Stowe Jewish Film Festival Goes Virtual

Still from ‘Crescendo’ Credit: Courtesy of Menemsha Films

Now in its fifth year, the upcoming Stowe Jewish Film Festival is embracing social distancing with an all-virtual experience. And — more importantly, perhaps, for anyone who’s running out of thought-provoking streaming options — it’s free. For that, founder and cochair Edee Simon-Israel thanks “generous sponsors” and “our marketing and technology partner,” Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, which served as the fest’s venue in 2019.

The fest will last three weeks, starting May 24, with each of three films available to stream for three days.

From May 24 through 26, the festival will offer Crescendo, a German film about a fictional orchestra composed of young Israeli and Palestinian musicians. Led by a German maestro with darkness in his past, the young people must confront their political and cultural differences and find a way forward. Crescendo was an official selection of the 2020 New York Jewish Film Festival; read an interview with Israeli-German director Dror Zahavi here.

Poster for ‘My Polish Honeymoon’ Credit: Courtesy of Menemsha Films

My Polish Honeymoon (May 31 through June 2), from 2018, is a romantic comedy that takes on a dark subject. French newlyweds go to Poland to explore the home of their Jewish ancestors only to encounter a bizarre “commercialization of the Holocaust,” as the Times of Israel put it. Actor and first-time director Élise Otzenberger based the film on her own experiences.

The legacy of the Holocaust also looms large in The Samuel Project (June 7 through 9), a 2018 U.S. drama about a misfit teen who decides to make a short film about his grandfather, who lived through World War II.

It may not be light summertime fare, but the fest is bound to stir up lively living-room discussions. You can preregister to view a film or films here.