now open

The 24th annual 2012 Boston Jewish Film Festival, which is coming Nov. 7-18, is now open for submissions of both short and feature length films.

For full-length films, download our entry form.

The second annual Short Films Competition must be entered at WithoutaBox. Short films must be under 20 minutes in length to be considered.

The deadline for all film submissions is May 31.

The Fifth Heaven

Palestine under the British mandate. Maya, 13, is dropped off by her father at an orphanage. Only she’s not an orphan, just part of a dysfunctional family. Complicating her search for self are her fellow orphans, the head of the orphanage, who knows her parents from a previous life, and a young Jewish soldier. Hebrew with English subtitles. Based on a novel by Rachel Eytan. Director Dina Zvi-Riklis will be on hand to talk about The Fifth Heaven.

7 PM , Wednesday, Feb. 29, West Newton Cinema.

Amos Tamam (Amir)

Srugim, the popular Israeli television show about life for five young Orthodox men and women in Jerusalem comes to Boston. Get the latest about Yifat, Nati, Hodaya, Re’ut, Roi and Amir in the first three episodes of the third season. Amos Tamam (Amir) will be on hand to talk about the show.

7 PM , Monday, March 19, West Newton Cinema

Dolphin Boy tells the harrowing story of Morad, a 17-year-old Arab Israeli, who suffers a trauma and goes mute. Therapy doesn’t work, so he ends up going to Eilat for “dolphin therapy” where he interacts and swims with dolphins to re-enter society. The documentary was nominated for an Ophir (Israeli Academy Award) for Best Documentary.

Dolphin Boy screens at  6:30 pm, Monday, March 26 at the Brattle Theatre, Cambridge. In person: Director Dani Menkin

The Boston Jewish Film Festival will receive a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, it was announced today. This marked the first time that The Festival received a grant from the organization.

“We are very excited to receive the support from the NEA,” said Jaymie Saks, Managing Director of The Boston Jewish Film Festival. “It’s gratifying to be recognized nationally for our efforts in bringing Jewish film and culture to the Greater Boston community.”

“The grant will make a difference and enable us to achieve a greater impact in the community,” Saks said. “We will use the money for increased outreach, a goal that is very important to us.” The funds are to be used in 2012.

The Festival, which just concluded its 23rd Festival earlier this week, is looking to extend its audience to various religious, cultural and social organizations and groups in the Greater Boston area. A total of 1,686 applications were submitted for funding. The grant was one of 863 from the NEA to organizations and individual writers around the U.S. with awards totaling more than $22.5 million. The Festival’s grant came through the NEA Art Works program.

The Festival was one of only three Jewish film festivals in the U.S. to receive the honor and one of two organizations in New England to receive funding in the Media Arts category.

NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said the projects “demonstrate the imaginative and innovative capacities of artists and arts organizations to enhance the quality of life in their communities.”