternak2013/USA/50 minutes/DocumentaryEnglish

The remarkable story of a rabbi who spoke up in turbulent times, JoachimPrinz: I Shall Not Be Silent is set in Berlin in the 1930's when the civil rights ofJews were systematically stripped away. Expelled from Germany in 1937 forspeaking out against the Nazis, Prinz arrived in the United States, the landwhere democracy had supposedly triumphed over bigotry and hatred. Here,he witnessed racism against African Americans and realized the Americandream was not a reality. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & Festivals: Jewish Film Festival Berlin; Toronto Jewish FilmFestival; Jerusalem International Film Festival



Broken Branches followed byJoachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent

Film SponsorKathy & Arthur Judd

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Little White LieDirector: Lacey Schwartz2013/USA/65 minutes/DocumentaryEnglish

Little White Lie tells Lacey Schwartz’s story of growing up in a typical upper-middle-class Jewish household in Woodstock, NY, with loving parents and astrong sense of her Jewish identity — despite the open questions from thosearound her about how a white girl could have such dark skin. She believesher family’s explanation that her looks were inherited from her dark-skinnedSicilian grandfather, but when her parents abruptly split, her gut starts to tellher something different.

At age of 18, she finally confronts her mother and learns the truth: her biolog-ical father was not the man who raised her, but a black man named Rodneywith whom her mother had had an affair. Afraid of losing her relationship withher parents, Lacey doesn’t openly acknowledge her newly discovered blackidentity with her white family. When her biological father dies shortly beforeLacey’s 30th birthday, the family secret can stay hidden no longer. Followingthe funeral, Lacey begins a quest to reconcile the hidden pieces of her lifeand heal her relationship with the only father she ever knew. Little White Lieis a personal documentary about the legacy of family secrets, denial, andredemption.

Selected Awards & FestivalsSan Francisco Jewish Film Festival; Woods Hole Film Festival; BlackStar FilmFestival



Guest SpeakerDirector/Writer Lacey Schwartz

Film SponsorDan Recht, Rick Kornfeld and Mark Grueskin,

Recht Kornfeld P.C., Attorneys at Law

Speaker SponsorJulie & Saul Schwarz

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The Outrageous Sophie TuckerDirector: William Gazecki2013/USA/96 minutes/DocumentaryEnglish

The Outrageous Sophie Tucker is William Gazecki’s loving tribute to the bawdyand bodacious singer and comedienne who took the vaudeville world bystorm. This ground-breaking performer influenced celebrities from BarbaraWalters to Bette Midler.

Deemed “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas,” Tucker was adored for her candor,bold sense of humor, powerful voice, and unwavering energy as a performerand as a woman. Sophie never fit the typical Hollywood beauty mold, but pre-sented herself and her body in an empowering way.

“A must see for anybody looking for the secret to getting ahead in life. Themusic is outstanding, but it’s the way that Sophie Tucker lived her life that isthe most fascinating aspect. A shrewd business person, a caring individual,and a talent that continues to inspire.” A Review from Toronto Film Scene.

Selected Awards & FestivalsToronto Jewish Film Festival; San Diego Jewish Film Festival; Columbus JewishFilm Festival; Long Beach Jewish Film Festival; Virginia Film Festival


Saturday, February 14

7:30 p.m. Grand Finale Dessert Reception8:30 p.m. Film

Film SponsorStrear Family Foundation

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GRAND

FINALE


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TransitDirector: Hannah Espia2013/Philippines/93 minutes/DramaHebrew/English/Tagalog with English subtitles

Transit explores the intersecting stories of Filipinos in Tel Aviv when thethreat of a law deporting the children of migrant workers looms over theirprecarious lives. We experience the lives of the parents as well as the Israeli-born children of mixed identity. The film uses change in perspective to tellthe stories of the families and shed light on what it means to be an immi-grant, and how immigration can affect identity and relationships.

The Philippines’ official entry for Best Foreign Language Oscar, Transit sweptthe Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival with ten prizes includ-ing Best Picture and the Audience Award. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsPalm Springs international Film Festival; Busan International Film Festival;Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival (Winner of Best Picture andAudience Award); San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

ISRAEL THROUGH THE LENS SERIES

Sunday, February 15, 10:15 a.m.

