Donald M. Ephraim PALM BEACH JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL to Showcase 30 Movies from Around the World

The upcoming 27th annual The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival will present movies from around the world, opening with ON THE MAP, the true story of Israel's 1977 basketball team, the first to ever bring the coveted European Cup to Israel. Film director Dani Menkin and basketball legend Tal Brody will attend and participate in a post-film discussion at the January 19 screening at the Kravis Center's Cohen Pavilion.

The 2017 Festival will present 30 memorable movies at the Cinemark Palace in Boca Raton, January 21-27; Cobb Theatres in Palm Beach Gardens, January 28-February 4; and the Frank Theatres in Delray Beach, February 5-11. Presented by the Mandel Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches, the Film Festival will close on February 12 with a matinee screening ofTHE WOMEN'S BALCONY and awards presentation at Muvico at CityPlace in West Palm Beach.

"The 30 different films chosen to be shown at The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival 2017 represent a variety of different genres and come from all over the world," says Festival Director Ellen Wedner. "They are extraordinarily diverse and very engaging; you don't have to be Jewish to be thoroughly entertained and enthralled, you just have to appreciate and enjoy good films."

"Best of all, in addition to Dani Menkin, we look forward to welcoming to the Festival the directors of several additional films being shown at the Festival, including Catherine Tambini (ART & HEART: THE WORLD OF Isaiah Sheffer), local filmmaker Alan Feinberg (BAGELS OVER BERLIN) and Brad Lichtenstein (THERE ARE JEWS HERE)," adds Wedner. "Plus, Linda Thorson, the lead actress of THE SECOND TIME AROUND, will join us for two screenings of her film (Cobb and Frank), and director Leon Marr will be at the Cinemark screening."

Following is the celebrated films that are scheduled to be shown at the Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival 2017:

+ ABULELE, from Israel - South Florida Premiere

Adam is a lonely kid, whose parents are always busy and the kids at school tease him a lot. When he meets Abulele, a giant monster with a taste for sugary soda, the two become friends. But a governmental Special Forces unit has been deployed to catch all of the monsters haunting JerusaleM. Adam must do everything he can to save his friend. A sweet and touching tale about the meaning of friendship and believing in the goodness of others.

(Directed by Jonathan Geva; Hebrew with subtitles. 2015; 90-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/26, Frank 2/5

+ A GRAIN OF TRUTH, from Poland - Palm Beach Premiere

A thriller that pits reason against distrust. Soon after big-shot prosecutor Teodor Szacki moves to the city of Sandomierz, he is called in to solve a case: a woman was found dead outside a synagogue, her neck slashed, and a knife used for shechita (kosher slaughter of animals) found nearby. As more murders occur, a wave of anti-Semitism unfurls and Szacki must not only to solve the crimes, but also face the hysteria of public opinion and the painful history of Polish-Jewish relations. An entertaining and gripping film, based on the bestselling novel by Polish author Zygmunt Miloszewski. Note: graphic scenes. Note: graphic scenes.

(Directed by Borys Lankosz; Polish with subtitles. 2015; 110-minutes)

Film Partners: Carole Solomon and Charles Tapiero

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/24. Cobb 1/30, Frank 2/8

+ A.K.A. NADIA, from Israel, UK - Palm Beach Premiere

Can a person reinvent herself without dealing with consequences from her past? For over 20 years, Maya has lived as a Jewish career woman, wife and mother, whereas in fact she was born as Nadia, daughter to a Muslim family. Now her past rears its head again. Through the unique story of its heroine, the film raises questions of identity and of the ability of society to accept the Other and forgive their Otherness.?It's a story about innocent individuals who pay a terrible price, the victims of a society that has gone awry. Jerusalem Film Festival-Israel Critics' Forum Award for Best Feature Film.

(Directed by Tova Ascher; English & Hebrew with subtitles. 2016, 115-minutes)

Film Partners: Dundi & Lyon Sachs (Cobb)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/22, Cobb 1/30, Frank 2/7)

+ AMOR, from France, Israel - Palm Beach Premiere

This drama revolves around the subject of a love that is stronger than life itself. After wandering across Europe, Daniel comes home to Israel. He is back to see Lila, the love of his life. Lila has been bedridden for more than three years and slowly we begin to comprehend how this happened to her. This tribute to true, deep love explores the need for closure in relationships and in life. It tackles a sensitive and universal subject with care and compassion.

