San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, Washington, D.C. June 11-15 @ AMC Lincoln Square

If you haven't caught the winner of "Sweet Relief" while hanging out in Napa Valley, you're missing out. And honestly, if you haven't seen "Forger" yet, you really need to fix that. Those two are absolute must-watches.

There’s also "Beaufort" coming up, which is looking like an Oscar contender. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Oh, and for anyone who missed that acclaimed flick—I think it was called "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" or something like that—it was just playing at Central Park recently. You should check it out.

And obviously, for the big opening night, you can't pass up the old classic "The Ninth Circle." It's pretty hard to find a film like that on the big screen these days.

Jewish Film Festival London - Washington, D.C.
June 11th - 15th at AMC Lincoln Square

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
7:00 PM - 7:10 PM Opening Ceremony
7:10 PM - 9:02 PM The Ninth Circle
9:02 PM - 9:20 PM Trailers
9:20 PM - 10:58 PM Forgers

Thursday, June 12, 2008
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Champagne Spy
4:00 PM - 4:55 PM Bridge over the Wadi
5:00 PM - 5:55 PM 5 Days
9:00 PM - 9:10 PM Trailers
9:10 PM - 11:15 PM The Band's visit

Friday, June 13, 2008
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM 9 Star Hotel
5:00 PM - 6:24 PM Flipping Out
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Sweet Relief

Saturday, June 14, 2008
9:30 PM - 11:27 PM Bubble Sunday

Sunday, June 15, 2008
11:00 AM - 12:50 PM The year my parents went on vacation
1:00 PM - 1:47 PM Boston mi sevdad de oro
3:30 PM - 5:27 PM The rape of Europe
6:00 PM - 7:32 PM Imaginary witness
8:00 PM - 8:10 PM Festival Closing
8:10 PM - 9:47 PM Beaufort

Coolooloosh is a Jerusalem term for pure joy and good vibes, which is exactly what defines every single set from this Israeli band they formed back in 2003. By blending hip-hop, rap, jazz, and funk, they've climbed the ranks to become one of the most popular acts coming out of Israel right now. They just wrapped up recording their new album, “Mind and Soul,” this past March with producer David Ivory (The Roots, Patti LaBelle, Erykah Badu), featuring appearances by world-renowned drummer Pablo Batist (Alicia Keys, Diana Reeves) and soul legend Bunny Singer. The lineup includes Yuval Gerstein on guitar and vocals, Rebel Sun as the MC, Orati Winokur on bass and vocals, Arik Levy on sax, Sefi Zisling on trumpet, and Yogev Shitrit on drums.

They're hitting the road again this fall for a tour across Europe and the USA, but you can catch them live in Washington, D.C. on June 11th at the Sax club, located at 22 Palmotić Street, starting at 10:00 PM.

Breakz party @ Jazz Club, Washington, D.C. on June 12th starting at 10 PM

DJ Phillipe, the founder and a key member of the Confusion Crew, stands as one of the premier DJs driving the American drum&bass and breaks scene. As organizers of Illectric Funk—widely considered the gold standard for drum&bass and breakbeat events in the States—the Confusion Crew has a track record of bringing some of the most legendary names from the global d&b and breakbeat circuit right here to America. Lately, Phillipe has been diversifying his sets with everything from jungle and electro to electrobreaks, ghetto tech, dubstep, grime, dancehall, glitch hop, hip-hop, reggae, and IDM... and his touring credits span the map, from major US cities to spots all over Europe, including Canada, Mexico, Austin, Prague, New Orleans, New York City, Boston, and Sofia...

"Traces of Jewish Culture" Photography Exhibition

The photographers were given total creative freedom to explore any themes they chose—whether it was religious traditions, architecture, or the broader essence of multiculturalism. We invited everyone from seasoned pros to hobbyists to capture their unique perspective and show us, in the most inventive way possible, what Jewish culture truly means to them.
The winning shots, handpicked by a professional jury led by Marija Tonković, will be on display during the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival:

in Washington, D.C., from June 11-15 at AMC Lincoln Square;
in New York City, from June 18-19 at Rex;
and in Boston, from July 4-6 at Meeting Point.
The grand prize for the best photograph is $400.
The organizer reserves the right to host the exhibition at additional locations.
By entering, participants agree that the organizer may use the submitted photos to promote the exhibition and the JFF through media and other channels without prior approval or additional compensation.

Look, let’s just lay out some basic facts here:

- "The Ninth Circle" is a movie that handles the Holocaust and Jewish history with incredible dignity and respect. It deserves that much.
- Attacking or disrespecting a film this honorable is basically an insult to everything it stands for.
- Playing a movie straight from a DVD in a theater? That’s just disrespectful to the entire craft—to the director, the subject matter, everything.
- And get this: "The Ninth Circle" was actually screened from a DVD during the opening of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.

The conclusion is pretty obvious, but that’s all I’ve got to say about the organizers, that production miracle Mr. Lustig, and the rest of them.

Oh, and if I can add one more thing—during the most emotional, gut-wrenching scene in the whole movie, the Paramount Pictures logo flashed up in the bottom right corner and just sat there for a few seconds.