The White Mountain Jewish Film Festival returns to the Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem Thursday evening, July 5 with "Keep the Change." The award-winning romantic comedy won the Tribeca Film Festival's Jury Award and the festival's award for Best New Narrative director.

"Keep the Change," a unique and universal love story full of vibrant, warm characters under-represented in cinema, was directed by Rachel Israel who makes a remarkable directing debut. Newcomers Brandon Polansky and Samantha Elisofon star as David and Sarah, two young adults with autism who strike up an unlikely and transformative relationship in this heartfelt, humorous, wonderful New York romantic comedy.

"Keep the Change" is brilliantly written, acted and directed, a triumph in so many ways." (Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post, May 10, 2018). It has been lauded as a "a landmark motion picture - a movie about people living with autism in which all of the characters who have autism are portrayed by nonprofessional performers who also have it." (Glenn Kenny, New York Times, March 15, 2018)

Guest speakers are Samantha Elisofon, star of "Keep the Change," and her mother, Marguerite Elisofon. Samantha's real-life story is inspirational. Diagnosed with autism as a toddler, and confronting dire predictions and negative stereotypes, Samantha started singing with perfect pitch at age seven and graduated cum laude from Pace University.

Marguerite Elisofon is an advocate and consultant to families with children on the spectrum and hosts the award-winning blog, The Never Empty Nest. Her memoir, "My Picture Perfect Family: What Happens When One Twin Has Autism," will be available for purchase at the festival. Her essays have been published in literary magazines, including Journal of Arts and Literature, Write for Light, and Kaleidoscope.

"To celebrate our fifth anniversary season, we wanted to focus on the power of love to change our destiny. Each one of this summer's films will explore this in a different way," explained Dorothy Goldstone, the festival's Artistic Director

The popular ticketholders' patio party kicks off a half hour earlier this year at 6 p.m., followed by the guest speaker at 6:30 p.m., and the film at 7 p.m. The opening night patio party is hosted and sponsored by Tom and Robin Greenlaw and Sharon Heyman and family.

Four more festival events on alternate Thursday evenings in this season's lineup include "Fugitive Pieces" on July 19, "Hester Street" on August 2, "Marshall" on August 16, and "The History of Love" on August 30 with a special closing night party to celebrate the White Mountain Jewish Film Festival's first five years.

Tickets for the White Mountain Jewish Film Festival are $9 for BHC Members, $10 General Admission. Season passes for the White Mountain Jewish Film Festival are available for purchase at the box office on opening night: $40 BHC Members, $45 General Admission.

For full details of films and guest speakers, please check the Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation website: http://www.bethlehemsynagogue.org/white-mountain-jewish-film-festival/.




Posted 6/27/18