(Directed by Raphaël Rebibo; Hebrew with subtitles. 2016; 86-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/24, Cobb 2/2, Frank 2/6

+ ART & HEART: THE WORLD OF Isaiah Sheffer, from USA - Palm Beach Premiere

A celebration of Isaiah Sheffer's life and work, intercut with interviews with friends and colleagues, and stage performances. "His voice was like having warm butterscotch poured over your head," recalls Stephen Colbert. The documentary delves into the life of the man whom many knew only as the host of Selected Shorts on public radio, or the driving force and artistic director of Symphony Space, or the originator of Bloomsday on Broadway, or the comic genius behind the Thalia Follies. Leonard Nimoy remembers Isaiah as "endlessly creative." Hollywood Reporter: "This loving cinematic tribute is well-deserved." This movie will be preceded by the 30-minute film THE LAST BLINTZ.

(Directed by Catherine Tambini; English. 2015; 53-minutes)

Special Guest: Catherine Tambini (Frank, 2/8)

Screenings: Cobb 1/23, Frank 2/8

+ BAGELS OVER BERLIN, from USA - East Coast Festival Premiere

This documentary is based on riveting interviews with Jewish Airmen who fought in the U.S. Army Air Corps during the Second World War. It is a unique film that provides its audiences with rich insights into the men's experiences and struggles against Nazi Germany during the height of the war and genocide. Their stories run the gamut from humor to grave peril. Note: Preceded by 24-minute film JOE'S VIOLIN.

(Directed by Alan Feinberg; English. 2016; 67-minutes)

Special Invited Guests: Alan Feinberg and some of the airmen at every screening

Film Partners: Barbara & George Kramer, Connie & David Blacher (Cobb)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/27, Cobb 1/29, Frank 2/9

+ BIG SONIA, from USA - Palm Beach Premiere

At 4'8", Sonia Warshawski can barely see over the leopard-skin-patterned steering wheel of her Oldsmobile. But at age 90, Sonia has a personality that towers over her Kansas City community, where she has tirelessly run her late husband's tailoring business for decades. As one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors in Kansas City, Sonia witnessed unspeakable horrors and yet she survived. Today, she still dispenses positive life lessons (known as "Soniaisms") to anyone who'll listen, and also speaks to local churches, schools, and prisons about the atrocities she endured as a teenager. "Big Sonia" may struggle to face her latest daunting challenge-retirement-but she's certainly doing it in style.

(Directed by Todd Soliday & Leah Washawski; English. 2016; 93-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/22, Cobb 1/31, Frank 2/6)

+ CLOUDY SUNDAY, from Greece - Palm Beach Premiere

Set in Thessaloniki, 1943, during the Nazi occupation, this is the story of the forbidden love between Estrea, a young Jewish girl, and Giorgos, the brother in law of the famed composer Vassilis Tsitsanis. As the Nazis close in, the lovers are forced to make life-changing decisions. Much of the action takes place in and around the ouzeri (tavern) owned by the then 28-year-old Tsitsanis at a time when he had reached his peak as a composer. In fact, the film's English title, Cloudy Sunday, refers to Tsitsanis' beloved classic Synnefisameni Kyriaki, one of the songs featured in the movie and the resistance anthem during WWII.

(Directed by Manoussos Manoussakis; Greek with subtitles. 2014; 116-minutes)

Film Partners: Richard & Leslie Stone Family Foundation

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/25. Cobb 1/29, Frank 2/9

+ EVERY FACE HAS A NAME, from Sweden - Palm Beach Premiere

In this fascinating Swedish documentary the director tracks down and interviews survivors from German concentration camps seen in a 35mm archival film reel showing their arrival at the harbor of Malmo, Sweden, on April 28, 1945. The group includes Jews from all over Europe, Norwegian prisoners of war, Polish mothers and children, members of the French resistance and British spies - and perhaps unique among them, a young Italian-American who was accused of being a spy while visiting her grandparents and deported to Auschwitz. Winner of the Göteborg International Film Festival Church of Sweden Film Award, Filmfest Hamburg Political Film Award.

