"Kawasaki's Rose" Chosen As Czech Entry for Academy Awards!

The Czech Republic has chosen Kawasaki's Rose, the award-winning film from preeminent Czech filmmakers Jan Hrebejk and Petr Jarchovsky, as the country's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Academy Awards. This is the second film in Oscar contention for Hrebejk and Jarchovsky, as their film Divided We Fall was nominated in 2001.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the final five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film on January 25th. The 2011 Oscars will be awarded in Los Angeles on Feb. 27. Read more in The Hollywood Reporter and Cineuropa.

Menemsha at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

This weekend, we were delighted to have two Menemsha Films represented in the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival: Saviors in the Night, the true story of Marga, a German holocaust survivor, as the opening night film, and Anita, the story a girl with Down syndrome who gets lost in Argentina after the Jewish center bombing, as the centerpiece. To our pleasure, both films were very well received, eliciting standing ovations at the end of each screening.

It’s hard to put into words the magic being at a cinema. I have seen these films many times, but to see them on the big screen was such an invaluable experience. This time, I was not just seeing the films with myself, but instead I was laughing and crying with a whole group of people who were enjoying that same magical experience. And beyond the magic of the theater, the Castro, San Francisco’s historic theater, was an especially pleasurable setting. The huge and gorgeous 1,400 seat architectural gem delivered no disappointment and only added to the excitement of the two screenings.

Our weekend started with the screening of “Saviors in the Night” on Saturday evening. That night we were joined by many important members of the cast and crew. Ludi Boeken, the writer and director of the film, and his lovely w ife; Lia Hoensbroech and Daniel Flieger, both stars in the film; and most importantly, 98 year old Marga Spiegel, the inspiration for the film. It was absolutely enthralling to see Marga there supported by all her beautiful friends and family. Before the screening, her daughter held a small dinner party for her which the Menemsha “crew” was happy to attend. Marga was amazing: friendly, engaging, and astoundingly quick with her feet… and her wit. After the screening, she bravely and energetically answered the questions of Jay Rosenblatt, the festival director, and a very eager audience. I think it is safe to say that anyone who met or came in any sort of contact with Marga was truly touched—I know I was. Overall, the film delivered a message of peace and hope for humanity. Ludi’s one request that night when introducing the film was that the film speak for itself, and in my opinion, the night did not fall short of his expectations.

"Saviors in the Night" Interview

Next on the list of screenings was “Anita”. Once again, we were thrilled to be joined by Alejandra Manzo, the star of the film, and Victoria Shocron, the director of an organization in Buenos Aires that works with people with disabilities. Although Marcos Carnevale, the director of the film, was unable to attend the festival, he sent a message to be read before the screening. He said that he wanted the film to deliver a message about the power of human compassion in a world troubled with hate and adversity. The film and the presence of Alejandra successfully delivered this message. Alejandra was so happy and truly grateful to be able to be part of the making of this film. She spoke about the film as a powerful tool in her adjustment to adulthood. Seeing her up there answering question and making jokes was not only inspiring and moving, but a powerful display of the fact that anyone can do anything if they put their minds to it.

"Anita" Interview

I was so happy to have been able to attend the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, and could not have imagined a better way to finish off my summer internship with Menemsha Films. Although each film was very different and evoked very different emotional experiences from the audience, the messages the films delivered were essentially the same. These films were not just for the Jewish people, or the disabled. They were a beacon of hope. Anyone can be oppressed, hated, or discriminated against. And though we all may come from different backgrounds and realities, in the end, love and compassion shows us that at the core, we are all the same.

The Menemsha Crew (minus Ryan)

For more information on these films, please visit our website at www.menemshafilms.com

Thankss!
Jais

Nora's Will- Back in Florida THIS FRIDAY!

After tremendous success with its run in South Florida, Nora’s Will, the hilarious Mexican dark comedy, is back by popular demand.

Nora’s Will is the debut film of Mexican writer and director Mariana Chenillo. It’s a dark comedy about tragedy, religion, family, and the surprising way that love manages to find its way back into the life of Jose after his the death of his ex-wife Nora. Many of you may have heard of may have heard of Nora’s Will from its already substantial international acclaim—it won 7 Ariel Awards (the Mexican Academy Award)—or perhaps from its oustandingly successful run in South Florida over the past 3 months. And since then, even more good news has been flowing in!

Matthew Hays of the Montreal Mirror calls Nora’s Will “Extremely rare” and “remarkably understated”, while Steve Persall of the St. Petersburg Times appropriately states that, “Mariana Chenillo's gently tragic, irreverently comical film is a charmer”

To read more of these articles, please visit the webpages at:

Montreal Mirror Review

St. Petersburg Times Review

And, if this wasn’t enough to convince you, the film is one of my personal favorites! So, if you haven’t had the chance to see the film, jump on the opportunity while you still can! Nora’s Will is opening this Friday in theaters in Tampa, Sarasota, Naples, and Tamarac.

Tampa - Regal Citrus Park 20
7999 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, Tampa, FL 33625
(813) 920-9471 - Tickets and Showtimes

Sarasota - Regal Hollywood 20
1993 Main Street, Sarasota, FL 34236
(941)365-2000 - Tickets and Showtimes

Naples - Regal Hollywood 20
6006 Hollywood Drive, Naples, FL 34109
(239) 597-9494 - Tickets and Showtimes

Tamarac - Tamarac Cinema 5
10036 West McNab Road, Tamarac, FL 33321
(954) 726-3500 - Tickets and Showtimes

To learn more about this film, watch the trailer:

Or visit our website at www.menemshafilms.com

The Washington Post Designates A Matter of Size as a Critic’s Pick

A review of A Matter of Size written by Rachel Saslow was released in today’s Washington Post, just in time for the film’s opening today at the Avalon Theater in Washinton D.C. With a 3 out of 4 star rating, Saslow had some great things to say.

