Festival to Take Place Thursday, Jan. 14 through Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010 at Various Locations*

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 2009) – Star-crossed love in a Jaffa garage. A vibrant Jewish community discovered in the remote Amazon jungle. A man who saved 1,700 people, prosecuted as a traitor. Japanese schoolchildren unravel the mystery of a little girl’s suitcase from Auschwitz. Lemon trees become a bitter divide in the search for peace. These captivating tales are included among 17 unique and award-winning comedies, dramas and documentaries awaiting movie-goers at the 9th annual Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival.

The 18 day festival will take place Jan. 14 through Jan. 31, 2010. Most films will be screened in the stadium-style theater at The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Educational Campus in Summerlin and presented by Las Vegas-based Jewish agencies, organizations and synagogues. Additional screenings will be held at Cinemark Century Theaters at the South Point Hotel Casino and UNLV Greenspun Hall. Each film will be moderated by film makers and special guests who will conduct post screening dialogue with audiences.

“Great cinema is a catalyst for introspection. To be enlightened and entertained through narrative and documentary stories that portray our shared humanity from a Jewish perspective is intended to uplift community consciousness and reveal alternative possibilities for our most pressing concerns,” says Joshua Abbey, managing director, Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival and executive director of the Jewish Family Service Agency. “By focusing on the potential of art to benefit social causes, an exemplar is proposed challenging us as individuals to become more engaged in the creation of our zeitgeist.”

The Jewish Family Services Agency (JFSA) is positioned to be the sole recipient of all donations received to support the Jewish film festival. JFSA is a comprehensive, non-sectarian, social service agency. Funded through grants and donations the JFSA provides food, jobs, counseling, emergency aid, adoption, indigent burials, Holocaust Survivor support and educational outreach through the Holocaust Resource Center.

The Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival is produced by Desert Space Foundation and Jewish Family Service Agency and supported by numerous corporate and individual sponsorships along with grants from The Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.jfsalv.org.

*Promotional photos and media passes are available for all movies.

ABOUT JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES AGENCY

JFSA is a comprehensive, non-sectarian, social service agency. Funded through grants and donations the Jewish Family Service agency provides food, jobs, counseling, emergency aid, adoption, indigent burials, Holocaust Survivor support and educational outreach through the Holocaust Resource Center. All this is achieved through dedication to the highest values of our shared humanity manifested in respect for the dignity and viability of every individual. For more information, go to www.jfsalv.org.

Jewish Family Service Agency
(702) 732-0304