The 18th annual Long Beach Jewish Film Festival celebrates the best in Jewish films from around the world. The Film Festival will kick-off with a special in-person Premiere Night event on Wednesday, November 3, with a screening of the 2019 fashion documentary Mrs. G, followed by guest speaker Wendy Manasse.
Mrs. G is a documentary about Mrs. Lea Gottlieb, a Holocaust survivor who established a small factory in Israel in 1956 to design swimwear and beach outfits. This was the start of what became the Gottex swimwear empire, which was the leading exporter of swimwear to the United States and valued at $60 million in 1991.
Manasse, a local fundraiser, philanthropist, and self-proclaimed cheerleader, spent her first career as a fashion designer, making her mark in swimwear. Over that time, she grew from a designer to merchandiser and ultimately to president of design and development for a multitude of top swimwear labels that included Jantzen and Catalina, and worked with fashion icons Anne Cole, Oscar de la Renta, and Ralph Lauren.
As a former board member at Jewish Family & Children’s Service Long Beach (JFCS) she created and underwrote “RUNWAY: the beauty of helping others,” a fashion show fundraiser benefiting JFCS for seven years. Manasse is deeply connected to the CSULB and Long Beach City College fashion departments.
“Lea Gottlieb was brilliant! She created engineered prints like a true artist–making each suit a masterpiece … and her concept to add incredible matching cover-ups and sportswear to each collection changed the future of how both manufacturers and customers created and bought swimwear,” said Manasse.
In addition to the film screening and talk, Jewish Long Beach and Alpert JCC leaders will announce their plans to “Dream With Us” as the two iconic Long Beach-area agencies continue their landmark integration process.
After the premiere night, Long Beach Jewish Film Festival continues virtually streaming five films from varying genres over the span of three weeks from November 3 – 21.
MOVIE SELECTION (Descriptions from IMDB):
November 3–7
MRS. G, 2019, DIRECTOR: DALIT KIMOR
(Documentary)
Mrs. Lea Gottlieb, the legendary designer, founder, and owner of the Gottex swimwear empire. The film follows her complex relationships with her two daughters, and her unbridled passion, for which she paid a heavy price.
Language: Hebrew, English Subtitles
November 6–10
PERSIAN LESSONS, 2020, DIRECTOR: VADIM PERELMAN
(Drama/War)
A young Jewish man pretends to be Iranian to avoid being executed in a concentration camp.
Language: German/French, English Subtitles
November 10–14
KISS ME KOSHER, 2020, DIRECTOR: SHIREL PELEG
(Romantic Comedy)
When two generations of Israeli women fall for a German woman and a Palestinian man, chaos follows. What happens with lovers who don’t fit but do belong together?
Language: Hebrew/German, English Subtitles
November 13–17
THEY AIN’T READY FOR ME, 2020, DIRECTOR: BRAD ROTHSCHILD
(Documentary/Social Issues)
The story of Tamar Manasseh, the black rabbinical student who leads the fight against gun violence on the south side of Chicago. Tamar’s identity and personality combine to make her a force to be reckoned with.
Language: English
November 17–21
LOVE IN SUSPENDERS, 2019, DIRECTOR: YOHANAN WELLER
(Romantic Comedy)
Tami is a widow in her 60s and Beno is a widower in his 70s. They are both still suffering from the loss of their loved ones, but disregarding their differences in lifestyle and personality, they eventually fall in love.
Language: Hebrew, English Subtitles
There are limited tickets available to the In-Person Premiere Night to be held at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Jewish Long Beach Campus (3801 E. Willow St., Long Beach), November 3. Please buy tickets by October 30, or until capacity is met. $18 per person/$15 for AJCC members. All visitors will have to present proof of vaccination before entering the building.
Film Festival Pass – includes streaming for all five films, plus admission to Premiere Night and VIP Lounge: $65/$50 for AJCC members. Individual films are available for $15/$12 AJCC members. Visit https://alpertjcc.org/filmfestival/ for the official selection.
AJCC and Jewish Long Beach provide programming for all ages and stages of life. Known as “Your Center for Life,” The Alpert JCC provides a gathering space in which all are welcome to pursue early childhood education, after-school programs, fitness programs, aquatics activities, and summer camp, as well as to engage in Jewish life, culture, and education.