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Author: Admin4HKJFF2

September 4, 2025

Cookies for Life

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""] 10 November, Monday 7:00pm [su_spacer size="10"] Docudrama, Reenactment [su_button url="https://www.emperorcinemas.com/showtimes?wapid=ECML_WEB_PROD_S_MPS&filmUniqueId=51db4ebb128b" target="blank" style="flat" radius="0" background="#fa0f0c" color="#FFFFFF" size="8"]Tickets[/su_button]   [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation="none" css=""]SYNOPSIS: On October 7th at 6:29 a.m. Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. 15 militants came to the town of Ofakim and killed 27 civilians and 5 police officers. In this hybrid film, filmmaker Zohar Wagner (”Savoy”) tells the story of Rachel Edri, kept hostage in her home, along with her husband David. Using reenactments of the events in the house, which has been recreated as an exact replica, and with Rachel acting as “director” of her own scenes, Cookies for Life shows how Rachel used her resourcefulness, cunning, sense of humor and improvisation skills to survive the 20 hour attack. [su_spacer size="5"] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""] SPONSORED by The Silverberg-Lee Family SUPPORTED by Israeli Consul General of Hong Kong and Macau [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""]ISRAEL | 2024 | DOCUDRAMA, REENACTMENT Hebrew | Arabic | English subtitles | 53 mins VENUE: Emperor Cinemas Entertainment Building [su_spacer size="3"] Tickets: HKD 120 (Students/Seniors HKD 100) [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] CREDITS: Director: Zohar Wagner Screenwriters: Rachel Edri, Zohar Wagner Producers: Aviram Avraham, Erez Ben Harus, Dafna Danenberg, Benny Menashe Cast: Rachel Edri, Meirav Gruber, Albert Iluz [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

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BLISS (Hemda) Poster
September 4, 2025

Bliss

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""] 11 November, Tuesday 8:50pm [su_spacer size="10"] Drama   [su_button url="https://www.emperorcinemas.com/showtimes?wapid=ECML_WEB_PROD_S_MPS&filmUniqueId=ec0b8000cbf4" target="blank" style="flat" radius="0" background="#fa0f0c" color="#FFFFFF" size="8"]Tickets[/su_button] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation="none" css=""]SYNOPSIS: In Bliss, veteran filmmaker Shemi Zarhin tells the story of a long-married couple grappling with love, aging, and unresolved pasts. Sassi (Sasson Gabay, Shtisel), left impotent after surgery, clings to his bond with Effi (Asi Levi, In Therapy), who believes their emotional connection is enough—until unexpected visitors unsettle their fragile balance. When their troubled grandson returns and a figure from Effi’s past reappears, long-buried tensions come to light. Blending humor and heartbreak, Bliss explores how love endures—and evolves—under pressure. [su_spacer size="10"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] SPONSORED by Anonymous SUPPORTED by Israeli Consul General of Hong Kong and Macau [su_spacer size="15"] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""]ISRAEL | 2024 | DRAMA Hebrew | |Arabic | English subtitles | 88 mins VENUE: Emperor Cinemas Times Square Tickets: HKD 120 (Students/Seniors HKD 100) [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] CREDITS: Director: SHEMI ZARHIN Screenwriter: Shemi Zarhin Producers: Moshe Edery Cast: Sasson Gabay, Asi Levi [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] [su_spacer size="15"] AWARDS: Gabay and Levy are nominated for  Ophir Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

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Bad-Shabbos Poster
September 4, 2025

