29th Annual San Diego International Jewish Film Festival, February 9-10, 2019 at the Museum of Photographic Arts
For more information about ticketing and the festival, click here.

Saturday, February 9
7:00 PM The Price of Everything

In today’s frenetic art world, people know the price of everything, but the value of nothing. Basquiat paintings regularly fetch tens of millions of dollars; a littleknown Da Vinci sold for $450 million. But what forces are in play? Who sets these seemingly outrageous prices? Who is willing – and able- to pay such vast sums of money? Does a huge price tag make one piece more valuable than another? This film takes us to the crossroads where art meets commerce— from art studios to galleries to auction houses— to grapple with these questions and,
ultimately, to discover what society loses and gains when art becomes accessible only to the very wealthy.

Sunday, February 10
10:30 AM The N°5 War

We are all familiar with Chanel’s quilted bags, finely tailored suits and exotic perfumes, but what do we really know about Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel? Some whispered she was a Nazi collaborator; others claimed she was nothing more than a wily opportunist. However, few people are aware of the twists and turns in the story behind Chanel N°5, the iconic fragrance, and the Jewish businessmen who were an integral part of this tale. This is a story of espionage, jealousy, and protection of a well-known product and brand with an untold history.

1:00 PM Carl Laemmle

Carl Laemmle explores the colorful life of the founder of Universal Pictures, who produced silent classics like The Phantom of the Opera and the first Oscarwinning film, All Quiet on the Western Front. Laemmle was a leader on progressive issues by providing hard-to-come-by opportunities to female directors and African-American actors. But his legacy extends far beyond
Hollywood: Laemmle dedicated his personal fortune to rescuing more than 300 Jewish families from Nazi Germany. Laemmle’s life story serves as both a history lesson and an inspiration.

4:00 PM Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable

Described as a “poet,” an “athlete,” or a “philosopher” of photography, Garry Winogrand harnessed the tempo of the streets to capture the American 1960s and ‘70s. This work is the first cinematic treatment of Winogrand’s work, including selections from the thousands of rolls of underdeveloped film. Freyer’s straightforward but evocative documentary constructs an especially compelling account of Winogrand’s groundbreaking transition from photojournalism to photography as art. Photography buffs, historians and movie lovers will not want to miss this encyclopedic portrait of America.

7:00 PM Hitler versus Picasso and the Others

Narrated by famous Italian actor Toni Servillo, this film reveals the Nazis’ complex machinations for stealing “the artistic flowering of an entire culture” which they used as another way of destroying the Jews. We journey from the Degenerate Art Exhibit to the rediscovery of hundreds of famous works; we journey through five private art collections, displaying masterpieces by Picasso, Klee, Matisse, Monet, Chagall, Renoir, and Gauguin. Moving stories of witnesses’ descendants plus pithy quotes from Picasso and others bring the systematic destruction and looting of the day into focus.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
Now in its 29th year, the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival has become one of the largest and most highly acclaimed Jewish Film Festivals in the country. Today, with more than 17,000 ticket holders, SDJFF is the most widely attended annual Jewish cultural event in San Diego. The 11-day Festival features over 80 screenings of international films at five theatre venues: Reading Cinemas Town Square, Edwards San Marcos 18, Museum of Photographic Arts , Project Bar & Grill and the Garfield Theatre at the JCC.

Purchase tickets here