The 24th annual Boston Jewish Film Festival will present 45 films from Nov. 7-19, ranging from an upbeat documentary about one of the world’s best known songs to edgy women’s films to an American classic hand-picked by a theatre giant to a shorts film competition to many exciting debuts from directors.   A worldwide selection of film from the U.S., Israel, Argentina, Canada, France, Germany, Nigeria, Russia and South Africa will screen at Greater Boston area theatres with panel dis...

IFFBoston 2011 began, as has become custom, with a Theremin player on stage in front of a boisterously filling auditorium in the Somerville Theater.  This time, there was just that little extra hint of nervous energy, coming from the uncharacteristic attendance of the littlest members of the crowd.  This Opening Night crowd included more children than most.  The kids are here to see, and anxiously anticipating the arrival of, their favorite Muppet, Elmo. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey...

Monday at IFFBoston 2010 brings two vastly different screenings to Somerville’s small Cinema 5.  8: The Mormon Proposition lays out the political battles surrounding the recent Proposition 8 in California.  The purpose of Prop 8 was to repeal the existing right of marriage for same-sex couples.  In the days that followed the vote on the confusingly worded text - where supporters needed to vote “no” and opponents were to vote “yes” – it became known that the Prop 8 campaign had bee...

At the Opening Night party for Independent Film Festival Boston 2008, I asked Managing Director Brian Tamm about the festival’s selection process and whether they keep any themes in mind when filling out the schedule.  His response was: “We just try to select the best films we can. You guys [the press] tell us what the themes are.” Well, let’s see what they came up with. With the Opening Night thriller’s frostbitten Siberian north (Transsiberian) and the Closing Nig...

Interview with Chip Hourihan/Producer (along with Heather Rae) of "Frozen River by Sharon AbellaBio:Chip Hourihan is the producer (along with Heather Rae) of "Frozen River", winner of The Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, 2008 Gotham Independent Film Award (Best Feature), FIPRESCI Prize, and Best Feature Awards at the Hamburg, San Sebastián, Provincetown , and Stockholm Film Festivals. "Frozen River" was released theatrically in 2008 by Sony Pictures Classics and in 2009 by R...

CDIA Showcases Best Student Films at the Independent Film Festival of BostonThe Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University will be showcasing a selection of the year's best student films to emerge from its Digital Filmmaking Program on Saturday, April 26, 11:30 a.m. at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, Somerville, MA. The event is free and open to the public. Films will be covering a wide variety of genres - from documentary to fiction, from experimental to public service announc...

The Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston) today announced the films that will be featured at the 2008 Independent Film Festival of Boston. The sixth annual festival will be held April 23-April 29, 2008. This year, to meet the demands of its growing audience, IFFBoston has expanded its slate to include 96 films. The festival, complete with over 150 film screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, parties and events will showcase the works of filmmakers wh...

The Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston) today announced the films that will be featured at the 2008 Independent Film Festival of Boston. The sixth annual festival will be held April 23-April 29, 2008. This year, to meet the demands of its growing audience, IFFBoston has expanded its slate to include 96 films. The festival, complete with over 150 film screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, parties and events will showcase the works of filmmakers wh...

The Boston Indie Film Festival 2006: Gritty, Noirish, and FunBy Julian PetersonThe 4th annual Independent Film Festival shuttered April 23 after six days of films, galas, and workshops. The Festival grows steadily each year as evidenced by the round the block lines at the Somerville Theater and an array of corporate sponsors. But the festival is refreshingly free of the corporate definition of "independent", which in other festivals have threatened a truly independent agenda. The hard work and...

INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL OF BOSTON ANNOUNCES 2005 PROGRAM LINE-UPThe Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFB) today announced the films that will be featured at the 2005 Independent Film Festival of Boston. The third annual festival will be held April 21-April 24, 2005. The four day festival, complete with over 100 film screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, parties and events will showcase the works of unknown filmmakers who seek to create films that are ...