The 23rd Annual Kansas City Jewish Film Festival (KCJFF) brings the second of three “mini-festivals” to The Lewis & Shirley White Theatre at The J on Sunday, June 11, at 1 p.m.
“Shorts in Shorts” will feature 12 short films broken into two sessions with a beach-themed party in between. Tickets cost $18 per session, which includes the intermission party, or $27 for the full event pass, which includes both sessions and the party. Tickets can be purchased at kcjff.org.
“We are so excited to present Shorts in Shorts, our first-ever mini-fest celebrating short films,” said Stacey Belzer, executive director of the KCJFF. “The committee has worked hard to bring a variety of films from different genres.”
The first session, running from 1 to 3 p.m., will feature six short films, varying from documentary to comedy. They include:
- “Waves Apart” (Documentary)
- A Jewish surfer confronts the dark, antisemitic history of the sport he once found solace in.
- “Hannah Cohen’s Holy Communion” (Comedy)
- Hannah Cohen can’t wait to make her Holy Communion – the only problem is, she’s Jewish!
- “Commandment 613” (Documentary)
- Rabbi Kevin Hale joyfully practices the sacred craft of Torah restoration, bringing new life to scrolls saved in Czechoslovakia during the Shoah.
- “The Shabbos Goy” (Comedy)
- God literally forbids her to turn off a toy gone rogue, so an Orthodox Jew sets out on a quest to find someone who can.
- “Give it Back!” (Drama)
- This is a story about alienation, friendship, and home.
- “Sugihara Survivors: Jewish and Japanese, Past and Future” (Documentary/Holocaust)
- One Japanese Diplomat, 2,139 visas, countless lives.
The beach-themed intermission will run from 3 to 3:45 p.m., and all ticket purchasers from either session are encouraged to attend and enjoy live music from guitarist and vocalist Steven Booth while enjoying strawberry shortcake. Margaritas, chips and guacamole, and other bar and concessions items will be available for purchase.
The second session runs from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. and includes five additional short films:
- “Space Torah” (Documentary)
- In 1996, NASA astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman brought a small Torah scroll on board Space Shuttle Columbia.
- “A Thousand Kisses” (Animated/Holocaust)
- The actual correspondence of a young Jewish couple separated by the fear of persecution in Nazi Germany is recovered by their grandchildren 80 years later.
- “BrownWhite” (Documentary)
- BrownWhite explores how biracial kids’ skin color influences their identity development and dilemmas in a world where Brown or White fails to describe them.
- “Crumbs” (Drama/Holocaust)
- Based on the true story of the last Passover Seder in the Warsaw Ghetto on April 19, 1943.
- “Death Metal Grandma” (Documentary)
- The story of a 96-year-old Holocaust survivor, former WWII spy, and famous songwriter Inge Ginsberg as she decides to pursue a new career.
The KCJFF film committee is led by Vicky Mayer and is responsible for selecting the various films. Films come from all over the world and feature Jewish filmmakers, directors, actors, and stories.
The KCJFF will wrap up its 2022-2023 season from Aug. 10 to 13 with a weekend of dramedies. More information is available at kcjff.org.
