Events

10th Anniversary!
Annual Jewish Film Festival of Central New Jersey
Join us for great films and special celebrations!

All films will be at the Digiplex Rialto Theater in Westfield - Plenty of seating...screening in 2 auditoriums

It's not too late to become a Film Festival sponsor!  Click here.

To purchase tickets, click the red Login/Register button to the right of this page.

Magic Men - NJ Premiere
Tuesday, October 21 • 7:30 p.m.
#25090

Directors: Guy Nattiv and Erez Tadmor
Country: Israel, 2013
Language: Hebrew and Greek with English subtitles
Running Time: 100 minutes

Watch the film trailer here

Co-underwritten by Doris Buttery & Family

Help us blow out the candles on our anniversary cake after the film!

This modern-day road trip adventure explores challenges of faith across generations. An aging father and his middle-aged son have grown bitterly estranged over their beliefs. The father, Avraham, is a Holocaust survivor and a virulent atheist. His son, Yehuda, is his polar opposite, a Hasidic rapper who supports his family through his religious music. Circumstances throw them together on a journey where Avraham searches for the man who saved him from the Germans during World War II. As they travel along the Adriatic coast, their arguing is punctured by unexpected moments of affection and humor. While the stunning coastal scenery helps cast a spell, it is the understated performances that give the film its real magic.

Best Actor Award - 2013 Israeli Academy Awards

Audience Award - 2014 Maui International Film Festival

24 Days - NJ Premiere
Wednesday, October 29 • 7:30 p.m.
#25091

Director: Alexandre Arcady
Country: France, 2014
Language: French with English subtitles
Running Time: 110 minutes

Watch the film trailer here

It’s January 20, 2006. After dinner with his family in a Paris suburb, Ilan Halimi called an attractive girl he had met at work and made plans to meet her. Ilan did not suspect a thing; he was 23 and had his whole life ahead of him. The 
next time Ilan’s family heard from him, it was through a cryptic online message after being kidnapped by The Gang of Barbarians. Based on a true story, Arcady’s gripping cinematic adaptation of the book, co-written by Halimi’s mother, offers a vicious circle of dangerously realistic events: from the kidnapping and torture of Ilan Halimi to the Parisian police’s incompetence in dealing with what was clearly an anti-Semitic crime.

The Wonders
Monday, November 3 • 7:30 p.m.
#25092

Director: Avi Nesher 
Country: Israel, 2012
Language: Hebrew with English subtitles 
Running Time: 112 minutes

Watch the film trailer here

We are pleased to welcome Avi Nesher, Director of The Wonders, for a post-film discussion at the theater.

An inscrutable cool-cat loafer, a hard-boiled gumshoe and a knockout femme fatale get mixed up in a labyrinthine religious conspiracy within the dark heart of Jerusalem, in this fantastical and strange adventure. Ariel is a bartender and graffiti artist who lives in the slums of the Old City. Late one night, Ariel’s pleasantly mundane existence is turned upside down when he encounters the mysterious Rabbi Knafo, a modern-day prophet with special clairvoyant powers and cult followers, being held captive in an abandoned building. A pushy private detective and his lovely redheaded client soon rope a reluctant Ariel into a plan to use his neighboring apartment as a stakeout. Thus opens a rabbit hole of conspiracies, red herrings, unlikely alliances, quirky characters and cartoons that come to life.

“An unusual dramedy that offers a stylish and amusing riff on

Chinatown by way of Alice in Wonderland.” - Alissa Simon, Variety

“A brilliant, elegant, very original mystery.” - Jerusalem Post

Avi Nesher is one of Israel’s most successful directors. Nesher grew up in Israel and New York City and was brought to Hollywood by producer Dino De Laurentis after De Laurentis saw his critically acclaimed Rage and Glory. Initially Nesher was a writer working on studio assignments for such filmmakers as Ron Howard and James Cameron. As part of this “Hollywood period,” Nesher wrote, produced and directed The Taxman which opened to extraordinary reviews. The New York Times called the film “A delight...a charmer of a mystery.” Nesher’s film, The Wonders, was dubbed the best Israeli movie of the year by Jerusalem Post critic Hannah Brown.

Community Partner - Legow Family Israel Program Center

Cupcakes
Thursday, November 13 • 7:30 p.m.
#25093

Director: Eytan Fox
Country: Israel, 2013
Language: Hebrew with English subtitles
Running Time: 90 minutes

Watch the film trailer here

Enjoy 10th anniversary cupcakes with us after the film!

