The 27th annual Denver Jewish Film Festival at the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center will include 39 films including nine shorts and one TV mini-series showcasing cinema from 14 countries. The festival will be held in-person from March 11 to 19, 2023. All films will be available for streaming on-demand from March 20 to 29. Tickets and festival passes are on sale now.
“Our goal with the Denver Jewish Film Festival is to create community around live screenings of the best and brightest cinematic moments from newly-released Jewish and Israeli directors and filmmakers,” said Rich Cowden, general manager of the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center.
“Keep in mind, the festival is not just for those who are Jewish, but anyone looking to experience the joy and sense of community that a film festival provides. This year, we are especially excited to bring back in-person talk backs after several showings to enhance the experience for our in-person attendees.”
Films will be shown in two venues at the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center: The Elaine Wolf Theatre, and The Pluss Theatre, which offers a lounge like atmosphere for some of the “off the beaten path” screenings.
Highlights include:
Farewell Mr. Haffmann – Saturday, March 11 at 8 p.m. (opening night): Paris 1941. François Mercier is an ordinary man whose only goal is to start a family with Blanche, the woman he loves. François works for Mr. Haffmann, a talented Jewish jeweler.
Under the German occupation, the employer and employee are forced to strike a deal which, over the following months, will upend the fate of all concerned.
The Swimmer – Sunday, March 12 at 1 p.m.: Erez, a rising star in the Israeli swimming scene, arrives at a godforsaken training camp held in a boarding school, where the one to win the competition gets a ticket to the Olympics.
There he meets the beautiful and talented Nevo, who awakens subconscious desires in him. However, their swimming coach does not believe in friendship between competitors. Warned to stay away from Nevo, Erez is still too attracted to him.
In between practices, he attempts to act upon his feelings and understands that winning a medal is less important than winning Nevo’s heart.
The Man in the Basement – Sunday, March 19 at 8 p.m. (closing night): In this taut psychological thriller based on a true story, a benign real estate deal becomes a sinister standoff between a bourgeoisie French couple and a dangerous negationist.
A Parisian architect (Jérémie Renier) sells his flat’s unused cellar to a former history teacher (François Cluzet), well-mannered and seemingly normal. But when he takes up residence, the stranger’s secret life as an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist emerges.
As the couple struggles to rescind the sale, the increasingly menacing buyer threatens to turn the family’s idyllic world upside down. Provocative and superbly acted, this nightmare scenario will keep audiences guessing from one unsettling moment to the next.
To see the complete lineup of films and to purchase tickets online, go here.
Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center Box Office. Pricing for individual tickets and festival passes:
Individual tickets to in-person events – $15 per person for adults, $13 for students and seniors.
All-Access Festival Pass – One individual admission to all in-person and virtual events, including Opening Night VIP reception $420 ($900 value).
10 Pack Pass – 10 total admissions to use as you see fit. Bring yourself to 10 movies, or 10 friends to one movie $125 ($150 value).
Virtual films – $15 per household per film.
JCC Mizel Arts and Cultural Center, 350 S. Dahlia St., Denver.