Jewish films to go online

October 29, 2008

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is launching a project to put hundreds of Jewish movies online.

In addition to films, the festival’s Web site, http://www.sfjff.org, will offer other streaming media, educational materials, social networking resources and a forum for new Jewish stories and films created specifically for emerging media platforms.

The first $200,000 in funding for the project, called the New Media Initiative, will come from Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation and the New York-based Charles H. Revson Foundation. The Spielberg foundation pledged $100,000 and Revson provided a matching grant.

The initial phase will launch in June in advance of the 29th annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Starting with some 1,200 titles from its 28-year history, the festival will provide online clips from hundreds of rare and independent Jewish-themed films and offer a select number of titles for full viewing.

“We’re extremely excited to bring what SFJFF has always been recognized for in our theaters – excellence in filmmaking, engaged and diverse audiences, rich educational content, and bridge-building through film – to the boundless channels of online media,” festival executive director Peter Stein said. “We’re thrilled to have the support of such forward-looking philanthropic foundations as we start our work.”

The festival will partner with Reframe, a project of the Tribeca Film Institute, to begin showcasing its offerings.

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