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San Francisco Bay Area events

The Boys Are Back! Bowie & Elvis Birthday Bash, 2021 Online, Saturday January 9, 2021, 8 PM ~ 11 PM (PST)

1/5/2021

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Celebrate 2 legends with their music and visuals all night,
as the Bowie & Elvis Birthday Bash goes virtual for its
11th annual party.
Join in on Zoom to  mingle and dance with friends!
(single click)

  • Experience the songs, personas, and lives of the unforgettable artists David Bowie & Elvis Presley.

  • The party is on the Twitch platform, accessible on any browser on computer or mobile, or the twitch app on mobile. Log in is only needed if you want to participate in chat.

  • It's absolutely free. No registration, RSVP, or ticket is required, but if you register on eventbrite, you're automatically entered to win a prize from a past Elvis Bowie bash: CD of Elvis & Bowie originals and related tracks, or a souvenir lanyard. Winners will be contacted via email and need to provide United States mailing address to ship prize
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  • Saturday at 8 PM PST – 11 PM PST
  • Price: Free - Duration: 3 hr
  • Public - Anyone on or off Facebook

This event began in January 2010 at Edinburgh Castle in San Francisco, where it was held for 8 years, until moving to Milk Bar on Haight the last 2 years!
Past Bowie & Elvis party crowds
DJ Shindog, Sprig (cofounder/coproducer), DJ Andy T
  • DJ Shindog presents both the best known, and rare tracks, from Bowie & Elvis, with special sets curated by DJs Cammy, Andy T, and Moonshine, and from the Bash co-creator Spig.

  • Watch video performances of their songs, and visuals chronicling their careers and lives. From Modern Love to a hunka hunka Burning Love, from Flaming Star to Ziggy Stardust, from Good Rockin’ Tonight to Rock ‘n Roll Suicide, the Bowie & Elvis Birthday Bash has it all, this year available to a global audience!

NEW! While you listen to the show on Twitch, you and other friends and fans can join a room on zoom - turn your camera on if you like to dance and see each other. Best results are if all are muted and listening to the music on Twitch.

Single click to join here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82970913980?pwd=czZWdUU1UE9ZRkJOcEFWa0MzNG9aZz09


Register (not required): https://elvisbowiebash2021.eventbrite.com
Details and background at: https://www.elvisbowiebash.com
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What are you doing New Year's Eve? Plan to tune in  and welcome 2021 (finally!)  There's lots going on!

12/30/2020

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Looking for comedy to laugh 2020 away?
New Year's Eve Yoga? Meditation? Family Fun Party?
New Year's Eve Bingo? Zoom Magic Show?
Performing Arts Showcase?  Science Trivia For Adults? Cabaret?
... and there's more.

Free to low cost for NYE!
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Live on Zoom / 10:30pm / December 31 Help support black comics at this special "Black Laughs Matter" online New Year's Eve comedy show w/f comics from HBO, MTV, TBS, Upright Citizens Brigade, BET and more.
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Live on Zoom / 10:30pm / December 31 This live capstone New Year's Eve comedy showcase features comics from Netflix, Comedy Central, Clusterfest, SF Sketchfest and CB,. Come kiss the year from hell good riddance and join us for some love and laughs.
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Live on Zoom / 10:30pm / December 31 Get your last laughs of the year with a fantastic lineup of comics from Comedy Central, SF Sketchfest, HBO, Cobb's Comedy Club, Netflix and more with a midnight countdown and online toast with 500 strangers.
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Live on Zoom / 10:30pm / December 31 Top Indian, Pakistani & South Asian comics from Comedy Central, SNL, Netflix and Amazon Prime help you say goodbye to 2020 with laughs
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New Year’s Eve: Ring in 2021 at These Virtual Events
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Snoop Dogg's 2021 NYE Special
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NYE Virtual Family Game Night
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Here we go again ~ San Francisco joins other Bay Area counties in lockdown, even before California state requires it.

12/5/2020

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SF & Bay Area full shutdown begins Sunday Dec. 6, at 10 pm. Outdoor dining, hair salons, gyms, drive in movies, barbershops, zoos, and more personal and recreational services  are all required to close 10 pm Sunday night.

The state was originally going to mandate the lockdown when the region reached 15% capacity of ICUs. As of December 4, San Francisco has 34% ICU capacity, which is considered “Meeting Target”

Additionally
: The regional stay-at-home order prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing in all others.

