South Partners with Mobile Jewish Film Festival

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Posted on January 5, 2023

Lance Crawford

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The University of South Alabama will help host the 22nd annual Mobile Jewish Film Festival, bringing entertaining and meaningful films to Mobile that reflect issues facing the Jewish and global communities.

鈥淲e are looking at some 鈥榝irsts鈥� this year,鈥� said Barry Silverman, the festival鈥檚 co-chair. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time we have been together in person since before COVID, and it鈥檚 the first time that live theater has been part of the festival.鈥�

The festival is partnering with the Joe Jefferson Playhouse with a live production of 鈥淎nne and Emmett.鈥� The play is an imaginary conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till, both victims of racial intolerance and hatred. Frank was the 13-year-old Jewish girl whose diary provided a gripping perspective on the Holocaust. Till was a 13-year-old boy whose brutal murder in Mississippi sparked the American civil rights movement.

The Joe Jefferson Playhouse will present the play Jan. 12-15, 2023.

The Festival begins Sunday, Jan. 8, at 2 p.m. at Springhill Avenue Temple with the film 鈥淔arewell, Mr. Haffman.鈥� A drama that has won numerous audience awards around the country including the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. 

Temple will host the documentary 鈥淲hy the Jews?鈥� Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. 

The festival moves to Fairhope at the 91短视频 Performance Center on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. with 鈥淭he Man in the Basement.鈥� Author Roy Hoffman will lead a discussion following the film. 

Thursday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. the Festival moves to the Mobile Museum of Art for the documentary 鈥淏ad Nazi, Good Nazi,鈥� the story of German officer Wilm Hosenfeld, who also saved the lives of 60 people during the Holocaust. Dr. David Meola, the Bert and Fanny Meisler associate professor of history and Jewish studies at the University of South Alabama, will lead a discussion afterwards.

鈥淭he Mobile Jewish Film Festival has a great lineup of films and speakers this year that cover a multitude of topics, and there is something for everyone,鈥� said Meola. 鈥淲e welcome all of Mobile to join us to sample some of these films.鈥�

鈥淭he Man in the Basement鈥� will be the first of three film screenings on South鈥檚 main campus in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. It will be shown on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. 

 鈥淭he Narrow Bridge鈥� will be shown Wednesday, Jan 25, and 鈥淩ose鈥� will be shown Thursday, Jan, 26, both at 7 p.m. The films on South鈥檚 campus will be followed by discussion and a dessert reception. 

The Festival wraps up Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. with 鈥淓xodus 91鈥� at the Ahavas Chesed Synagogue. A closing reception follows the film. 

University of South Alabama students may show their Jag ID and will be admitted free of charge to films shown at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center and the Mobile Museum of Art. 

To learn more, see trailers and buy tickets, visit mobilejewishfederation.org. For more information call the Mobile Area Jewish Federation office at 251-490-4872. 

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