Bad Shabbos

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""] 9 November, Sunday 7:50pm [su_spacer size="10"] Comedy [su_button url="https://goldenscene.com/movie/f50c7b90-4d59-4fbd-a075-8dacf7983e3c/Bad%20Shabbos%20(HKJFF2025))" target="blank" style="flat" radius="0" background="#fa0f0c" color="#FFFFFF" size="8"]Tickets[/su_button]   [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"] [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css_animation="none" css=""] [su_spacer size="15"] SYNOPSIS: Kyra Sedgwick and Method Man lead a stellar ensemble in this darkly hilarious comedy set on the Upper West Side, the quintessential progressive New York Jewish neighborhood. When David and his non-Jewish fiancée introduce their families over a Friday night meal, what’s meant to be a warm family shabbos gathering spirals into total chaos after a sudden mishap. Bad Shabbos turns one family’s sacred ritual into a wildly funny night of cover-ups, confusion, and unexpected connection. The film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.[su_spacer size="10"] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""] SPONSORED by The Zion Family SUPPORTED by US Consulate of Hong Kong and Macau [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"] Comedy | 2024 | USA English | 84 Minutes VENUE: Golden Scene Cinema Tickets: HKD 120 - Students/Seniors HKD 100 [su_spacer size="10"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""] [su_spacer size="15"] CREDITS: Director: Daniel Robbins Screenwriters: Daniel Robbins, Zack Weiner Producers: Joaquin Acrich co-executive producer Irina Dashevsky executive producer Riccardo Maddalosso executive producer Adam Mitchell producer Derek Rubin executive producer Ross Saxon co-producer / executive producer Cast: Milana Vayntrub, Kyra Sedgwick, David Paymer, Method Man [su_spacer size="10"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] [su_spacer size="15"] AWARDS: Audience Award Tribeca Film Festival 2024 [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

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All-I-Had-Was-Nothingness Poster
September 2, 2025

All I Had Was Nothingness

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""] 11 November, Tuesday 7:00pm [su_spacer size="10"] Documentary [su_button url="https://www.emperorcinemas.com/showtimes?wapid=ECML_WEB_PROD_S_MPS&filmUniqueId=1a2c95dbc57e" target="blank" style="flat" radius="0" background="#fa0f0c" color="#FFFFFF" size="8"]Tickets[/su_button]   [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation="none" css=""] SYNOPSIS: All I Had Was Nothingness is a reflection on Claude Lanzmann’s landmark Holocaust documentary Shoah, on its 40th anniversary. Revealing the untold story behind Shoah’s making, using previously unseen footage from the masterpiece, and Lanzmann’s own voice, the film examines the process of giving voice to Holocaust memory. What emerges is an intimate portrait of a filmmaker and a meditation on the ethics of representation. [su_spacer size="10"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] SUPPORTED by Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Centre (HKHTC) [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""]Documentary | 2025 | France French | English, German | English Subtitles | 94 Minutes VENUE: Emperor Cinemas Times Square Tickets: HKD 120 (Students/Seniors HKD 100) [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] CREDITS: Director: Guillaume Ribot Screenwriter: Guillaume Ribot Cast: Claude Lanzmann [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] AWARDS: Toronto Jewish Film Festival 2025 Winner David A. Stein Memorial Award Best Documentary- Guillaume Ribot [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

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September-5 Poster
June 6, 2025

September 5

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""] 12 November, Wednesday 8:45pm [su_spacer size="10"] Drama, Suspense, History [su_button url="https://www.emperorcinemas.com/showtimes?wapid=ECML_WEB_PROD_S_MPS&filmUniqueId=c4fcb925ad04" target="blank" style="flat" radius="0" background="#fa0f0c" color="#FFFFFF" size="8"]Tickets[/su_button]   [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation="none" css=""] SYNOPSIS: September 5 is a gripping newsroom thriller set during the 1972 Munich Olympics, when Palestinian terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage. As the world watches in horror, ABC Sports chief Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) and his team scramble to cover the unfolding crisis live, navigating ethical dilemmas, network rivalries, and real-time chaos. Set almost entirely in a broadcast control room, this Oscar nominated film explores the birth of modern live news and the moral weight of reporting tragedy as it happens. [su_spacer size="10"] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""]SPONSORED by: THE GREEN FAMILY SUPPORTED by: German Consulate General Hong Kong [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""]GERMANY | 2024 | DRAMA, SUSPENSE, HISTORY English, German & Hebrew with English subtitles | 95 mins VENUE Emperor Cinemas Entertainment Building [su_spacer size="3"] Tickets: HKD 120 (Students/Seniors HKD 100) [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] CREDITS: Director: Tim Fehlbaum Writers: Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David Producers: Tim Fehlbaum, Mark Nolting, John Ira Palmer, Sean Penn & 3 more Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin [su_spacer size="5"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""][su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""] AWARDS 24 wins & 28 nominations total [su_spacer size="3"] Oscar nomination Best Original Screenplay 2025 [su_spacer size="15"][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