(Directed by Magnus Gertten; English, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish with subtitles. 2015; 73-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/27, Frank 2/10

+ FANNY'S JOURNEY, from France, Belgium - Palm Beach Premiere

This is an incredible tale of bravery, strength and survival. In 1943, 13-year old Fanny and her younger sisters were sent from their home in France to an Italian foster home for Jewish children. When the Nazis arrive in Italy, their caretakers desperately organize the departure of the children to Switzerland. Suddenly left on their own, these 11 children will do the impossible to reach the Swiss border in order to survive. Inspired by the autobiography of Fanny Ben-Ami. Variety raves, "The film is a handsome, compelling period piece that deftly portrays events through the eyes of its young protagonists." This movie is preceded by the short film JOE'S VIOLIN.

(Directed by Lola Doillon; French with subtitles. 2016; 94-minutes)

Film Partners: Janet & Phil Dresden (Cobb), Gross Center for Study of Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust (Frank)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/21, Cobb 1/28, Frank 2/6

+ FEVER AT DAWN, from Hungary, Israel, Sweden - Palm Beach Premiere

Based on the true story of the writer/director's parents, the film

chronicles an unlikely love affair between two Hungarian Holocaust survivors recuperating in Sweden. 25-year-old Miklós has been given six months to live and wants nothing more than to find love. He sets out to find a wife by writing letters to 117 Hungarian women who are also recovering in Sweden. One of the recipients is 19-year-old Lili, who is charmed by his writing and begins corresponding with him. Complications arise as ailing Miklós tries to find a way to elude his caregivers in order to visit Lili. Featuring beautiful black-and-white cinematography, Fever at Dawn combines drama, romance and flashes of humor to shed light on the experiences of survivors recovering after the war.

(Directed by Péter Gárdos; Hungarian with subtitles. 2015; 110-minutes)

Film Partners: Mickey & Alan Greenblatt (Cobb)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/23, Cobb 1/31, Frank 2/11

+ GERMANS AND JEWS, from USA - Palm Beach Premiere

This thoughtful documentary examines the complicated relationship between Germans and Jews in modern Germany. Structured around a contemporary dinner party attended by Germans and Jews, some of who were born in Germany and some who are "Germans by choice." Curious questions arise that many Americans have never considered. What was life like for Jews growing up in East Germany? How does Germany's growing Muslim community respond to the Holocaust education that is an essential part of the school curriculum? This sensitive film gives us access to many sides of a crucial historical dialogue. Hollywood Reporter calls it, "A thoughtful and illuminating examination of a provocative subject."

(Directed by Janina Quint; English. 2015; 76-minutes)

Film Partner: Alan Sagner (Cobb)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/26, Cobb 2/2, Frank 2/7

+ HARMONIA, from Israel - Palm Beach Premiere

A contemporary adaptation of the biblical tale of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, set in the world of the Jerusalem Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor Abraham and his wife Sarah, the orchestra's harpist, cannot have children. Hagar, a beautiful, young horn player from East Jerusalem, offers to have a baby with Abraham for the couple. But the child grows estranged from Sarah. Through this ancient story, Harmonia presents a poignant metaphor to the struggle between the rival sibling religions that inhabit Jerusalem. Nominated for four Ophir (Israeli Academy) Awards, winner Best Cinematography,& Best Jewish Heritage Film, Jerusalem International Film Festival.

(Directed by Ori Sivan; Hebrew with subtitles. 2016; 98-minutes)

Film Partners: Janet & Phil Dresden (Cobb)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/26, Cobb 2/1, Frank 2/8

+ JOE'S VIOLIN, from USA - Palm Beach Premiere

Joseph Feingold, a Polish Holocaust survivor, donates the violin he's had for 70 years to a local instrument drive, changing the life of a 12-year-old schoolgirl from the nation's poorest congressional district and unexpectedly, his own. World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival (Winner, Audience Award for Best Short Film), Nantucket Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival.

(Directed by Kahane Cooperman; English. 2016; 24-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/27, Cobb 1/28, Frank 2/10

+ KEEP QUIET, from UK, Hungary - South Florida Premiere

Extreme in his anti-Semitic beliefs and denial of the Holocaust, Csanád Szegedi rose to a leading position in Hungary's far-right Jobbik Party and became a member of the European Parliament. At the height of his political career, documentation surfaced showing that Szegedi's maternal grandparents were Jewish. This caused his party to eject him. In a stunning about-face, Szegedi chose to explore his family's Jewish roots and study Judaism by enlisting the help of an empathic rabbi who believes that everyone born Jewish deserves a chance to practice their religion. While carefully nonjudgmental, this fascinating film raises tough questions: Regret or repentance? A true convert or charlatan? "A superb piece of non­fiction filmmaking, telling a story of import with grace and intelligence," hails Jewish Week.

