Boca Raton’s Original Jewish Film Festival Announces 2023 Summer Fest Film Series And The 7th Annual Festival Audience Winners

Boca Raton’s original Jewish film festival, The Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival (JLKBRJFF), presented by the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC (Levis JCC) announces the audience winners from its 7th annual event, the 2023 Summer Fest film series, and a call for Screening Committee members. Viewed by more than 3,000 film lovers in 2023, the film festival is recognized as a premiere destination for Jewish and Israeli films and has become one of the country’s largest niche film festivals.

More than 80 feature-length films, documentaries and shorts were judged by viewers based on the overall quality of the film, effectiveness of the message, entertainment value and audience popularity, among other criteria. Viewers selected the top three finalists in each category: best narrative, best documentary and best short.

“At the heart of JLKBRJFF’s mission is our commitment to showcasing films that capture the rich and multifaceted experiences of Jewish culture and history,” said Nina Rosenzweig, Chair, JLKBRJFF Screening Committee.  “Our dedicated screening committee and I take great care to curate a diverse selection of films that challenge, inspire and provoke thought, and we are privileged to collaborate with talented film makers from all corners of the world who share our passion for storytelling.”

Top three winners in each category are:

Best Narratives:

  1. Farewell Mr. Haffman
  2. Simone Veil: A Woman of the Century
  3. The Accusation

Best Documentary Films:

1.     Baltic Truth

2.     The Rhapsody

3.     Reckonings

 Best Short Films:

1.   Nakam

2.   Twenty Minutes

3.   The Caretaker

“JLKBRJFF is more than just a film festival, 3 weeks, 80 films or 9 winners—it’s a celebration of Jewish culture and a testament to the vibrant community that supports it,” said Stephanie Owitz, VP of Arts, Culture and Learning, Levis JCC Sandler Center.   

Demand for enriching cultural arts programming in our area remains strong during the summer months. The Levis JCC’s JLKBRJFF is proud to present its Summer Fest film series. Films will be screened one Wednesday per month at 1 p.m., June through October at the Levis JCC. Tickets are $10 per film. To purchase tickets to the following films, visit https://levisjcc.org/filmfestival/events/:

June 28: Fanny’s Journey
July 26: Baltic Truth
August 23: Farewell Mr. Haffman
September 13: Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills Resort
October 11: Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen

The 8th annual JLKBRJFF will be held January 28 – February 18, 2024. The Festival’s Screening Committee, an integral part of the Festival each year, is currently accepting new members; this is an active committee that is involved in carefully curating the final roster of films that will be presented to the 2024 Festival audiences. Contact JLKBRJFF Director Lisa Barash at lisab@levisjcc.org for more information.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available. The Levis JCC is located at 21050 95th Avenue S. in Boca Raton.

About the Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival 

The mission of the Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival is to provide the newest, most stimulating and thought-provoking films that encourage audiences to expand their awareness and understanding of the Jewish world and engage in dialogue to explore the many diverse perspectives portrayed by the films presented. Due to the generous support from donors Billi & Bernie Marcus, the Festival has been able to expand, offering year-round Jewish-themed film programming.