From celebrated Israeli director, Eytan Fox, comes this new delightfully “sweet” musical comedy about a diverse group of young neighbors in Tel Aviv who get together to watch Universong, a Eurovision-like television song contest (think America’s Got Talent). Uninspired by the dull Israeli entry and seeking to cheer up a heartbroken friend, they spontaneously compose their own song, and on a whim, one member of the group enters their cellphone video in next year’s contest. To everyone’s surprise, the song is chosen to represent Israel in the finals competition in Paris. With an all-star cast, Cupcakes is a delicious story that celebrates life, love and loyalty.

Winner of Best Comedy - 2014 LA Jewish Film Festival

“A tight script, coupled with tapping tunes, makes Cupcakes an uplifting, escapist, sweet experience.” - Anne Joseph, The Jewish Daily Forward

The Jewish Cardinal
Wednesday, November 19 • 7:30 p.m.
#25094

Director: Ilan Duran Cohen
Country: Canada, 2012 
Language: French with English subtitles 
Running Time: 90 minutes

Watch the film trailer here

Co-underwritten by: Gitterman & Associates Wealth Management, LLC/Elias and Sue Rauch and The Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ - Women’s Philanthropy

The Jewish Cardinal tells the amazing true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants who maintained his cultural identity as a Jew even after converting to Catholicism at a young age. He later joined the priesthood and quickly rose within the ranks of the Church. In 1981, Lustiger was appointed Archbishop of Paris by Pope John Paul II and found a new platform to celebrate his dual identity as a Catholic Jew, earning him friends and enemies from both groups. When Carmelite nuns settle down to build a convent within the cursed walls of Auschwitz, Lustiger finds himself a mediator between the two communities.

"[The Jewish Cardinal] reminds us of the possibilities for goodness if there is respect, love and forgiveness between and among cultures and those of faith." – Carole di Tosti, Blogcritics.com

Also showing, the award-winning short Hannah Cohen’s Holy Communion Running Time: 13 minutes

Ticket Cost
In Advance
$12 JCC Member/Senior 62+/Student
$14 General Public

At the Door
$15 General Admission (for all ages)

Series Subscriber
#25095
1 ticket for each film
$55 JCC Member/Senior 62+/Student
$65 General Public

Look forward to another 5 films coming in spring 2015!

Enjoy dinner before the movie with one of our Restaurant Partners!  Mention the Film Festival and take part in these special offers

Akai Lounge 102 East Broad Street (one block from the Rialto Theater) • Receive 10% off your dinner bill on the evenings of our films

Amuse 39 Elm Street (around the corner from the Rialto Theater) • Receive 20% off your dinner bill on the evenings of our films

Cosimo’s Italian Restaurant 118 East Broad Street (one block from the Rialto Theater) • Receive 10% off your dinner bill on the evenings of our films

Limani Seafood Grill 235 North Avenue West (one block from the Westfield train station) • Receive 15% off your dinner bill on the evenings of our films

Westfield Diner 309 North Avenue East (a short walk from the Rialto Theater) • Dine at the Westfield Diner on any Film Festival night and 15% of your dinner bill will be donated to the JCC

Thank you to these restaurants for supporting the 10th Annual Jewish Film Festival of Central NJ.

Film Festival Information

General Information
• Advance ticket purchase is strongly encouraged; screenings often sell out. Sorry, no refunds or exchanges.
• The Reserved Seating section is for Film Festival Sponsors only. Reserved seats will be held until ten minutes before show time.
• Film Festival sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, visit www.jccnj.org or contact Amy Warsh, Director of Cultural Arts & Education, at (908) 889-8800 x205 or [email protected].
• Films and speakers are subject to change/cancellation.
• Note: All screenings will take place at the Rialto Theater, 250 E. Broad St, Westfield.

Ticket Purchase Information
• Online: www.jccnj.org; Your printed receipt will be exchanged for your ticket(s) at the theater
• In Person: At the JCC of Central New Jersey Member Services Desk
• At the Digiplex Rialto Theater Tickets will be on sale at the Film Festival Registration Table starting 45 minutes prior to the start of a film if not sold out.
• By Mail: Mail the Ticket Order Form with your payment to: JCC of Central New Jersey, 1391 Martine Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 (Please make checks payable to: The JCC of Central New Jersey)
• By Phone: Please call the Film Festival Hotline at (908) 889-8800 x208. Your call will be returned to confirm your purchase or answer questions.
• Tickets are NOT available for purchase at the Digiplex Rialto Box Office.
• Ticket Pick-up: Tickets can be picked up at the Film Festival Registration Table 45 minutes before the films begin.