The Mobile Jewish Film Festival will show several contemporary films at the University of South Alabama, Mobile and Fairhope venues to celebrate its 14th year anniversary. The films will be screened Jan. 9-23. The film festival is sponsored by The Mobile Area Jewish Federation and the University of South Alabama.

Festival tickets are $8 for adults per screening and $6 for students and seniors. Tickets will also be sold at the door.Tickets can be purchased by calling (251) 343-7197, or order tickets by visiting http://mobilejewishfederation.org/mobile-jewish-film-festival/.
 
The 2014 contemporary films shown at USA are listed below:

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m. John W. Laidlaw Performing Arts Center, USA Main Campus-“Suskind” tells the gripping story of a Jewish industrialist who saved hundreds of Dutch children from the death camps during WWII. Joining the Jewish Council charged with the devil’s work of overseeing the orderly transfer of fellow Jews, “Suskind” exploits his position to protect his family and maneuver some 600 children to safety. Earlier this year, “Suskind” was voted best features film at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Roy Hoffman, author and journalist will lead a discussion after the film.

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. John W. Laidlaw Performing Arts Center, USA Main Campus-“Fill The Void” features 18-year-old Shira, the youngest daughter of his Hassidic family is about to be married off to a promising  young man. Her sister, Esther, dies while giving birth to the first grandchild and the pain and grief that overwhelms the family postpones Shira’s promised match. Talk of the son-in-law leaving the country with the baby prompts the mother to propose a match between Shira and the widower. The New York Times calls the film both accessible and thrilling. Rabbi Steven Silberman will introduce the film.

Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. John W. Laidlaw Performing Arts Center, USA Main Campus-“The Other Son” is about Joseph preparing to join the Israeli army for his national service. He discovers he is not his parents’ biological son, but that he was inadvertently switched at birth with Yassin, the son of a Palestinian family from the West Bank. This moving and provocative film has been shown at numerous festivals around the country. A dessert reception will follow the film.

Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. Springhill Avenue Temple-And, for the first time, the Mobile Jewish Film Festival will present a “Sneak Preview.” The title of the film hasn’t been disclosed, but it will be shown at numerous film festivals in 2014. Admission is free, but reservations must be made at (251) 343-7197.

The Mobile Jewish Film Festival will include The Julien E. Marx Student Holocaust Film Series to be held at UMS-Wright Preparatory School, St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Davidson High School, Bayside Academy and St. Dominic Catholic School. This student film series will again teach the lessons of the Holocaust to more than 2,000 students. Organizers of the festival will provide a copy of the film, “We Remember.” There is no cost to the schools.

To view trailers of all films and find out more about the films, visit http://mobilejewishfederation.org/mobile-jewish-film-festival/.

For more information about the Mobile Jewish Film Festival, contact Rickie Voit at (251) 533-4931 and Barry Silverman at (251) 479-3331.