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In these counties the shutdown order begins Sunday, December 6 at 10 pm:

Self-Imposed Lockdown Starting Sunday Dec 6 at 10pm (unless otherwise noted)

  • San Francisco
  • Marin County – Noon Tuesday, December 8.
  • Alameda County
  • City of Berkeley – 12:01am Monday, December 7
  • Contra Costa County
  • Santa Clara County

Not Yet – Waiting for State mandate (expected Mid-December)
As of December 3, 2020 the Bay Area has an ICU capacity of 25.3% – Check for updates. If 15% is reached, then the region has 24 hours to institute lockdown

  • San Mateo County
  • Sonoma County
  • Napa County
  • Solano County
  • Santa Cruz County
  • Monterey County
Lockdown Quick Overview

What’s Banned:
  • Personal Services (Hair, nail salons, massages) even outdoor operations required to close
  • Outdoor dining (Take out and delivery still allowed)
  • Zoos and outdoor museums (Outdoor botanical gardens and historic sites may remain open.)
  • Drive in theaters and performances
  • Outdoor playgrounds – public playgrounds including climbing structures and walls, slides swings, sand pits, etc. must close.
  • Skate parks, roller and ice skating rinks, batting cages, go kart racing and miniature golf must close.
  • Open air bus and boat operations
  • Indoor gyms. Limited 1:1 personal training within gyms and fitness centers that was allowed under the previous health order must cease
  • Outdoor gatherings with more than one household – Small outdoor gatherings, must limit themselves to members of 1 household with a maximum number of 12 people (down from up to three households or no more than 25 people). Face coverings must remain on at all times and no eating or drinking is allowed.

What’s Still Allowed (with restrictions):
  • All retail must reduce capacity to 20% including grocery stores
  • Hotels can only accept guests for essential workers
  • outdoor gyms limited to 12 people
  • Golf and tennis allowed.

This is an evolving news story and more updates are expected.
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Berlin & Beyond in Focus,  Free Virtual Film Festival,  November 19-21, 2020

11/6/2020

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The Berlin & Beyond Film Festival,
with the support and collaboration of the Goethe-Institut San Francisco and the Special Projects and Unexpected Needs (SPUN) grant of Grants for the Arts, presents the virtual film festival, Berlin & Beyond in Focus, November 19-21, 2020.

This completely free virtual event is the official kick-off of Berlin & Beyond's 25th Anniversary Season, ahead of the main 25th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival, which is slated for April 29 - May 4, 2021.
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  • Ten feature-length films will be shown in a scheduled format with live Q&As or as an on-demand program (some will include pre-recorded Q&As). Interactive highlights will include engaging panels and community conversations (to be announced in a separate release).

  • Most films are geo-blocked only for viewers in the Bay Area counties of San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo. All films will have a limited number of viewers. Though the virtual screenings are free, ticket registration is required.
Berlin & Beyond in Focus - November 19-21, 2020
  • Details and tickets at berlinbeyond.com
  • Cost for each online screening: free
  • Ticket registration window: Nov. 5-6 for San Francisco city and county; Nov. 7 at noon and forward to include the other Bay Area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo.

SCHEDULED VIRTUAL CINEMA EVENTS
OPENING NIGHT FILM – Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 7:30 PM

I Was, I Am, I Will Be (Es gilt das gesprochene Wort)
Followed by Q&A with Director Ilker Çatak

Directed by Ilker Çatak I (Germany, France, 2019, 122 min.)
Winner of the 2020 German Film Award Best Picture (Bronze)
Opposite worlds collide when Baran, a Turkish gigolo meets Marion, a German pilot, on the beaches of Marmaris. An examination of life’s unpredictability and progression from a troubled past, to a complicated present and the hopeful promise of the future.
In German, Turkish, and English; non-English portions with English subtitles
Cast: Anne Ratte-Polle, Oğulcan Arman Uslu, Godehard Giese, Jörg Schüttauf
Northern California Premiere
Trailer: vimeo.com/342013930

SWISS FILM & TALK – Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 1:00 PM
My Little Sister (Schwesterlein)
Followed by Q&A with Directors Stéphanie Chuat & Vé
ronique Reymond
Directed by Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond (Switzerland, 2020, 99 min.)
Switzerland’s Official Entry to the 2021 Academy Awards for Best International Film Consideration
Lisa gives up her ambitions as a playwright in Berlin and moves to Switzerland with her husband. When her twin brother, a famous actor, falls ill with cancer, Lisa returns to the German capital, risking everything for their desire to be creative, and feel alive again.
In German, French, and English; non-English portions with English subtitles
Cast: Nina Hoss, Lars Eidinger, Jens Albinus, Marthe Keller
Northern California Premiere
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=49EPkmApHYU

CLOSING NIGHT FILM – Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 7:30 PM
Curveball – A True Story. Unfortunately.
Directed by Johannes Naber (Germany, 2020, 108 min.)
2020 Berlinale Special Gala Selection
This political satire tells the grotesque, at times even surreal, true story of how the Iraq war was started based on nothing but fake intelligence and the involvement of the German government and German secret service.
In German, English, and Arabic; non-English portions with English subtitles
Cast: Sebastian Blomberg, Dar Salim, Virginia Kull, Thorsten Merten, Michael Wittenborn
US West Coast Premiere
Trailer: vimeo.com/344756564

ON-DEMAND
The following films will be available to rent (for free) to watch during the festival period.