(Directed by Sam Blair; Hungarian with subtitles. 2016; 97-minutes)

Film Partners: Janet & Phil Dresden (Cobb)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/23, Cobb 1/31, Frank 2/9

+ MOOS, from Netherlands

Moos has always dreamed of going to acting school, but stayed with her grieving father after her mother died. But now that Sam, Moos's best friend comes back to town, she wants to prove to them both that she can achieve her dreams. But this is not without its obstacles. There's the handsome singing teacher, her father's new girlfriend, the fact that she didn't actually get accepted to acting school, and her growing affection for her childhood friend. The movie is about love, about laughter and mostly about friendship. About the unstoppable desire to have someone who is there for you.

(Directed by Job Gosschalk; Dutch with subtitles. 2016; 91-minutes)

Film Partners: Meyer Family: Gail Asarch & Dr James Satovsky, Denise & Bill Meyer, Sydell Meyer (Cobb)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/26, Cobb 2/2, Frank 2/9

+ MR. GAGA, from Israel - Palm Beach Premiere

Inspiring and tough, charismatic yet prickly, Ohad Naharin is Mr. Gaga, Israel's rock star choreographer and the artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company. Raised on a kibbutz in the 1950s and only receiving his first formal training at the age of 22, Naharin is a larger-than-life, picaresque hero, whose biography resembles a Who's Who of modern dance. Naharin invented his own playful and exploratory style of movement called Gaga and has created some of the most provocative and physically demanding choreography of the 21st century. This film is a fascinating look at the life and work of one of the most unconventional figures in the contemporary world of dance. Documentary Spotlight Audience Award winner, South by Southwest.

(Directed by Tomer Heymann; English and Hebrew with subtitles. 2015; 95-minutes)

Special Guest: Steven Caras, former dancer with New York City Ballet and dance photographer

Film Partner: Paula Lustbader

Screenings: Cobb 2/6

+ MR. PREDICTABLE, from Israel - Palm Beach Premiere

Adi has always been a "good boy." He helped more than enough at home, at school, in the military, in his marriage-he became the most thoughtful man you can imagine. Or to put it in other words, Adi becomes exploited by nearly everyone he ever met. Things change radically when he meets Natalia, who entices Adi into a life full of emotions, of passion and romance. Will he go on being a good boy? Or will he, for the first time in his life, be brave enough to be who he really wants to be?

(Directed by Roee Florentine; Hebrew with subtitles. 2016; 103-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/24, Cobb 2/1, Frank 2/8

+ ON THE MAP, from Israel - Palm Beach Premiere

The inspiring opening night film of the 2017 Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival, this is the true story of Israel's 1977 basketball team, the first team to bring the European Cup to Israel, just a few years after the Yom Kippur War. When this ragtag team of Israelis and Americans won, Israel was placed firmly on the map. With incredible footage of 1970s Israel and interviews with Bill Walton and the other athletes who made history, ON THE MAP honors Israeli heroes and mesmerizes fans of the game.

(Directed by Dani Menkin; English and Hebrew with subtitles. 2016; 85-minutes)

Special Guests: Director Dani Menkin and basketball legend Tal Brody

Premiere Partner: Jupiter Medical Center

Film Hospitality Partner: Rubens Family Foundation

Film Partners: Barbara Mines, Linda & Ray Golden, Barbara Kay, Ellen Liman and The Liman Foundation, Bente Lyons

Screening: Kravis Center Cohen Pavilion 1/19

+ SPRING CHICKEN, from USA, Israel, Mexico - Florida Premiere

Anny Junek, 94 year-old Holocaust survivor, loves dressing up for Purim. In fact she is a three-time champion of her Israeli retirement home's annual costume contest. Anny and her family have hatched a plan for her fourth win. This short film precedes TEL AVIV LIVE.

(Directed by Tamir Elterman; English, Hebrew and Spanish with subtitles. 2016; 10-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/25, Cobb 2/3, Frank 2/10

+ SUPERGIRL, from USA - Florida Premiere

Naomi Kutin seems like a typical teenager. She goes to school, does her homework, hangs out with friends, but how many 11-year-olds could honestly claim to be the strongest girl in the world? Raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, 95-pound Naomi is a competitive power lifter who lifts nearly triple her bodyweight. Naomi has broken world records since the age of eight. Now, along with preparing for her Bat Mitzvah and training for the biggest competition of her life, Naomi is faced with new challenges like navigating difficult dietary restrictions, cyber-bullying, and more. As Naomi confronts these issues head on, the magnitude of her true strength and character is revealed. "Showing one who transcends stereotypes and at such a young age truly makes Kutin inspirational - a supergirl," declares The Jerusalem Post.

