MFAH to Host The 13th Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival

Saturday and Sunday, March 11 and 12, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, participates in the Houston Jewish Film Festival, in collaboration with the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. The 13th annual festival presents an entertaining and thought-provoking lineup of the best Jewish and Israeli films from across the world. The MFAH will showcase four engaging features by contemporary filmmakers.

Screenings Beyond the Mountains and Hills (Me'ever Laharim Vehagvaot)

Saturday, March 11, at 6 p.m.

(Directed by Eran Kolirin, Israel/Germany/Belgium, 2016, 90 min., in Hebrew with English subtitles)

The Greenbaums are a seemingly normal family: the father, retired after 27 years in the Israeli army; the mother, a high school teacher; the daughter, a rebellious teenager whose anti-military protests put her in dangerous territory; and the son, an average teenage boy until a crisis hits. Slowly, their lives begin to unravel out of frustration, mid-life crises, teenage angst, and disillusionment.

Past Life (Ha'khata'im)

Saturday, March 11, at 8 p.m.

(Directed by Avi Nesher, Israel/Poland, 2016, 109 min., in English, German, Polish, and Hebrew with English subtitles)

Based on the diaries of Holocaust survivor Dr. Baruch Milch, his daughters Sephi and Nana, the former a classical composer and the latter an investigative journalist, attempt to investigate the mystery of their father's wartime experiences in Poland. Sephi's life intersects with that of German composer and conductor Thomas Zielinski, who comes from a family with unrevealed secrets and whose mother believes Dr. Milch is a murderer.

Fanny's Journey (Le voyage de Fanny)

Sunday, March 12, at 1 p.m.

(Directed by Lola Doillon, France, 2016, 94 min., in French with English subtitles)

Based on actual events, the docudrama follows a group of children led by 12-year-old Fanny across occupied France during World War II. Pursued by the Nazis and their allies in Vichy France, betrayed by a French priest and a fellow traveler, protected by a group trying to save Jewish children, and transported by a smuggler, they attempt to make their way alone to neutral Switzerland in this beautifully filmed portrayal of their harrowing journey.

Presenting Princess Shaw

Sunday, March 12, 3 p.m.

(Directed by Ido Haar, Israel, 2015, 80 min.)

This uplifting documentary celebrates the unlikely musical connection between New Orleans-based singer Samantha Montgomery and Israeli composer and multimedia artist Kutiman. Samantha writes and sings her own songs as Princess Shaw, posting them on her YouTube channel. Kutiman discovers her talent and the two strangers begin to collaborate over 7,000 miles. The film climaxes with an exhilarating performance in Israel where Princess Shaw's emotional performances are showcased in a beautiful expression of generosity and compassion, revealing her fight to never give up on her dreams.

Admission is $10 for the general public and $8 for MFAH members, students with ID, and senior adults. Visit www.mfah.org/films for more information or to purchase advance tickets.

Film Buffs is the Museum's patron group for movie lovers. Visit www.mfah.org/filmbuffs or call 713.639.7584 for more information.

Funding The Jewish Film Festival is presented with generous support from Mr. and Mrs. George Stark and The Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Film Department offers moviegoers a

Films unique venue for appreciating both classic and contemporary films. Presenting more than 200 screenings annually, programming includes premieres of significant new independent productions. Since screening its first films in 1939, the goals of MFAH Films include introducing audiences to the genius of film; responding to an evolving medium; stimulating discourse through the shared experience of watching films; and inspiring the next generation to value film and other moving-image arts. Screenings take place in Brown Auditorium Theater, designed by renowned Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. This unique venue offers a superb movie-going experience with stadium seating, Dolby Digital sound, and projection capabilities ranging from 35mm reel-to-reel to 4K digital formats. In conjunction with the film screenings, the Museum hosts appearances by filmmakers, critics, and scholars, whose perspectives add fresh insights. Visit www.mfah.org/films for more information.