Automotive
Directed by Jonas Heldt (Germany, 2020, 80 minutes) Documentary Film
This documentary tells a story of a generation for which work as a basis of existence is neither safe nor identity shaping. A worker sorting car parts, and a headhunter in logistics automation, both work with the knowledge that eventually will be replaceable.
In German, English, Turkish, and Hungarian; non-English portions with English subtitles
North America Premiere


Cleo – If I Could Turn Back Time
Directed by Erik Schmitt (Germany, 2019, 99 min.)
Imaginative Cleo dreams of finding a magic clock that turns back time. When she meets Paul, they set off on a topsy-turvy journey through time and across the pulsating city of Berlin.
In German with English subtitles
Cast: Marleen Lohse, Jeremy Mockridge, Heiko Pinkowski, Max Mauff
California Premiere
youtube.com/watch?v=-Cr5RRtXw-E

Gipsy Queen
Directed by Hüseyin Tabak (Germany, Austria, 2019, 117 min.)
Best Leading Actress for Alina Serban at the 2020 German Screen Actors Awards
Ali, a courageous woman and single mother of two kids, struggles to provide for her family. While working in a rundown nightclub, she seizes at the chance to train as a boxer, for a chance of a better life.
In German and Romany with English subtitles
Cast: Alina Serban, Tobias Moretti, Irina Kurbanova
Special Encore | 24th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival Closing Night Film, February 2020
Trailer: vimeo.com/314261364
 
Lovemobil
Directed by Elke Lehrenkrauss (Germany, 2019, 103 min.) Documentary Film
Alongside the dark country roads of rural Germany, prostitutes from foreign countries work in old caravans. ln this uncanny world, the murder of one of the women takes place.
In German, English, and Bulgarian; non-English portions with English subtitles
Northern California Premiere
 
Stars Above Us (Sterne über uns)
Directed by Christina Ebelt (Germany, 2019, 102 min.)
Forced into homelessness, Melli, a single mother, takes her son Ben to a forest, while she continues to fight her way out of their desperate situation. For the good of her child, she has to make the most difficult decision of her life.
In German with English subtitles
Cast: Franziska Hartmann, Claudio Magno, Kai Ivo Baulitz, Nicole Johannhanwahr
North America Premiere

Undine
Directed by Christian Petzold (Germany, France, 2020, 90 min.)
Winner of the FIPRESCI Prize and the Silver Berlin Bear Best Actress for Paula Beer at the 2020 Berlinale
San Francisco Premiere
Undine works as a historian lecturing on Berlin’s urban development. But when the man she loves leaves her, the ancient myth catches up with her. Undine has to kill the man who betrays her and return to the water.
In German with English subtitles
Cast: Paula Beer, Franz Rogowski, Maryam Zaree, Jacob Matschenz
San Francisco Premiere
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=El4-2zrNppA

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl)
Directed by Caroline Link  (Germany, Switzerland, 2019, 119 min.)
Best Children's Film at the 2020 German Film Awards
In 1933, Anna is not sure who Hitler is, but that man on the posters is changing her family’s lives. They must flee Germany, leaving everything behind. Based on Judith Kerr’s bestselling semi-autobiographical novel.
In German and Swiss German with English subtitles
Cast: Riva Krymalowski, Carla Juri, Oliver Masucci
Northern California Premiere
Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=9J03rMFyFzA

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My Little Sister
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Undine
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Gipsy Queen
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Stars Above Us
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Cleo -- If I Could Turn Back Time
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When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
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Most Bay Area Holiday Ice Rinks Will Not  Open This Year

11/4/2020

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Sadly,  most of th e Bay Area’s outdoor ice skating rinks
for holiday skating 
won’t be opening this year.

  • Many Bay Area seasonal ice rinks have announced that they won’t be opening due to the ongoing pandemic. Operators note everyone’s health and safety are paramount, plus, social distancing requirements and reduced capacities would make their businesses unprofitable.

