Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival begins Jan. 14

The 16th annual Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival will run Jan. 14-29.
 
The host venue for the majority of the festival’s films is the Adelson Educational Campus, 9700 Hillpointe Road, in Summerlin.
 
The opening night screening is “On the Map,” the true story of the 1977 Israeli Maccabi Basketball team that made history by beating the Soviet Red Army team and winning their first European title. “On the Map” will take place at 7 p.m.  Jan. 14 in the Brenden Theatres in the Palms Casino Resort, 4321 W. Flamingo Road. The film’s director, Dani Menkin, will be in attendance to conduct a dialogue with the audience after the screening.
 
Highlights of the 2017 LVJFF include a tribute to Kirk Douglas in honor of his 100th birthday and lifetime achievement in cinema and Jewish philanthropy. His 1953 film “The Juggler” about a Holocaust Survivor who immigrates to Israel will be shown at 1 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Adelson Educational Campus and is co-presented by the Jewish National Fund.
 
The most popular film at Jewish film festivals this year, “The Women’s Balcony,” will be shown at 7 p.m. Jan. 19, at the Cinemark Theatres in the South Point Hotel and Casino, 9777 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
 
Another presentation is “And When I Die, I Won’t Stay Dead,” a new documentary film by Billy Woodberry about black, Jewish Beat poet Bob Kaufman (1925-1986). This screening is co-presented by Clark County Poet Laureate and Nevada State College. The film will be moderated by former San Francisco Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman and Clark County Poet Laureate Bruce Isaacson. It will be shown at 1 p.m. Jan. 20, in Building 200 of Nevada State College, 1300 Nevada State Drive, and again at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Adelson Educational Campus.
 
All films will be accompanied by the filmmakers, or related experts in the subject matter, who will provide introductions and moderate post-screening discussions with the audience.
 
The LVJFF is produced by Desert Space Foundation and the Adelson Educational Campus with major support provided by the Adelson Family Foundation, Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, Israeli American Council, National Endowment for the Humanities, Nevada Humanities, and Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada, Imagine Communications, and Poet Laureate of Clark County. Additional support comes from numerous individual donors and participating local organizations.
 
LVJFF passes are $50, and individual tickets are $10. All students and education professionals are invited to attend for free.
 
For more detailed information, visit lvjff.org.