Live Events
Every Thursday at 7pm during the festival, there will be a LIVE ZOOM EVENT that gathers us together to celebrate our wonderful Central Coast community. This year's festival brings you live music, community collaborations and talented local filmmakers. LIVE ONLINE is one more way to celebrate the diversity of San Luis Obispo!
SPECIAL PRE-FESTIVAL LIVE EVENT
DRIVE-IN MOVIE
Featured Movie: DREAMING OF A JEWISH CHRISTMAS
Join us for a special screening in the parking lot of the JCC property/Temple Ner Shalom, 875 Laureate Lane, SLO. This offbeat, irreverent musical documentary tells the story of a group of Jewish songwriters, who wrote the soundtrack to Christianity’s most musical holiday. Enjoy delicious walnut rugelach from Chewy's down south or bring your own popcorn, eggnog and holiday spirit. If you prefer to sit outdoors, social distancing and masks are required. Bring your lawn chairs and plenty of blankets to snuggle under. Feel free to sing along!
LIVE-STREAMED FESTIVAL EVENTS
OPENING NIGHT CONCERT WITH BRYNN ALBANESE, SLO SYMPHONY, AND ADAM LEVINE
Featured Movies: CRESCENDO and BODY AND SOUL
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THIS LIVE ONLINE EVENT
This year, we will open our Festival community experience with music inspired by the featured films "Crescendo" and "Body and Soul". Start your evening with an overture by Brynn, followed by recorded performances from Adam Levine and the musicians of the SLO Symphony. Enjoy the range of genres, from classical to jazz that celebrates the power of music. Be certain to watch the featured films during the Festival after this beautiful and harmonious evening.
This event is hosted by ZOOM.
There were some terrific performances opening night and the musicians wanted to share the links to those performances in case you missed it, or want to enjoy them once more.
Bach E major Partida Mvt 1 Brynn Albanese from "Crescendo" - 4:09 min
Vivaldi "Winter" Mvt 1 Brynn Albanese from "Crescendo" - 3:27 min
Body and Soul Adam Levine from "Body and Soul" - 3:59 min
Adam's talk on Body and Soul
Fandango SLO Symphony - 5:29 min
A LGBTQ+ JEWISH LIFE DISCUSSION
Featured Movies: SUBLET, THE SEDER, and ALMOST LIAM
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This panel discussion will be moderated by GALA Pride and Diversity Center Executive Director, Michelle Call. Michelle will be joined by members of the community who will share their experiences on how the Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities intersect and inform one another. Panelists include:
Sari Dworkin, Ph.D. In addition to being Jewish and Queer, is a retired Professor Emerita from CSU Fresno and retired psychologist. Her career and research focused on counseling with LGBTQ patients and post retirement she has participated in local projects such as the #Out4MentalHealth Task Force and serving on the board of the Community Counseling Center. She is Chair of the Social Action Committee of Congregation Beth David and participates in the local minyan of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Rabbi Janice Mehring has been a member of the Central Coast Jewish community for over 30 years and is the rabbi at Congregation Ohr Tzafon/’Northern Light’ in Atascadero. She is a highly regarded inclusive wedding officiant and spiritual teacher. Rabbi Mehring serves on the Board of Directors of Hospice SLO, the Advisory Committee of Peace Academy of the Sciences and the Arts and is the rabbinic director of the Central Coast Community Hevra Kadisha, Jewish burial society. www.myrabbisings.com
David Weisman has been producing award-winning educational, documentary and non-fiction film and video works--focusing on issues of social awareness and environmental concern--since graduating from the NYU film school in 1983. He also specializes in oral history and is currently directing the videos for the Conservation History Association of Texas (www.texaslegacy.org) and the Central Coast Queer Archive Project (www.sloqueerarchive.org).
Marie Elizabeth Johnson is an Israeli gender therapist, model, wellness coach and social influencer. Marie has modeled and appeared on television, and is also an activist in the transgender community as the first mature transgender model to achieve some mainstream success.
This event is hosted via ZOOM.
SHABBAT SERVICES TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Featured Movie: THEY AIN'T READY FOR ME
Tune in for Shabbat services dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. Please contact CBD (805) 544-0760 or [email protected] for details on how you can be a part of the service.
The featured film illustrates how a single voice in the community can change the world.
MLK DAY MOVIE AND DISCUSSION
Featured Movie: TRUE JUSTICE: BRYAN STEVENSON'S FIGHT FOR EQUALITY
FREE MOVIE LINK HERE
Co-sponsored by Social Action and Adult Education Committees of Congregation Beth David, the JCC-Federation of SLO and People of Faith for Justice. "True Justice" chronicles Stevenson’s struggle to create greater fairness in the system and to show how racial injustice emerged, evolved, and continues to threaten our country. It challenges viewers to join him in creating a new and brighter future by re-examining our history and promoting conversation about the role of race in our past and present.
To join in the post film conversation please reach out to CBD to receive instructions and the link to the live ZOOM meeting. (805) 544-0760 or [email protected].
LOCAL FILMMAKERS FORUM
Featured Movies: BOTSO, SUMMER IN THE COUNTRY and 8 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
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The Central Coast community is host to many creative, talented artists and among those are some remarkable filmmakers. This forum will include the talent behind our two free films generously shared with the Festival this year. Jody Belsher, the director/producer of the documentary film "Summer in the Country," Tom Walters (director) and Randi Barros (editor) of the award winning documentary "Botso: The Teacher from Tblisi." We will also be joined student filmmaker Max Rogoff, director of "8 Days of Christmas." The discussion will focus on the challenges of indie filmmaking, making movies during Covid, cinema and cancel culture, and the future of filmmaking in a world of accessible, quality technology and what about the Oscars? Hosted by SLOJFF Co-Director, Muara C. Johnston.
This event is hosted via ZOOM.
CLOSING NIGHT: A RABBI EXPLAINS
Featured Movie: COMMANDMENT 613
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