  • However, there are two rinks that will be open this season*. If you don't mind a mini road trip, Santa Cruz’s Boardwalk Holiday Ice Skating Rink will be open this year, November 14, 2020 – January 3, 2021. Also, heading to the far East Bay, Brentwood on Ice returns November 20.
        *Masks and Covid-19 social distancing required.
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Bay Area Holiday Ice Rinks closing this 2020~2021 season:

  • Holiday Ice Rink at Embarcadero Center
  • Norcal Ice in San Rafael
  • Union Square Ice Rink
  • San Jose’s Downtown Ice
  • Santa Clara on Ice
  • San Mateo on Ice Holiday Skating Rink
  • Napa on Ice
  • NorCal Ice (Marin)
  • Walnut Creek on Ice

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San Francisco's famous Rotunda in Neiman Marcus is closing indefinitely; it  has overlooked Union Square for  more than a century

10/14/2020

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The dazzling Neiman Marcus Rotunda — adorned with its landmark stained glass dome — is one of the few remaining artifacts preserved from San Francisco’s
lost department stores.

The gorgeous Rotunda with its landmark stained glass dome announced its tentative closure in late September, four months after the famed Neiman Marcus department store was forced to file for bankruptcy for Chapter 11 protection, another victim of the economic crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Gone are the popular afternoon tea with floor-to-ceiling windows.  Well-known for its extravagant 80-foot-tall Christmas tree -- and all the hoopla that sight brings --
the restaurant had hoped to reopen at some indefinite future time, according to a a few restaurant employees furloughed in March.



This story was reported in the
  • The visual elements of the Rounda Cafe were maintained from the original City of Paris building, a department store that at one time was San Francisco's oldest, first making its appearance in 1851 at the Sutter and Kearny intersection, and eventually settling at the Geary and Stockton location in Union Square in 1896.
 
  • The City of Paris building was remodeled by architects Arthur Brown, John Bakewell, and Louis Bourgeois who also designed San Francisco City Hall, the War Memorial House, and the Veterans Building. Amazingly, the City of Paris department store survived the 1906 Earthquake, though the resulting fire badly damaged the store interior.
 
  • The City of Paris building was demolished by Neiman Marcus, which bought the building in 1974 with plans to build a brand new Neiman Marcus department store, with the promise to preserve the iconic stained-glass rotunda. The upheaval to one of San Francisco's treasured downtown buildings was all the more met with scorn when the new Neiman Marcus building opened as a glitzy, modern, out-of-place structure when it opened in 1983.

Read the history of the famed City of Paris building, here.

Read more on this story at SF Gate

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United Nations Association Film Festival Will Present its 23rd UNAFF Visionary Award to Joan Baez, Sunday Oct 25, 2020

10/7/2020

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The United Nations Association Film Festival  (UNAFF) is proud to announce that its annual  UNAFF Visionary Award  will be presented to legendary singer, songwriter, musician and activist,  Joan Baez.

On Sunday Oct 25 The UNAFF Visionary Award will be recognize legendary singer, songwriter, musician and activist, Joan Baez and her life-long unwavering commitment to human rights. Her leadership, creativity, persistence, and vision have inspired several generations to promote peace and a better future for all.
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Joan Baez is a key subject featured in the UNAFF Closing Night film 
The Boys Who Said No!, which profiles the young men and women who actively opposed the military draft in order to end the Vietnam War.

A passionate nonviolent activist, Joan was married to David Harris who was a leader in the draft resistance movement. The Boys Who Said No! is offered to stream on the Festival’s Closing Day of the eleven days online film festival on Sunday, October 25.

At the last of the daily panels on zoom that day starting 6pm, Joan Baez will participate and receive the award. All details can be found at unaff.org.
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23rd UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival) documentary film festival, held online October 15-25, 2020

10/3/2020

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This year’s UNAFF theme The Power of Empathy,  emphasizes our readiness
to care about other people’s emotional experiences
.
Featuring World and U.S. Premieres of Groundbreaking Documentaries 
which will change your view of the surreal world we live right now.
This festival is a must see!


  • This year’s theme THE POWER OF EMPATHY continues the celebration more than two decades long of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing our readiness to care about other people’s emotional experiences and exploring possible paths emanating from it into the future.
 
  • UNAFF 2020 will present 60 documentaries spotlighting current events from across the globe, including through its very popular programs UNAFF AND KIDS and UNAFF IN SCHOOLS. UNAFF is committed not only to presenting films, but also creating spaces where audience members can engage in ongoing dialogue about the subjects at hand. FREE online daily discussions “Meet the Filmmakers, Subjects of the Films and Experts” will take place during the eleven days of the Festival covering broad, timely, and thought-provoking topics.
 