Film SponsorRoberta & Mel Klein,

Joan & Abbott Wallis (Bold Earth)

Zero Motivation(Efes Be-Yachasei Enosh)Director: Talya Lavie2014/Israel/90 minutes/Comedy/DramaHebrew with English subtitles

Winner of six Ofir Awards including Best Director and Best Screenplay (TalyaLavie), as well as Best Music, Best Casting, Best Editing and Best Actress (DanaIvgy), Zero Motivation is a unique, sharply observed, sometimes dark andoften hilarious portrait of everyday life for a unit of young, female soldiers ina remote Israeli desert outpost. Playing out like M*A*S*H meets Orange is theNew Black, Talya Lavie's brilliant debut details the power struggles of threewomen with different agendas and very little to do. Amidst their boredom andclashing personalities, they are forced to deal with issues of commitment—tofriendship, love, and country. Darkly funny, and the recipient of both theFounder’s Award for Best Narrative Feature and the Nora Ephron Prize at the2014 Tribeca Film Festival, Zero Motivation takes on gender roles in a power-ful way while caricaturizing the lives of paper pushers in the military.Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsOfir Awards (six); Tribeca Film Festival 2014 (Winner of Founder’s Award forBest Narrative Feature and the Nora Ephron Prize); San Francisco Jewish FilmFestival; Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival




Film SponsorLisa & Lynn Taussig, Sandy Wolf(303)316-6360•www.maccjcc.org

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ZaytounDirector: Eran Riklis2012/Israel/110 minutes/DramaArabic/English/Hebrew with English subtitles

A story of survival and friendship in an extremely hostile environment,Zaytoun takes place in 1982 Beirut. During the Lebanese Civil War, Israeli pilotYoni (Stephen Dorff) is shot down over Beirut and is taken prisoner by inhab-itants of a Palestinian refugee camp. Among the captors is ten year old Fahed(Abdallah el Akal) who develops an improbable bond with the Israeli POW. Thetwo embark on a harrowing and dangerous journey— one that tests the verylimits of humanity. The unlikely relationship and alliance between Fahed andYoni is what ultimately will decide their fate, as they explore the true bound-aries between Israelis and Palestinians.

Selected Awards & FestivalsAtlanta Jewish Film Festival; Seattle International Film Festival; Miami JewishFilm Festival; Charlotte Jewish Film Festival; Toronto International FilmFestival (Runner up for People’s Choice Award)



Film SponsorDebbie & Jim Shmerling

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Under The Same Sun(Tachat Ota Ha-Shemesh)Director: Sameh Zoabi2013/Israel/75 minutes/DramaHebrew/Arabic with English subtitles

Under the Same Sun follows two businessmen—one Palestinian and oneIsraeli—as they struggle to build a joint business venture, a new solar energyfirm serving the needs of Palestinians in the West Bank. The film is set in thenear future where old cultural hostilities are still an obstacle at every levelhowever, new technologies offer fresh hope. At the height of their collabora-tion, they mount a Facebook campaign that impacts their joint venture andultimately changes the political map. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsPalm Beach International Film Festival; Berlin Jewish Film Festival; ChicagoPalestine Film Festival; Peace on Earth Film Festival (Best Feature NarrativeAward); Barcelona Environmental Film Festival




Film SponsorAlison & Paul Gillis

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Paradise CruiseDirector: Matan Guggenheim2013/Israel/100 minutes/DramaHebrew/English/French with English subtitles

Paradise Cruise is a film about the relationship between Dora, a French pho-tographer and Yossi, a former Israeli soldier. It appears that Dora has aprofessional interest in photographing the funerals of Israeli soldiers killedin the line of duty, but actually she is obsessively searching for “the eyes” ofthe killer of her friend, a Palestinian photographer. Yossi is plagued by hisown issues, but together the couple find passion that seems to temporarilyfree each of them from the traumas they have experienced. The film is animpactful look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the way in which it caus-es a lasting impression on both sides. It is also a study of the devastatinguncertainty in the meaning of the verb “to shoot” from both a photographicand a military standpoint. Colorado Premiere

Selected Awards & FestivalsBrooklyn Film Festival (winner of Best New Director for Matan Guggenheim);International Film Festival Manheim-Heidelberg; Paris Israel Film Festival(Audience Award Winner); Rome Independent Film Festival; UruguayInternational Film Festival; Aubagne International Film Festival (Best ActorAward)


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Film SponsorEllen & Scott Robinson, Joanne & Art Kleinstein,

and Ricky & Don Safer

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The 19th Denver Jewish Film Festival is made possible with the generoussupport of the following corporations and non-profit sponsors:

RECHTKORNFELD PC


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19th Denver Jewish Film Festival Seating Policy

All Seating is ReservedUnlike most film events, our festival has a reserved seating policy whichworks much like any live theatre or concert event, where each patron hasan individually numbered seat for each film. This means that if patronsare seeing multiple films, they may need to move seats after each show-ing. Patrons that purchase tickets in advance may request the same seat(if it is available), but they will need to exit the theatre and present theirticket separately for each film.