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#Legend
December 30, 2024

The writer and director of The Anne Frank Gift Shop on using humour to process horror

Read full article on the magazine: https://hashtaglegend.com/the-writer-and-director-of-the-anne-frank-gift-shop-on-using-humour-to-process-horror BY #legend Dec 27, 2024 Audience Award winner for Best Short at last month’s Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival, The Anne Frank Gift Shop is not your typical take on the Holocaust. Writer and director Mickey Rapkin talks to Jaz Kong about using humour to process horror  “The holocaust” and “humour” are not terms one would expect to find in the same sentence, let alone the description of a popular film. But, as Mickey Rapkin says, “We’re living in strange times. Anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise. The Anne Frank Gift Shop takes aim at a very real problem – a generation with little awareness of the Holocaust – and attempts to solve it with humour by meeting this audience where they live.” The Anne Frank Gift Shop, which won the Audience Award for Best Short after its screening at the 25th Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival in November, is a 15-minute short film that imagines a meeting between The Anne Frank House and the New York design firm they’ve hired to renovate their gift shop to appeal to young people. Its mockumentary style is reminiscent of The Office or Parks and Recreation, as are the dynamics between the characters – including representatives from the museum, creative brains from the ad agency and a young influencer who is mocked early on in the film for her comment after visiting The Anne Frank House that “the attic was big”. Mickey Rapkin Rapkin, who wrote and directed The Anne Frank Gift Shop as well as wrote the book that inspired the film series Pitch Perfect, says the project grew out of a sense of real concern. “A landmark 2020 study – the US Millennial Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Survey interviewing adults aged 18-39, also known as Millennials and Gen Z, across 50 states in the US, and later on, other parts of the world as well – by the Conference on Jewish...

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November 13, 2024

In ‘Single Light’, Shaylee Atary Delivers A Hauntingly Beautiful Portrayal Of Survival

Friday Club. 12/11/2024   Read full article on the magazine: https://fridayclubmag.com/the-subtle-power-of-shaylee-atary-single-light/   Disclaimer: Single Light deals with themes of sexual assault, which may be distressing for some readers. This review discusses these elements in relation to the film’s narrative. Image courtesy of Omer Weiss Some films entertain, and then there are those that linger in your soul long after the credits roll. Shaylee Atary’s ‘Single Light’ firmly belongs to the latter, and we were privileged to view it this month alongside its Hong Kong screening. In a masterstroke of storytelling that is both restrained and profound, Atary explores trauma with rare grace – acknowledging the horror without exploiting it, the pain without exaggeration. This is a film that doesn’t just tell you about trauma; it immerses you in its quiet, stifling presence, making you feel as though you’re experiencing it alongside the protagonist, Lali. The film opens in a Tel Aviv parking lot, where a single streetlight illuminates Lali – played by the remarkable Yael Elkana – in a moment that will change her life forever. This streetlight is no ordinary fixture; it becomes a silent witness to Lali’s anguish, and its presence haunts her journey as both a symbol of torment and, eventually, strength. During the assault, Lali is transfixed by the streetlight, caught in a state of paralysis as the light seems to both expose and isolate her. The recurring motif of this streetlight is layered with meaning, and each time it returns, it serves as a visual reminder of her past while illuminating the path forward. Image courtesy of Omer Weiss Much of the film’s power lies in its subtleties. Atary’s decision to strip away the noise – both literally and figuratively – is a revelation. Here, silence becomes a character of its own, allowing us to feel the oppressive weight of the incident. The quiet...

