The 7th听annual Victoria International Jewish Film Festival (VIJFF) begins its 2021 programming with a听Feel-Good Film Festival, which will run June 6-10 and will be available via the VIJFF鈥檚听.听听In addition to presenting two feature-length comedies and a heartwarming documentary, the听Feel-Good Film Festival听will also feature specially-curated live-streamed stand-up comedy on its opening night.鈥淎s this past year has been challenging, the VIJFF has programmed a shared experience around the cathartic benefits of comedy and the connections among cultures and communities.鈥� said Deborah Bricks, VIJFF co-director.听听鈥淐omplementing a more expansive main festival in the Fall, which will present seven narratives and documentaries,听with a听Feel-Good Film Festival听now felt like thing to do鈥攅specially for the shared experience to go beyond the screen to envelop the live interactions of stand-up comedy, special snack boxes (nosh boxes) crafted by Spinnakers, and a听support local听initiative that encourages purchasing from favourite local shops.鈥�
The festival will open at 7:30pm on June 6th听with live-streamed comedy hosted by National Public Radio鈥檚 (NPR)听.听听Ophira is a Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based comic who hosts NPR鈥檚听听show, which regularly engages and interviews celebrity guests.听听The comedy night will also feature:听, a Jewish-Palestinian married lesbian comedy couple, whose comedy addresses multiple contemporary themes;听, a New York City-based comedian, who has appeared on both听The Late Show with David Letterman听补苍诲听The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; and听, whose comedy often riffs on having been one of only ten Jews in her hometown in Oklahoma.
The films can be streamed from 8:30pm on June 6th to 8:30pm on June 10th.听 They include: 听, an energetic German/Israeli romantic comedy touching on contemporary issues in Israeli society, leaving us with plenty to ponder and lots of laughter;听, an illuminating documentary of family secrets within the untold history of the Frenkel brothers, pioneers of extraordinary Egyptian animation reminiscent of the early works of Walt Disney; and听, a warm-hearted Israeli romantic comedy that deals with body image.听听Tickets are by donation.听听For information visit听.
Guided by the notion of听tikkun olam听(Hebrew for 鈥渞epair of the world鈥�), the VIJFF is a multicultural, non-religious program of the Jewish Community Centre of Victoria (JCCV) that builds capacity and connections among communities through cinema about Jewish and Jewish-adjacent themes and their intersections.
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