Reserve a specific seat each time you purchase a ticket. Visit the websiteat www.maccjcc.org/film to view a chart of available seating for each film.

Doors will open 20 minutes prior to each screening. Please come early soyou can locate your seat number and row.

Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the ushers.

The theatre will be emptied after each screening in order to clean and con-duct a sound check for the next film. Please help us keep the festival run-ning on time by leaving the theatre promptly.

New handicapped seating is available. To reserve handicapped seatingplease contact the box office at (303) 316-6360.

Free parking for the DJFF is available in other MACC/JCC lots to the southand west of our venue; street parking on Dahlia, Alameda and the neigh-borhood to the north of our location is also free.

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19th DJFF PRINT SOURCES2015 DENVER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

It Happened in Saint-TropezThe Festival AgencyElodie [email protected]

Above and BeyondRoberta [email protected]

God’s SlaveFilm MovementMaxwell [email protected]

The Sturgeon Queens7th Art ReleasingSarah [email protected]

The Last MentschAtlas InternationalSusanne [email protected]

Transit7th Art ReleasingSarah [email protected]

BlumenthalApertureSarah [email protected]

Last DanceKMT Global FilmsMichelle [email protected]

Magic MenGo 2 FilmsLauren [email protected]

Run Boy RunMenemsha FilmsNeil [email protected]

Friends From FrancePyramide InternationalIlaria [email protected]

Big Bad WolvesUnited Channels MoviesSarah [email protected]

For a WomanFilm MovementMaxwell [email protected]

Let’s Go!Eikon FilmLucia [email protected]

Of ManyNew York UniversityCenter on Violence and RecoveryDanielle K. [email protected]

On the Road to Tel AvivKhen [email protected]

The Other SideKhen [email protected]

24 DaysMenemsha FilmsNeil [email protected]

The Art DealerOther Angle PicturesNathan [email protected]

Broken BranchesIsraeli [email protected]

Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be SilentMenemsha FilmsNeil [email protected]

Little White LieLacey [email protected]

The Outrageous Sophie TuckerMenemsha FilmsNeil [email protected]

Swim Little Fish SwimJour2FeteSamuel [email protected]

Zero MotivationZeitgeist Films LtdNancy [email protected]

ZaytounStrand ReleasingNathan [email protected]

Under the Same SunIsraeli [email protected]

Paradise CruiseIsraeli [email protected]


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19th DENVER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL2015 DENVER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

FESTIVAL SPONSORWagner Wealth Management

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERU Baron Group

PRODUCERSVicki & David Dansky, Essie & Jordon Perlmutter,Lisa & Shell Cook, Lisa & Jay Perlmutter, and Lisa& Jonathan PerlmutterEmily Roet & Michael GoodmanMorEvents (Betsy & Gareth Heyman)Susan Mathews, Fuller Sotheby’s InternationalRealty; Assured Title Agency-Katherine FogelTerri & Gary Yourtz

OPENING NIGHT SPONSORJoanne & Erica Singer

GRAND FINALE SPONSORStrear Family Foundation

FILM BUFFSSam & Rob BaumgartenMarsha & Gary BlumKrista & Mark Boscoe and Ryley Carlock &ApplewhiteDr. Hilary & Rabbi Eliot Baskin, All About BracesJudy & Harvey Cohen and Family

The Farber, Grueskin & Miller FamiliesAlison & Paul GillisSarah & Neil GoldblattMargery GoldmanLynda GoldsteinCeleste & Jack GrynbergSharon & Jeffrey HaberDebby HerzKathy & Arthur JuddMarcia & Bernie KarshmerRoberta & Mel KleinJoanne & Art KleinsteinMarilyn & Jerry KopelmanMindy & Steve PeckarAmy Snow & Priscilla PressDan Recht, Rick Kornfeld and Mark Grueskin, RechtKornfeld P.C. Attorneys at LawEllen & Scott RobinsonRicky & Don SaferJulie & Saul SchwarzDebbie & Jim ShmerlingErica SingerLisa and Lynn TaussigCarol & Irwin WagnerSusan & Bob WagnerJoan & Abbott Wallis, Bold Earth Teen AdventuresJennifer & David WienerSandy WolfDiane & Jack Zelinger

