Austin Jewish Film Festival celebrating culture, promoting dialogue amid rash of antisemitism
The Austin Jewish Film Festival has been highlighting films that touch on the Jewish experience for almost two decades. And while antisemitism is nothing new, the 19th annual event is happening soon after a rash of antisemitic acts across Central Texas.
David Finkel is the festival’s director. He told Texas Standard AJFF is taking place Nov. 11-16 in person and online as planned and with the usual attention to security. He also said supporting the festival is one way people can stand up against hate.
This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:
Texas Standard: Does the festival this year feel different, given recent high-profile examples of hate towards Jewish people.
David Finkel: Well, I prefer not to focus on the action of a few deranged people, most of whom seem to have come from out of town. [I’m] really focused on the reaction of the Austin community, and we've seen that incredible outpouring of love. A good example of this is the Austin Area Interfaith Ministries, where we had more than 500 people write letters of support for the Austin community. And members of the clergy from across the board came out to show their repudiation of those actions. And unfortunately, antisemitism is nothing new. We have films about in every year, but I don't think it defines our festival. We have a lot more than just that.
Read more: https://www.tpr.org/arts-culture/2021-11-10/austin-jewish-film-festival-celebrating-culture-promoting-dialogue-amid-rash-of-antisemitism
