Penobscot Theatre Company to Host Maine Jewish Film Festival at Bangor Opera House, 4/4-5

Penobscot Theatre Company has announced the screening of four acclaimed films, presented in partnership with Jewish Community Endowment Associates (JCEA) as part of the 2014 Maine Jewish Film Festival. All films will be shown at the Bangor Opera House as follows:

The Gatekeepers, April 5, 8:00 pm. In this 2012 documentary by director Dror Moreh six former heads of Israel's domestic secret service agency, Shin Bet, reflect publicly for the first time on their role at the center of Israel's security apparatus and decision-making process. Academy Award Nominee, Best Feature Documentary. Winner, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary. Winner, New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

Ahead of Time, April 6, 1:00 pm. This 2010 documentary by director Robert Richman tells the inspirational story of Ruther Gruber, who reported from the Soviet Arctic, escorted Holocaust refugees on a secret war-time mission, and changed the world with dispatches from the Palestine-bound ship Exodus in 1947. Archival footage captures the drama of her life as she lent her camera lens and her heart to war refugees and encounters with relatives and old friends. Official Selection, Toronto International Film Festival, Full Frame Documentary.

The Wonders, April 6, 5:00 pm. Director Avi Nesher delivers a comic "nourish" thriller about a good-natured slacker who becomes embroiled in a labyrinthine conspiracy in the weird criminal-religious underbelly of Jerusalem. This 2012 film earned praise as part of Jerusalem's "New Wave," exposing and uniting diverse subcultures.

Bethlehem, April 6, 8:00 pm. Through this riveting new thriller about an Israeli Secret Service officer and his teenage Palestinian informant whose brother is the local commander of a terrorist group, audiences get an unparalleled glimpse into a brutal and fascinating world. Director Yuval Adler hurtles back and forth between conflicting points of view to reveal the complexities of competing loyalties and impossible moral dilemmas. Israeli entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards. Winner of six Ophir Awards including Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Film.

"With Bangor's rich Jewish history, it seemed only natural that the Maine Jewish Film Festival would have a presence here," said Penobscot Theatre Company's Artistic Director Bari Newport, who was instrumental in attracting the festival to Bangor for the first time last year. "We 're enormously grateful for the generous support of JCEA and our local community leaders. This year's lineup includes fresh, thought-provoking, important works that deserve an audience north of Portland!"

Tickets to the festival films in Bangor are $8.00/$6.00 for seniors and students, and may be purchased online at www.penobscottheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at 942-3333.

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