The 12th Annual Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival will run March 4-19 at theaters around Tampa Bay including the Tampa Theatre, Baywalk Muvico in St. Petersburg, and at the University of South Florida Health Sciences Auditorium.
The lineup includes a dozen feature-length films and two shorts, all focused upon the international Jewish experience.
Film descriptions, directions to theaters and advance purchase tickets are available online at the Tampa JCC website at www.jewishtampa.com or the Golda Meir/Kent Jewish Center website at www.gmkjc.org.
The opening night 7 p.m. centerpiece at Tampa Theatre is Making Trouble, director Rachel Talbot's documentary tribute to six legendary American Jewish women comedians: Molly Picon, Fanny Brice (don't rain on her parade), Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers (well, they can't all be funny), Wendy Wasserstein and Saturday Night Live legend Gilda Radner.
(What? No Sarah Silverman? Must be because she's boffing Matt Damon.)
The careers of these women are discussed by a quartet of four leading Jewish comedians - Judy Gold, Jackie Hoffman, Cory Kahaney and Jessica Kirson who, according to the news release: "meet in New York's Katz's Delicatessen in a scenario straight out of Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose."
Kahaney, a Last Comic Standing finalist, will appear at the opening night screening to discuss her craft. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 on day-of-show. There's a reception, too.
All other screenings are $5 if purchased in advance, $8 at the door with discounts for seniors and students. All-screening festival passes are available to anyone donating donate $150 or more.
Steve Persall is the movie critic for the St. Petersburg Times. He was conceived behind a drive-in movie theater his father operated and raised in projection booths and concession stands. He doesn't care how you did it up north.
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