(Directed by Jessie Auritt; English. 2016; 80-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/23, Frank 2/7

+ TEL AVIV LIVE, from Israel - USA Premiere

A dynamic and vibrant , Tel Aviv is also a unique social and artistic experiment. But what does it mean to be an artist in this city? In this beautiful documentary Tel Aviv is presented through leading Israeli artists in various fields. They reveal the influence Tel Aviv has had on their creations, and attempt to decipher the extraordinary creative energy of the city and its international recognition. Interweaving wonderful archival footage, with personal testimonies of prominent artists such as Etgar Keret, Menashe Kadishmann and Idan Reichel. TEL AVIV LIVE offers a panorama of contemporary Israeli life.

(Directed by Nellu Cohn; Hebrew with subtitles. 2016; 52-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/25, Cobb 2/3, Frank 2/10

+ THE CHOP, from UK - Palm Beach Premiere

A comedy about a charismatic Kosher butcher who loses his job, cannot find work at other Kosher butchers, and therefore decides to pretend to be Muslim in order to get work at a Halal butcher shop. This short film precedes TEL AVIV LIVE.

(Directed by Lewis Rose; English. 2016; 17-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/25, Cobb 2/3, Frank 2/10

+ THE LAST BLINTZ, from USA - South Florida Premiere

The closing of The Cafe Edison (aka The Polish Tea Room) is not just a story about another famous show business haunt shutting its doors, is an American Dream-come-true story about a multi-generational, big-hearted, mom-and-pop family business that is tragically and pre-maturely coming to an end. This short film precedes ART & HEART: THE WORLD OF Isaiah Sheffer.

(Directed by Dori Bernstein; English. 2015; 30-minutes)

Screenings: Cobb 1/23, Frank 2/8

+ THE MIDNIGHT ORCHESTRA, from Morocco - Palm Beach Premiere

After leaving Morocco, as a child, amidst racial tensions spurred by the Yom Kippur War, the son of a once famous Jewish musician returns to his home country to bury his father. With the help of a comical Muslim cab driver and a host of other quirky characters, he sets off on an adventure to track down the surviving members of his father's orchestra to fulfill his father's dying wish, finding friendship and rediscovering his cultural roots along the way. The film expounds on Moroccan-Jewish life and generational divides with humor and heart. Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Montréal World Film Festival

(Directed by Jérôme Cohen-Olivar; English, Arabic, French with subtitles. 2016; 102-minutes)

Film Partners: Cyma & Ed Satell (Cobb)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/22. Cobb 2/4, Frank 2/5

+ THE TENTH MAN, from Argentina - Palm Beach Premiere

Ariel returns to Buenos Aires, and to the frenetic Jewish neighborhood of El Once, to see his father after decades of being away, but he is immediately put to work for his father's charity organization. Meanwhile, his father is nowhere to be found. While trying to figure out the enigma that is his father and understand the mysterious mute woman who has popped into his life, Ariel finds himself following in his father's footsteps, both literally and by developing an affection for the people of Once and the life he spent many years trying to escape. Berlinale Film Festival Official Selection, 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.

(Directed by Daniel Burman; Spanish with subtitles. 2015; 80-minutes)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/22, Cobb 1/29, Frank 2/7

+ THERE ARE JEWS HERE, from USA - South Florida Premiere

A poignant documentary that examines the challenges of Jewish life in small-town America. Focusing on four tiny Jewish communities, the film shows in intimate detail what happens to a congregation when there are scarcely enough Jews left to form a minyan much less to maintain a vibrant Jewish community. Taking us to Latrobe, Pennsylvania; Dothan, Alabama; Laredo, Texas; and Butte, Montana, the filmmakers use the Jewish communities of these towns, as a kind of allegory of displacement in society as a whole. Of course, Jews in America today leave small towns voluntarily in order to join larger communities, so the effect of the film is less tragic than bittersweet. But the film offers an unusual and intriguing look at a segment of American Jewish life that is rarely examined.

