The 20th Annual Tucson International Jewish Film Festival, which will run Jan. 20-30, will open with “Who Do You Love,” a behind-the-scenes look at the brothers who started the legendary Chess Records, launching the careers of Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Etta James, Churck Berry and others. It will be shown at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway.
Most screenings, which include documentaries, comedies and dramas from around the world, including the Unites States, Israel, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland and France, will be held at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Road.
On Sunday, Jan. 9, there will be a preview screening in SaddleBrooke, co-presented by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Northwest Jewish Division, of “A Matter of Size,” a favorite at last year’s festival, along with the short “Second Guessing Grandma.” The preview will be held at Desert Performing Arts Center, 38759 S. Mountain View Blvd, with showings at 2:15 and 7 p.m.
The Israel Center will co-present “An Article of Hope” on Sunday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. The film commemorates the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, in which Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, was killed.
Dancer/choreographer Anna Halprin, 90, will be the special guest at the showing of the film “Breath Made Visible,” which chronicles her career, on Sunday, Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. Halprin will lead a dance workshop culminating in a performance of the Planetary Dance, on Saturday, Jan. 22, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. ($100, includes lunch).
Other films include “Nora’s Will,” in which a Mexican Jewish woman forces her husband, Jose, to deal with her suicide on the eve of Passover on Sunday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. (see review under Arts & Culture), and “The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground,” a four-year journey with the band, on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
The Fabulous Faygeleh LGBT Film Series, with three films including a documentary about children’s author Maurice Sendak, “Tell Them Anything You Want,” will be held Sunday, Jan. 30 beginning at 1 p.m. at Grand Cinemas Crossroads, 4811 E. Grant Road.
Tickets are $8 and festival passes are $85. Other discounts are available. For more information including a complete schedule, go to www.tucsonjewishfilmfestival.org or call 615-5432.
