Boca Raton’s original Jewish film festival, The Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival, presented by the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC, has announced the audience winners from its 7th annual event. It also publicized the 2023 Summer Fest film series and issued a call for screening committee volunteers.
Viewed by more than 3,000 film lovers in 2023, the film festival is recognized as a premiere destination for Jewish and Israeli films and has become one of the country’s largest niche film festivals.
Dr. Stewart and Judy Levis Krug at the Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival’s Cinebash event. (Photo courtesy of Levis JCC)
More than 80 feature-length films, documentaries and shorts were judged by viewers based on the overall quality of the film, effectiveness of the message, entertainment value and audience popularity, among other criteria. Viewers selected the top three finalists in each category: best narrative, best documentary and best short.
“At the heart of JLKBRJFF’s mission is our commitment to showcasing films that capture the rich and multifaceted experiences of Jewish culture and history,” said Nina Rosenzweig, chair of the JLKBRJFF Screening Committee.
Summer Fest film series movie poster for “Fanny’s Journey.” (Photo courtesy of Levis JCC)
“JLKBRJFF is more than just a film festival, three weeks, 80 films or nine winners—it’s a celebration of Jewish culture and a testament to the vibrant community that supports it,” said Stephanie Owitz, VP of Arts, Culture and Learning, Levis JCC Sandler Center.
The Levis JCC’s JLKBRJFF also announced its Summer Fest film series. Films will be screened one Wednesday per month at 1 p.m. from June through October at the Levis JCC. Tickets are $10 per film. To purchase tickets to the following films, visit https://levisjcc.org/filmfestival/events/:
June 28: “Fanny’s Journey” July 26: “Baltic Truth” Aug. 23: “Farewell Mr. Haffman” Sept. 13: “Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills Resort” Oct.11: “Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen”
The 8th annual JLKBRJFF will be held Jan. 28 – Feb. 18, 2024. The Festival’s Screening Committee, an integral part of the festival each year, is currently accepting new members. Contact JLKBRJFF Director Lisa Barash at lisab@levisjcc.org for more information.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available. The Levis JCC Sandler Center is located at 21050 95th Ave. S. in Boca Raton.
The mission of the Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival is to provide the newest, most stimulating and thought-provoking films that encourage audiences to expand their awareness and understanding of the Jewish world and engage in dialogue to explore the many diverse perspectives portrayed by the films presented. Due to the generous support from donors Billi & Bernie Marcus, the festival has been able to expand, offering year-round Jewish-themed film programming.
A Massachusetts native who moved to Florida in 2000, he is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, with honors degrees in English and Journalism. In New England, he worked for the Attleboro (Mass.) Sun Chronicle and the Pawtucket (R.I.) Times, the latter for 28 years. After moving to Florida, he worked as a copy editor at the Palm Beach Daily News, and, in 2001, became a reporter and later, city editor, at the Boca
Raton News where he worked for eight years.
