This year the Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque’s 5th Annual Jewish Film Festival is marking the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding. The six films chosen for this year’s outing (July 12 through 18) were selected by programmers to highlight the diversity of Jewish culture. You can catch the lineup at the UA High Ridge Theater (12921 Indian School NE) and the Jewish Community Center (5520 Wyoming NE) starting this Thursday, July 12, with the opening night film An Israeli Love Story. This historical drama follows the rocky love affair between Margalit (Adi Bielski) and Eli (Avraham Aviv Alush) during the turbulent founding of Israel in 1947. Humor Me (July 14, 7pm) is a heartfelt father-son comedy about a struggling playwright who moves in with his dad at a New Jersey retirement community. Elliot Gould, Jemaine Clement, Annie Potts and Bebe Neuwirth star. On the documentary side, we get Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel (July 15, 2pm), which charts the unlikely rise of Israel’s national baseball team as it competes for the first time in the World Baseball Classic. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door for each film. A pass for all six films can be purchased for $50 through holdmyticket.com. For a complete list of films and times, go to jccabq.org.
Reel World: Dino-Sized Cinema Dino-Sized Cinema
Family Movie Night returns to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (1801 Mountain Road NW) with a screening of 2015’s Jurassic World on Friday, July 13. Doors to the museum’s towering DynaTheater open at 5:30pm. The film starts at 6:30pm. Tickets are $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for children 3 to 12. Tickets can be purchased in advance by going to naturalhistoryfoundation.org/family-movie-night.
Reel World: Cinema Soiree Cinema Soiree
The nonprofit New Mexico Film Foundation holds its annual Summer Soiree Fundraiser this Saturday, July 14, from 6 to 9pm at the Nativo Lodge (6000 Pan American Freeway NE). The theme this year is “Music & Cinema.” On the schedule for the evening are live music, movies, a silent auction, raffle, food, drinks and fun. The event honors local filmmakers Barbara Bentree and John Rangel and their new documentary Dave Grusin: Not Enough Time. Grusin’s work during his extensive six-decade career has resulted in memorable music for films such as Tootsie, Heaven Can Wait, On Golden Pond and Three Days of the Condor. The trailer for Bentree and Rangel’s film will premiere at the Soiree. Local composers and musicians will be celebrated, and there will be live performances of film songs by Harry Musselwhite, Leslie Umphrey, John Yuan and others. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. For further details go to nmfilmfoundation.org.
Reel World: Music News Music News
Fake News: Journalism Goes to Hollywood comes back to the KiMo Theatre (423 Central Ave. NW) this Sunday, July 15, from 2 to 4pm. Christopher Crowe’s 2000 film Almost Famous is on schedule for screening. The comedy-drama is based on Crowe’s real-life experiences in the mid-’70s as an underaged journalist for Rolling Stone. The film will be followed by a discussion about the changing face of journalism with Alibi film editor Devin D. O’Leary (that’s me), Alisa Valdes (best-selling author and journalist), Alex DeVore (award-winning arts & culture journalist with the Santa Fe Reporter) and Sherri Burr (president of New Mexico Press Women). Admission is free and open to the public. This event is part of the ongoing Journalism, Democracy and the Informed Citizen Initiative sponsored by the New Mexico Humanities Council.
