14th NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival

Since its founding in February 1990 as a biennial event, the NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival has become the only annual Film Festival dedicated to showcasing Sephardic history, tradition and culture through film. 

 Join us on Opening Night in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Festival as we honor its founders and present the ASF ‘Pomegranate Award.’ The ceremony will be followed by the NY premiere of COCO and a post-screening reception.

All screenings will take place at the Center for Jewish History 15 West 16th Street, NYC  unless otherwise noted

Opening Night

COCO

Thursday, February 4th at 7:30pm
NY PREMIERE

In this comic drama written, directed and starring Gad Elmaleh, Coco is a flamboyant self-made man who becomes a royal pain when planning the biggest show to date – the bar mitzvah of his son Samuel.  This event will become, for him, a moment of truth about his role as a father and for realizing what is important in life. 
Director: Gad Elmaleh.  France, 2009, 95  mins. French w/English subtitles.  Brief partial nudity.
Followed by Opening Night Reception.
This program is presented solely by the American Sephardi Federation

Opening Night Awards, Film & Reception
$30    General Admission
$25    ASF & YUMuseum members, students and seniors
$250  Opening Night Friend (includes the above for two (2) + VIP pre-screening reception and listing in Festival Program)

Closing Night

CHILDREN OF THE BIBLE

Thursday, February 11th at 7:00pm
NY PREMIERE

The rapper and informal educator, Jeremy “Cool” Habash, exposes us to the complex situations facing Ethiopian-Israeli youth. Jeremy works towards changing the humiliated and depressed image of the Ethiopian community in Israel, both in its own eyes and in the eyes of Israeli society, by bringing members of the Ethiopian community closer to their tradition – the songs, the meaning of the Ethiopian names, stories about the lives of the Ethiopian community and about the journey that has taken on mythical proportions
Director: Nitza Gonen.  Israel 2009, 53 mins.  Hebrew and Amharic w/English subtitles.
Followed by Closing Night Dessert Reception.

Festival Films

Closing Night Film & Dessert Reception:
$25    General Admission
$20    ASF & YUMuseum members, students and seniors (same as above)

Festival Pass:   
Admission to all Center for Jewish History screenings (except Opening & Closing Nights)
$100  General
$75    ASF & YU Members, students and seniors