ISRAEL THROUGH THE LENS SPONSORLazarus Israel Opportunities Fund

Audience Choice Awards

BEST NARRATIVECarol Laycob, Justin, Jordan and Kim, Tanner andConnor. In Loving memory of Dr. Lawrence Laycob

BEST DOCUMENTRYJoyce & Gary Pashel

Executive Artistic Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Wilson

Production Manager & Assistant Director, Wolf Theatre Academy. . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily MacIntyre

Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Erock

Administrative Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brynn Starr Sater

Administrative Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kellie Lambert

Ceramics Studio Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vicky Smith

Gallery Curator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simon Zalkind

Marketing Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Talia Haykin

Marketing Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rob Franc

Creative Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Bee

Graphic Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Hoffman

MACC STAFF

THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

maccat the jcc


MACC Board of Directors

Elaine Tinter, ChairJoanne Singer, TreasurerKathy Judd, Secretary

Rabbi Eliot BaskinEllen BellerSharon HaberTerry Heller

Marcia KarshmerKathy NeustadtJeffrey ReissDottie ResnickJulie SchwarzErica SingerCarol WagnerLisa Taussig

THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

maccat the jcc


FILM FESTIVAL COMMITEES

FILM FESTIVAL SELECTION COMMITTEESharon Haber – Festival Co-ChairJulie Schwarz – Festival Co-ChairErica Singer – Festival Co-Chair

Mark BoscoeVicki Dansky

Marcia KarshmerArt KleinsteinSusan MathewsScott Robinson

OPENING NIGHT COMMITTEEBarbara RaynorLisa Taussig

PRE-SCREENER COMMITTEELiz FeldmanSharon Haber

Betsy Mordecai HeymanJeffrey ReissJulie SchwarzErica SingerAmy Snow

Jennifer WienerRuth WexlerPeter Witt

ISRAEL THROUGH THE LENSsponsored by

Lazarus Israel Opportunities Fund LLLP

This year, for the first time ever, we are offering a festival

within a festival, a full day of topical, exciting films from

five of Israel’s most acclaimed film-makers. If Israel’s

hard-hitting cinematic creativity interests you, this unique

event is not to be missed. Come see one, two or all five for

a specially priced “Zoom In On Israel” package, which is

all five films for just $45 (a 25% savings over the indi-

vidual film price). This event is sponsored by the Lazarus

Israel Opportunities Fund.

MACC provides year-round theatre and art classes for children gradesPreK–12! Explore possibilities such as Creative Dramatics, Playmaking &Set Design, Pottery & Sculpture, Painting, Cartooning, PerformanceWorkshops and much more!

There are still openings for winter/spring classes andregistration for our popular summer classes starts soon.

Is Your Child Bursting withCreative Energy?

For more information visit www.maccjcc.orgor call (303) 316-6360.

maccat the jcc


Also, ask about our Adult Art Academy classes!

MACC & Denver Children’s Theatre Present

Androcles and the LionBy Aurand HarrisDirected by Billie McBride

March 4 – May 1, 2015

RECOMMENDED FOR GRADESK—6, ENJOYED BY ALL!

Tickets & Info:(303) 316-6360 orwww.maccjcc.org/DCT

MACC at the JCC • 350 South Dahlia Street, Denver, CO 80246 • (303) 316-6360 • www.maccjcc.org

Winner of the Henry Award (Colorado’s Tony Award) for “Outstanding Children’s Theatre!”

maccat the jcc


Call (303) 316-6307 or go online atwww.ranchcamp.org or www.campshai.org

Register Now ForDeep Discounts

www.jccdenver.org/join

JCC Sports & Fitness CenterJust Some of the Perks:

• State of the art Cybex equipment

• Year round Salt-SanitizedIndoor, Outdoor Pools

• Insanity, Boot Camp and TRX

• Free Yoga, Heated Yogaand Yoga Sculpt

Become A FriendBECOME ONE COMMUNITY

Grow

Explore

Cultivate

www.jccdenver.org/ fr iend

www.ericasmedia.com |

Mizel Arts & Culture Center at the JCC350 S. Dahlia St., Denver, CO 80246-8102

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDDenver, CO

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sponsored by Wagner Wealth Management19th

19th Denver Jewish Film Festival

Documents

Transcript of 19th Denver Jewish Film Festival