The San Luis Obispo Jewish Community Center is presenting a two‐day film festival the weekend of January 21 and 22, 2012. In partnership with the Palm Theater and with the support of a grant from the City of San Luis Obispo, the festival will highlight six films and the filmmakers.

Filmmakers and actors will be on hand to share their experiences and answer questions after the movie showings.

The festival kicks off on Saturday night with a special opening reception at Mama’s Meatballs featuring local wine and live music in honor of the late Rabbi Scott Corngold. Following the opening reception, the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to filmmaker Peter
Rosen along with a screening of his film, "God's Fiddler: Jascha Heifetz", a documentary feature.

Sunday provides a variety of films. The day begins with a screening of "The Longing: The Forgotten Jews of South America", a documentary about a small group of South Americans longing to affirm their Jewish faith. Their ancestors, European Jews, were forced to convert during the Spanish Inquisition. Isolated in Catholic countries, rejected by local Jewish communities, they battle to become Jews regardless of the consequences.

Producer and Director, Gabriela Böhm will be on hand after the film for a question and answer session and to discuss the making of the documentary, as will representatives from San Luis Obispo area’s converso community.

The afternoon includes a screening of both a short film and feature film.

“The Bris”, the short film runs 15 minutes in length. It is an unorthodox comedy directed by CJ Johnson about a dying man’s wish to be circumcised.

The feature film, “Losing Control” is directed and written by Valerie Weiss and is a quirky romantic comedy about a female scientist who wants proof that her boyfriend is "the one."

CJ Johnson and Valerie Weiss will be at the screenings for a question and answer session with the audience.

The festival will conclude with the second combination of a short and feature film screening.

The short film is "The Big Bris", directed by Oren Pelg. The film is about Mo Green, a young aspiring comedian, whose first big comedy gig falls on the same night as his circumcision ceremony. Actors Casey Adler and James Eckhouse and director Oren Pelg will be at screening for questions afterwards.

The feature film is “The Matchmaker,” an Israeli coming of age story about a teenage boy growing up in 1968 Haifa, who gets a job working for a matchmaker and mysterious Holocaust survivor. The disparate parts of the boy’s life collide in unexpected, often funny and very moving ways as he lives through a summer that changes him forever.

The festival also includes a children’s program on Sunday afternoon in partnership with the SLO
Museum of Art as well as a Sponsor and Filmmaker’s Dinner at Ciopinot on Sunday night.

Details about the entire festival, including show times, can be found online at www.jccslo.com. All films are shown at the Palm Theatre, 817 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo. Tickets for individual events as well as a festival package may be purchased. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are still available, contact Lauren Bandari at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.