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By Julia Cabrera
New York – The American Sephardi Federation (ASF) open its doors on March 30 for the New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival.
The week long event features the rich history of the Sephardic Jewish Community across the globe through film, with specific nights dedicated to the Moroccan, Iraqi, Greek, and Yemenite Jewish communities.
The festival will shed light on the stories of Sephardic Jews from Baghdad to Greece, Ethiopia to Switzerland, and Israel to Iran. According to ASF representative Jennifer Zwiebel, this year will be the first time that the festival dedicates a full day of films to the unrevealed suffering of Sephardic Jews from Algeria, Tunisia, and Greece during the Holocaust. “Sephardim in the Shoah,” will be presented on Sunday, April 2, and “From Ethiopia to Israel,” on Tuesday, April 4, both themes will explore the challenges of emigration.
According to Zwiebel, the festival will also host on Monday, April 3 “An Evening of Empowering Sephardi Women,” showcasing films that highlight gender relations between Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities.
The Young Leadership Board at ASF, will host “Love, Sephardi Style,” on Tuesday, April 4, which will feature films that explore the Sephardic perspective on modern love and relationships. According to Zwiebel, a discussion will be held after the film with an award-winning Jewish Iranian-American filmmaker.
“For this important NYSJFF 20th Anniversary Edition, we are proud to present poignant and powerful programs that speak to the issues of our time and all time,” said Sara Nodjoumi, the Artistic Director of the New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival to the ASF.
“There are stories of immigration, persecution, and resistance. Perspectives on everything from the making of the modern Middle East to the modern experiences of finding romance in traditional Sephardi communities. The number of quality films this year is a sign of vitality and the increasing interest in the varied experiences of Sephardim.”
Behind the scenes of the festival are Nodjoumi, who produced “The Iran Job” and is a programming alumna of the Tribeca Film Festival, as well as the festival’s Producer French opera singer, David Serero, who created and starred in ASF’s l theatrical season (Merchant of Venice, Othello, and Nabucco).
The Festival will take place at the ASF, located on 5 West 16th Street. The dates and times for each film during this year’s event have been released.
