It takes many hands to get something done and nobody knows that more than Robert Albanese. The Vancouver Jewish Film Festival, better known as VJFF is migrating its way to Vancouver and Robert is locked in the control room. With all the buttons, flashing lights and levers to pull, practice is essential to running the machine. Luckily Robert Albanese has an entire team helping with the heavy lifting but it’s his experience as Executive Director and Artistic Director that has allowed for a successful experience year after year.
When a film festival arrives in town, it is the equivalent to a carnival if you’re an Indie film fan. The films are the seeds that grew into plants and meant to be enjoyed for the first time; for their message, their story, their awakening and the emotion they trigger. I like to think of myself as a tough guy, so I never bring Kleenex… the girlfriend is always impressed. These films will impact you in ways you can’t imagine and will have you talking about them for days.
The VJFF is a community-building initiative of the Vancouver Jewish Film Centre Society and is the longest running Jewish film festival in Canada. Film has emerged as the most engaging art form of our era and the Vancouver Jewish Film Centre screens the best of world cinema, while encouraging multicultural interaction with programming that appeals to a wide audience base.
The festival starts on February 27 – March 8th and you can still purchase tickets and view the festivals schedule at https://www.vjff.org/
“This is the longest running Jewish film festival in Canada. How many years has the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival been running?”
“This is our 31st festival run coming up on Feb. 27.”
“How many submissions do you receive on average?”
“We’ve sorted between 300-350 submissions.”
“What size of team is required to sort the films and what is that process like?”
“As the Artistic Director, I have the bulk of the viewing as well as having a screening committee that would view the shorter list. That would consist of 8-10 people to go through the screeners.”
“How long have you been involved and how did you get involved?”
“I was brought on 10 years ago. I was recruited as Executive Director and Artistic Director. I was lured away from the Vancouver International Film Festival.”
“How many categories/genre of films does the festival receive?”
“Being a Jewish film festival, we focus on Jewish values, Jewish content and also films that explore sustainability and food security; whenever we come across films like that we like to highlight them. Films with marginal members of society, we also like to share. Essentially it’s the festival’s goal to transpire, connect and build bridges. We try to cast a wide a net as possible that fits within our mandate.”
“Are there awards for every category?”
“We’re not an awards based film festival. We are an audience participatory festival and the most popular film is voted on by the audience.”
“How soon after this festival ends do you have to begin preparations for next year?”
“It’s ongoing, I never really stop because it is such a niche market. That has been changing as viewing has evolved with streaming and Netflix. At any given time there are probably three dozen films that would fit into the current available festival categories. Although we have an annual film festival we also screen films monthly, so there’s always a need to look out for new films.”
“How many venues will be screening the films?”
“We don’t have competing venues and won’t be having simultaneous screenings at more than one location. We screen for ten days and are splitting our time between the Fifth Avenue Cineplex and the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre. The Fifth Avenue Cineplex has rebranded itself 3 years ago as an adult location with a liquor license and is a 19 + venue.”
“What can attendees to the festival expect to find apart from the films?”
“We have a reputation for being a well curated festival. In spite of our size we bring quality production values to our audience. We have guest speakers coming in, such as Daniel Roher, the director of the Robbie Robertson documentary (Once Were Brothers) as well; the co-directors of The Rabbi Goes West will also be here. We have panel discussions around the film, Sustainable Nation about water and food security through irrigation. We have the founder of Sustainability in Vancouver who recently won a BC Humanitarian Award and will be on the panel. Julia Hunter who is the CEO of Food Stash, an organization that distributes food in Vancouver and she will also be on the panel. There will be a number of other panels with audience participation. We’re very fortunate this year that we have three of our film selections that were also submitted by their individual countries to the Oscars for consideration.”
In addition to the vast selection of films, guest speakers and panels, there are also directors, writers and producers in attendance. There are comedies, narrative features and thought provoking documentaries that will captivate you while informing you. Bring your appetite for a full experience that will include special screenings and hosted receptions for opening and closing events. This year there is a special screening for the late Peter Oberlander (architect and Canada’s first professor of Urban and Regional Planning). Some of the films to bring your popcorn to are, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, the unforgettable drama that is based on a true story; Incitement, the provocative drama submitted from Israel and the short-listed film, Those Who Remain submitted by Hungary and lastly, the comedy Tel Aviv On Fire submitted by Luxemburg.
“When you go to the theatre, what’s your favourite snack that you must have?”
“I kind of like having popcorn with glosette raisins inside. I’ve always been a sweet and savory kind of guy. If there’s salt n vinegar or other toppings, I’m down with that too.”
I had a brother-in-law that liked milk duds and popcorn. On a personal note, I think somebody should capitalize on these chocolaty popcorn toppings and corner the market on our creature comforts.
“Is it rewarding to be in a position to have an impact on what is represented at the festival?”
“I have to say that it’s a very humbling feeling to be able to bring really wonderful films to an audience and have them appreciated. It’s certainly the reason I’m still here doing it.”
Robert continues, “I first started running a Repertory Theatre in Montreal in my early 20’s and I’ve stuck with exhibition for a number of years and I’ve always wanted to get more involved with programming.”
“Have you seen a constant increase in submissions every year?”
“In terms of more Jewish films every year, yes. The quality of the filmmaking keeps getting better, whether it’s independent or otherwise.”
“How do you go about advertising for new submissions half way round the world?”
“The job has become much easier since the internet and it’s really been a matter of building up networks. I’ve been doing this for decades so I have a big resource of filmmakers and distributors along with a good reputation for showing good films and I keep my research on an ongoing basis. There are over 200 Jewish film festivals every year in North America, so we also have a network of presenters that we communicate regularly with.”
“What can we expect on opening night?”
“We’re opening with, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit that will be followed by a hosted reception and the same goes for closing night; there will be a red carpet with the addition of a kids ‘red carpet’ on closing night.”
“Are there any films that stand out at this years festival that have surprised you?”
“Yes, I have to say that as far as historically speaking, 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and the end of WWII in 1945. A lot of people did survive, so there’s been an increase in true survivor stories. That was one component that stood out this year and another was the issue around sustainability and climate change. We’ve had several films that have come across my desk that we were able to include this year that was well timed and appreciated. Seeing the documentary filmmakers providing us with the much needed educational tools is very helpful.”
“Is there a genre of film that has more submissions than others?”
“We’re pretty divided by narrative and documentary with the narrative taking a slight lead in attendance. The political films are always well attended but in general, we receive all the comment cards back after each showing that indicate well it was received. Last year, 96 percent of the participants responded to the comment cards. It’s hard to please all the people all the time but I think we do a pretty good job.”
“Is there a film at the festival you want to encourage people to watch?”
“That’s a loaded question (laughing). If you want to explore true stories from survivors then our opening film, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is told from a 10 yr. old refugee perspective. Another good one is, My Name is Sara, which is another true story about a 12 yr. old girl that survived by hiding in plain sight. It’s an amazing body of work in acting by this young 13 yr. old. It’s staggeringly good. Politically speaking, the comedy, Tel Aviv on Fire is fabulous; Sustainable Nation is also an eye opener, as is Picture of His Life about an underwater photographer and possibly the best in the world that travels to the arctic to photograph the polar bear and the amount of swimming they now have to do to fish/eat.”
This is the film festival you’ve been waiting for, so get out there and celebrate the art of film and all it encompasses.