The Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival has come a long way since Fagie Rosen and Burt Epstein started the cultural event with four movies in 1992. The 25th annual edition, which kicks off Thursday, will feature 39 movies and special events taking place over three weeks.
“What began as a small film series has, after 25 years, grown to be the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival that we have today,” said Tzvia Shelef, executive director of the nonprofit SVJFF. Now retired, Rosen and Epstein continue to volunteer at the festival and will be there for many of this year’s events. “For their work, we will always be grateful,” Shelef said.
The festival opens appropriately Thursday night with “Celebration: The Story of Israeli Cinema,” at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto. Other special events in the festival include “Potsdam Revisited: Overture to the Cold War” on Nov. 12, which will include a performance by violinist Stuart Canin, who played at the Postdam Conference in 1945 when he was a 19-year-old soldier; and writer Amos Oz on Nov. 16 talking about “A Tale of Love and Darkness,” the movie based on his autobiographical novel that stars and was directed by Natalie Portman. The festival closes Nov. 20 with “The Last Laugh,” director Ferne Pearlstein‘s documentary about the relationship between humor and the Holocaust.
Screenings will take place at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center and at the AMC Saratoga 14 at San Jose’s El Paseo de Saratoga Shopping Center. For schedule and ticket information, visit the festival’s website, www.svjff.org.
‘ROCKY HORROR’ ON STAGE: If you skipped Fox’s dismal remake of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” — or maybe if you saw it — you might want to cleanse your palate with director/producer Matty Gregg‘s live production of “The Rocky Horror Show,” which opens a two-weekend run Thursday at San Jose Stage.
The show will make extensive use of “virtual scenery,” with a giant 17-foot by 10-foot screen serving as the set, essentially, accompanied by strobe lighting and other effects, choreographer Monique Mallicoat timing the dance numbers and stage blocking to sync with the electronic elements.
Following the opening, midnight shows are planned for every performance night and those will include costume contests for the audience (with a “Rocky” red iPod touch as the prize for the winner). There also will be guest narrators at each of the 10 performances, and TV newsman Frank Mallicoat — who joined KTVU this year after five years at KPIX — will do the honors for a special midnight show on Halloween Night. (If you were wondering, choreographer Monique is his wife).
Tickets are $35-$50, with a portion of proceeds going to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and its fight to beat childhood cancer. They’re available at the door or online at www.rockyhorrortickets.com.
MUSICAL INTERLUDES: The Trianon Theatre in downtown San Jose isn’t exactly rockin’, but some sublime music will be filling its auditorium in the coming week. You can get tuned up Sunday night when the San Jose Chamber Music Society opens its season at 7 p.m. with the Vienna Piano Trio, featuring Santa Rosa native David McCarroll as their new violinist, performing selections from Brahms, Mozart and Schubert. Get more details and tickets at sjchambermusic.org.
And then Oct. 30, the San Jose Chamber Orchestra will perform the Krommer Concerto for Two Clarinets with father-son clarinetists. Jon Manasse, probably best known in the South Bay for his performances with celebrated pianist Jon Nakamatsu, will be joined in the concert by his 17-year-old son, Alec, who will soon be off to Julliard. You can find out more about the 7 p.m. concert at sjco.org — and feel free to bring your dad!
FRIGHTFULLY FUN: The San Jose Downtown Association has pulled off a pre-Halloween trick and delivered a pretty good treat: Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has been added to its outdoor movie series at St. James Park on Oct. 29. Pre-movie fun will include Halloween-themed games, music and pumpkin-decorating around 5:15 p.m. and the movie will start about an hour later.
It’s free, but be sure to bring a blanket as the autumn evening could get a little chilly.
HONOR NIGHT: Education nonprofit ALearn honored four outstanding students and educators Wednesday night at its annual Dream Makers Dinner at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. Lizbeth Martínez, a seventh-grader at Bernal Intermediate School in San Jose, was recognized as ALearn’s Outstanding Math Acceleration Program Student, and Los Altos High ninth-grader Jacquelin Ramírez was honored as the Outstanding Catalyst High School Student.
Edgar Chavarria, a San Jose State student, received the award for Outstanding Teaching Assistant for his work with the Catalyst High School class at Independence High School, which is also his alma mater. And Paul Moss, a ninth-grade math teacher at San Jose’s Yerba Buena High, was presented with the Outstanding Teacher award. And they all shared the spotlight with ALearn’s Dream Makers honoree, former Aglient CEO Ned Barnholt.
CLOUD CONNECTION FOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION: Google executive Diane Greene, who is the leader of the company’s cloud businesses, will receive the Pioneer Business Leader award from the Silicon Valley Education Foundation on Nov. 9. Greene, who co-founded and was CEO of VMware for a decade, serves on the boards of Alphabet, Intuit and Khan Academy.
Former Symantec CEO John Thompson, who serves on SVEF’s advisory board, says Greene’s commitment to combining technology and education make her an excellent selection. “She combines a passion for both worlds in making a positive impact in the lives of others,” he said.
The 12th annual Pioneers & Purpose Celebration for Education dinner at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center will start with a 5:30 p.m. cocktail reception. Tickets to the event, which regularly draws a who’s-who of Silicon Valley corporate and education leaders, are $500 each and support the foundation’s various programs. Get more details online at svefoundation.org.
ON THE LOOKOUT: If you think you see Michael Phelps, Simone Biles or Shaquille O’Neal walking around downtown San Jose this coming week, you might not be seeing things. The sports stars — along with “Tipping Point” author Malcolm Gladwell, fitness guru Jillian Michaels, actress America Ferrera and skateboarding legend Tony Hawk — are all scheduled to take part in Intuit’s QuickBooks Connect conference at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. San Francisco’s Third Eye Blind are lined up to play Tuesday night’s ConnectFest celebration, too.