(Directed by Brad Lichtenstein & Morgan Elise Johnson; English. 2016; 9-minutes)

Special Invited Guests: Stephanie Butler, Jewish Family Services (Cinemark Boca Raton), Director Brad Lichtenstein (Frank)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/25, Cobb 2/1, Frank 2/5

+ THE SECOND TIME AROUND, from Canada - Palm Beach Premiere

In this heart-warming story full of hope, dreams and second chances, two seniors meet and discover that it's never too late to fall in love again. Katherine Mitchell wasn't looking for love a second time, not at her age, and certainly not with cranky Isaac Shapiro. Despite the nosey bunch of seniors in the residence where Katherine convalesces after breaking her hip, she and Isaac warm to each other over their shared love of music.

(Directed by Leon Marr; English. 2016; 107-minutes)

Special Guests: Director Leon Marr (Cinemark); Actor Linda Thorson (Cobb and Frank)

Film Partners: Honorable Ann and Donald Brown (Cobb); Meyer Family: Gail Asarch & Dr James Satovsky, Denise & Bill Meyer, Sydell Meyer (Cinemark)

Screenings: Cinemark Boca Raton 1/24, Cobb 1/29, Frank 2/5

+ THE VENICE GHETTO: 500 YEARS OF LIFE, from Italy, France - Florida Premiere

The remarkable story of Venice, the oldest ghetto in Europe, is reconstructed in this fascinating documentary told through the eyes of a Jewish teenager. Lorenzo, born and raised in New York, is guided through Jewish Venice, exploring its origins and the eclectic panoply of experiences that have formed its glorious history. As Lorenzo enters a world unknown to him, his youthful curiosity melds with a myriad of stories built over centuries of unmatched cultural richness

(Directed by Emanuela Giordano, Italian with subtitles. 2015; 55-minutes)

Film Partners: Clare & Richard Lesser

Screenings: Cobb 1/30, Frank 2/6

+ THE WOMEN'S BALCONY, from Israel - Palm Beach Premiere

The closing film of the Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival shows what happens when the synagogue's women's balcony comes crashing down during a bar mitzvah. A charismatic rabbi offers to lead the community. But soon, the new rabbi is promoting a stricter interpretation: maybe the balcony crashed because the women of the congregation are not modest enough? The women must organize to rebuild the balcony and reclaim their place in the congregation. THE WOMEN'S BALCONY has been charming Israeli filmgoers and critics alike and is a "don't miss" experience. It was a big hit at the Toronto International Film Festival 2016, and was nominated for 5 Ophir (Israeli Academy) Awards. Variety raves, "Viewers will leave the theater in a joyous mood." Note: The Festival's Audience Awards will be announced at this screening,

(Directed by Emil Ben Sharon; Hebrew with subtitles. 2016; 96-minutes)

Film Partners: Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, Howard Kaye Insurance Agency, LLC and The Donald M. Ephraim Family Fund.

Screening: Muvico Parisian at CityPlace in West Palm Beach 2/12

On Sale Information:

Opening Night tickets are $20 for Film Society members and $25 for nonmembers. For the rest of the Festival, film tickets range from $7 to $15 for Film Society members and $9 to $18 for nonmembers. They will be available for purchase in January through the website or by calling 877-318-0071.

For more information on membership, sponsor partnerships, pre-festival screenings and events, or to sign-up for the mailing list, please visit pbjff.org. The 2017 festival films, trailers and complete schedule will be live on the website in December 2016.

About the Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival:

Presented by the Mandel Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches, The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival strives to bring to South Florida the finest examples of cinema from around the world. Founded in 1990 the festival continues to grow and evolve as it continues to expand the selection of narrative features, short films and documentaries to reflect the tastes and needs of its audience. The 26th annual The Donald M. Ephraim Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival will be held Jan. 19 through Feb. 12, 2017. For more information, please visit www.PBJFF.org.

About the Mandel Jewish Community Center of the Palm Beaches:

The Mandel JCC has two locations in Palm Beach County. The Boynton Beach building is at 8500 Jog Road and the Palm Beach Gardens building is at 5221 Hood Road. For more information about the Mandel JCC of the Palm Beaches, visit www.jcconline.com.

The mission of the Mandel JCC of the Palm Beaches is to build community and enhance connection to Jewish life. The Mandel JCC is a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.

This program was made possible through a grant from the Palm Beach Jewish Boomer Platform and an Innovation Grant from the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.

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