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Lycée Français International de Hong Kong - French INternational Schollo
November 13, 2024

Shaylee Atary at The French International School

Shaylee Atary an Israeli film director and actor whose film Single Light is being featured at the Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival's 25th Anniversary this year, gave a moving presentation at The French International School with Chair of HKJFF Eli Bitan, and HKJFF Board Member Jean Phillipe Gry. ...

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Elsa-High-School-at-Carmel
November 9, 2024

Shaylee Atary at Elsa High School

Shaylee Atary an Israeli Film director and Actor and Shani Brownstein Festival Producer of Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival gave a presentation at Elsa HIgh School Campus at Carmel School in Hong Kong. Shaylee is here to preset her newest film Single Light: https://hkjff.org/single-light/ which will she will introduce at this year's 25th Anniversary HKJFF. Carmel School is committed to providing the very best in Jewish and secular education by providing a rich and balanced curriculum to suit the needs of our students and the demands of the 21st century. The School sets high expectations for all students through a broad and challenging curriculum. ...

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Being-Neighbourly
November 8, 2024

A Proud Legacy Being Neighbourly x Eli Bitan, The Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival

Read the full article here: https://beingneighbourly.com/articles/a-proud-legacy/ It’s been over 30 years since Eli Bitan, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jewish Festival (HKJFF), left his native France and touched down in Hong Kong. The former banker-now investor has served in his current role of festival Chairman since 2017, but his involvement as a board member goes back to 2003. According to him, Jewish people love nothing more than to talk about their past and films are an excellent vehicle for storytelling.   In the 25 years of the HKJFF’s existence, there have been a lot of stories and to celebrate its 25th anniversary, 25 more films will be shown this year and added to the catalogue with the festival extended by three days. Films are being shown at two venues this year— the Cineart (JP) in Causeway Bay and the “neighbourhood” Golden Scene Cinema in Kennedy Town. Unknown to some, who conjecture that the HKJFF is a business, says Bitan, the HKJFF is actually a registered charity, says Bitan, that runs on donations from tiered sponsors. “Many are legacy sponsors who have been donating for many years,” he adds. Despite the impressive list of films and sponsors on this year’s program, Bitan is circumspect, “Although we are 25 years old, I think of the Jewish Film Festival as the child to the French Film Festival’s parent,” he says, with a smile. To outsiders, however, his is a smooth and well-synthesised operation. The charity has a 10-person board, a viewing committee and a well-established process and timeline they revert to each year. Why, after all, reinvent the wheel? “Every year in Spring, the viewing committee starts viewing some 200 films in batches. We have contact with distributors who are printing certain films and reference the big festivals such as those in Berlin, Cannes and Jerusalem to establish our lineup, and...

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SCMP - HKJFF 2024
November 8, 2024

SCMP – October 7 widow on her film at Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival: art has a way of healing

Read the full article here: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3285399/october-7-widow-her-film-hong-kong-jewish-film-festival-art-has-way-healing by Kylie Knott After many years with the Post, Kylie Knott found her calling on the culture and lifestyle desk. She writes about the environment, animal welfare, food and the arts. Shaylee Atary directed Single Light, inspired by a sexual assault she suffered. It is one of 25 films in festival celebrating Jewish culture It is hard to fathom how much trauma Israeli filmmaker Shaylee Atary has endured. In 2016, she was in a car accident that required lengthy rehabilitation. “I was in a wheelchair for more than a year,” says Atary, who today walks with the help of a cane. The story inspired a 2020 short film, Neurim, which Atary wrote, directed and starred in. In 2023 she released Single Light, a story based on a sexual assault she experienced that emphasises the importance of friendship during dark times. The perfect thing about art is that it has a way of healing, because you write the story again, and you take control back. Shaylee Atary, director of Single Light “In this dark moment, all that a person needs is just one light,” says Atary, 35, on a video call from Israel. “Just one person to be there and not be afraid of the situation.” Writing the film was healing, she says. Read the full article here and much more in this article about the Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival : https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3285399/october-7-widow-her-film-hong-kong-jewish-film-festival-art-has-way-healing...

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