MFAH Participates in the ERJCC's 14th Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival

Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, participates in the Houston Jewish Film Festival in collaboration with the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center (ERJCC).

The 14th year of the annual festival presents an entertaining and thought-provoking lineup of Jewish and Israeli films from across the world. Additional screenings take place at ERJCC, Holocaust Museum Houston, the Jewish Community Center, and MATCH. For more details visit www.mfah.org/film or www.erjcchouston.org.

Screenings

Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me

(Directed by Sam Pollard, USA, 2017, 100 min.)

*A Skype interview with director Sam Pollard moderated by Carroll Parrott Blue, a Houston-based multimedia producer, will follow the screening.

Saturday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925-1990) was a multi-talented performer who did not shy away from controversy. A uniquely gifted entertainer, his first screen role was at the age of 7. After serving in the Army in World War II, his career took off. He famously became a member of the Rat Pack in the 1950s, and was the most well-known African-American man of his era to convert to Judaism. Peabody award-winning filmmaker Sam Pollard combines interviews, memorable performances, and plentiful commentary from Sammy himself to create a fascinating portrait of a complex man. "Sammy Davis, Jr. used his talent to fight bigotry, racism and anti-Semitism. Hopefully audiences will come away from the film marveling at his talent, and wondering why, to paraphrase his friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 'the arc of the moral universe takes so long to bend toward justice," said Michael Kantor, executive producer.

About the director: Samuel D. Pollard is a university professor, television and film editor, producer, director, and screenwriter. Between 1990 and 2000, Mr. Pollard edited a number of Spike Lee's films: Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Girl 6, Clockers, and Bamboozled. As well, Mr. Pollard and Mr. Lee co-produced a couple of documentary productions for the small and big screen: Spike Lee Presents Mike Tyson, a biographical sketch for HBO for which Mr. Pollard received an Emmy, and Four Little Girls, a feature-length documentary about the 1965 Birmingham church bombings which was nominated for an Academy Award.

Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema

(Directed by Danny Ben-Moshe, Australia, 2017, 80 min., in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish with English subtitles)

Sunday, March 11, at 5 p.m.

This documentary reveals the role of India's Jewish community in establishing the world's largest film industry. In the early 20th century it was taboo for Hindu and Islamic women to perform on screen, so female roles were portrayed by Jews. Richly illustrated with lively excerpts tracing the development of Indian cinema, the film profiles silent era star Sulochana (Ruby Myers), 1930s party queen Miss Rose (Rose Ezra), Pramila (Esther Abraham), and saucy vamp Nadira (Farhat Ezekiel). The film also features current Bollywood stars commenting on the legacy of these mega-stars on their industry.

This film is presented in partnership with Margolis Gallery at Congregation Beth Israel. Visit www.beth-israel.org for more information on their related Fotofest 2018 Biennial and programs.

A Quiet Heart

(Directed by Eitan Anner, Israel, 2016, 92 min., in Hebrew and English, with

English subtitles)

Sunday, March 11, at 7 p.m.

A psychological thriller exploring the dangers of intolerance between conservative and liberal Israelis. Secular Naomi (Ania Bukstein) is a concert pianist who moves from Tel Aviv to a housing project in Jerusalem, where most of her neighbors are ultra-Orthodox Jews. While Naomi is not welcome by the residents, she befriends a boy pianist, a woman activist, and a monk who teaches her to play the organ. Increasingly victimized, she continues to assert herself and uncovers mysteries about her apartment's former tenant.

Location The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Caroline Wiess Law Building / Brown Auditorium Theater, 1001 Bissonnet Street. Admission 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.

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