  • Learn more: read the UNAFF Mission here.​​
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Female Pleasure
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When Women Won
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Voices Of The Rohingya
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Megafires: Investigating A Global Threat

UNAFF 2020 Schedule

About The Films

Click on the film title to learn more about the film.

Tickets 

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2020 San Francisco Greek Film Festival Virtual + Drive-in event October 3-10,  All tickets now online!

9/30/2020

1 Comment

 

Drive-in screening of Topkapi plays in tribute
to Melina Mercouri on October 4!

Online film screenings offered free as a gift to community

17th Annual 2020 San Francisco Greek Film Festival, October 3 - 10, 2020 
~ This online event can be viewed from anywhere ~

Free! Donations will be encouraged and appreciated

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Note from the 2020 SF Greek Film Festival:

  • The 2020 San Francisco Greek Film Festival (SFGFF) will take place October 3-10, with a Festival highlight of an in-person drive-in screening of Topkapi, the wonderful caper film that created the "light heist flick" genre that is copied to this day. Celebrating the Year of Melina Mercouri - Μελίνα Μερκούρη, Topkapi will show on October 4, 2020, at Par 3 at Poplar Creek in San Mateo, with tickets (tickets are $0)*
​
  • With the exception of the drive-in event, all other screenings will be online and available free of charge. ​In this time of need, the SFGFF gives back to the community that has supported it for the past 17 years, with this year’s free, virtual Festival. Tickets and details for the online screenings are online at grfilm.com and the virtual platform sfgff2020.eventive.org. ​
 
  • “During this difficult time in our world, our team felt strongly it was important to continue to celebrate the Greek and Cypriot films produced this year,” says SFGFF Director Maria Nicolacakis. “We may not be able to come together in person at the film festival, but we will bring the films to your homes.The week-long online streaming of the films, which is a first for us, will be provided free of charge as an expression of gratitude to our community that has supported us for the past 17 years.  We hope that this along with the drive-in experience, another first, will be enjoyed by all.”​

​* The Greek Culture Ministry has declared 2020 the “Year of Melina Mercouri” in commemoration of what would have been the 100th birthday of the internationally-acclaimed actress politician and culture champion. The SFGFF presents this event in honor of Melina Mercouri.

Note: the drive-in event is a ticketed event with food options for purchase.
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Jewish New Year film recommendations from JFI plus nationwide audiences can get into good trouble with John Lewis documentary, Monday September 21, 2020

9/17/2020

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-Rosh Hashanah recommended films on Demand from JFI 
​-Nationwide watch of John Lewis documentary, plus virtual  conversation with national civic leaders 

Happy New Year greetings from the Jewish Film Institute in this unprecedented time when family, friends, and community are very much needed for a sweet and special new year. Here are two highly recommended films for low cost rental or live streaming.
  • Regina, documentary filmmaker Diana Groo reconstructs the life of the world’s first female rabbi.
  • Rabbi Wolff: A Gentleman Before God, a documentary about Rabbi Willy Wolff, now in his late 80s, who leads two small communities in Germany, Schwerin and Rostock, commuting back and forth from his home in England. 
​​Both films available to rent online and live streaming: Vimeo (Regina) and Amazon, Prime (Rabbi Wolff) 
AUDIENCES ACROSS THE COUNTRY URGED TO GET INTO GOOD TROUBLE
  NATIONWIDE WATCH OF DOCUMENTARY ABOUT JOHN LEWIS, PLUS VIRTUAL CONVERSATION WITH NATIONAL CIVIC LEADERS, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

Luther Burbank Center for the Arts invites its patrons to join in a nationwide watch, in collaboration with over 60 of the nation’s arts and cultural institutions, of the riveting new documentary, John Lewis: Good Trouble, which looks at the impact of Lewis’s life and work. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts audiences will be able to rent the film directly from Magnolia Pictures, then take part in a live virtual conversation about John Lewis’s remarkable legacy.The free virtual conversation takes place at 4 p.m.on Monday, September 21 on Zoom.
  • Registration is available here.

The online conversation and coordinated effort among the country’s performing arts centers is produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) of Newark, NJ. This event is part of NJPAC’s ongoing initiatives designed to offer both a greater understanding of current racial disparities and a forum for learning about the actions all citizens can take to advance the cause of equality.
  • Rent the documentary film, here
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  • Home
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  • Teacher
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    • SAMPLES
  • Events-Blog
  • More
  • Contact Me
    • Recommendations
  • In The Write