“That's the fanciful plot of this film about self-acceptance that treats its five main characters with respect. That's not to say the directors, Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor, don't realize that four nearly nude, overweight men stomping around and bear-hugging is a funny sight; they do.”

Needless to say, the film got its message across; hilarious yet heartfelt, and enough so to make it worthy of a Washington Post’s Critic’s Pick.

To read more of this article, please visit:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/a-matter-of-size-sipur-gadol,1162816/critic-review.html

The positive feedback for the film keeps coming, and we hope you will soon be able to add to the excitement!

Check out A Matter of Size today, now playing at the Avalon Theaters in Washington D.C.

Bloggers are Buzzing About A Matter of Size!

A Matter of Size is sizing up for its big opening in Washington D.C. on July 2^nd at The Avalon Theater. From what we are hearing, it’s sure to be a big hit. The buzz is beginning, and it seems like everyone has something great to say.

The film is a heart-warming comedy about four men who have struggled with being overweight for their entire lives. Despite their persistent dieting, their weight begins to take a toll on their happiness when they realize that it is literally weighing down on every aspect of their lives: friendships, love lives, and otherwise. But, when they come across the sport of Sumo Wrestling, their lives take a complete turn as they slowly learn to love and accept themselves for who they are.

The film is praised for its uniqueness. Madame Meow from A Daily Dose of Zen Sarcasm says,

“Hilarity, romance, self-discovery and much late-night eating ensue. And at the core, you get to see a fresh and original take on the average fat-person story. I guarantee it's much better than anything Eddie Murphy or Tyler Perry could ever muster up with a fat suit, because the difference here is that there is a sweet, unfussy dignity to the way the story is told.”

To read more from Madame Meow, please visit A Daily Dose of Zen Sarcasm.

Beyond this, the film succeeds in making a hilarious comedy out of an emotional and at times touchy subject. Laura and Caroline from Young DC Living say,

“It is consistently filled with laugh-out-loud moments, even during one of the more “sad” scenes within the film. Regardless of subtitles, the humor and clever writing within the film shine through. The characters are very funny, have great chemistry, and give genuinely heart-felt performances!”

To read Caroline and Laura’s blog, visit them at YoungDCLiving.

Most importantly, the film kindly and tastefully sheds light on one of the more pressing social issues in society today. Margo from D.C. Girl aptly remarks that

“Fat prejudice is still one of the most acceptable forms of prejudice in our society. It was nice to see the characters in this film conquer that, finding acceptance in their own way.”

To read Margo’s blog in its entirety, please visit D.C.Girl@theMovies.

From the looks of it, A Matter of Size is sure to satisfy your taste for comedy, romance, sports, and drama all in a matter of about 90 minutes. We here at Menemsha Films (and I think the bloggers would agree) urge you to find the time to get out and see the film this weekend! It opens Friday, July 2^nd at The Avalon Theatre in Washington D.C.

To see more about the film, watch the trailer here:

or visit our website at MenemshaFilms.com.

"Saviors in the Night" and "Anita" to Headline the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival!!

We are happy to announce that two Menemsha films, Anita and Saviors in the Night, will be represented this year in the San Francisco Jewish Film festival - the first and largest Jewish film festival in the world. The excitement and buzz around this event is especially potent because the festival is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year! The executive and program directors of the festival are proud to represent 57 features from more than a dozen countries, and we here at Menemsha are proud to add to the festival’s diversity.

The opening film, Saviors in the Night, is a German-French co-production directed by the Dutch filmmaker Ludi Boeken, and tells the story of a family who bravely risk their lives to hide and save a Jewish family from the Nazi’s. The film is inspired by the memories of Marga Spiegel, a 98-year-old resident of Germany who has kindly accepted an invitation to attend the festival, along with Boeken and actress Lia Hoensbroech.

The centerpiece film of the festival is Anita, an Argentine film directed by Marcos Carnevale. The film tells the story of Anita, a young woman with Down syndrome who gets lost in Buenos Aires after the 1994 bomb attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center. Alejandra Manzo, the actress who plays Anita, will also be attending the first screening, which will be the Northern California premiere of the film.

The Festival runs July 24 to Aug. 9. The main venue is San Francisco's Castro Theatre. Events and screenings also take place at the Roda Theatre in Berkeley, the CineArts @ Palo Alto Square in Palo Alto and the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael. Tickets are on sale now for JFF members and will be available for the general public beginning Friday, June 25.

For more information about these films, please visit our website at www.MenemshaFilms.com.

A Matter of Size to Open in Washington DC

"A Matter of Size" is growing! The fat-friendly film of four lovable sumos-in-training, will soon be shifting its weight to our Nation's Capital, Washington DC.

The film, which stresses self-acceptance, does a delightful job of exposing the "lighter" side of Israeli artistry. And it couldn't come at a better time. Due to recent events (Flotilla), this film, and your support for it, holds weight now more than ever.

It will be opening at the Avalon on July 2nd. You can read a review and watch the trailer here, or learn even more about the film at our website here.



But rest assured Bostononians, your four favorite plus-sized fighters will not be leaving you anytime soon. We recently got confirmation that "AMOS" will continue playing through the summer at the West Newton Cinema!