NewEnglandFilm.com

Boston is invited to a Bar Mitzvah unlike any other. Forget Torah portions recited with voice-cracking nerves. There’s no cheek pinching, air kissing, game playing or candle lighting. And Uncle Leon’s rendition of "New York, New York" will just have to wait, because this year, as the Boston Jewish Film Festival turns 13, glitzy invitations and hyper teens are replaced by a cultural celebration so scintillating, it just might knock your yarmulke off.

"The Boston Jewish Film Festival is the best of contemporary films on Jewish themes from around the world," says Kaj Wilson, artistic director. This year she scoured markets worldwide in search of the perfect mix of features, documentaries, shorts, animation, experimental, international and local cinematic treats. With over 400 movies to choose from, Wilson had her work cut out for her.

"We really do an exhaustive search and I think we are able to turn up films that other people don’t find," says executive director, Sara Rubin.

Wilson jetted to Berlin, Jerusalem and America’s own Little Israel, NYC, to find films with that special something that Boston audiences adore.

This year’s line up runs from November 1 – 11 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Museum of Fine Arts, and showcases 45 films from 15 different countries including eight national premieres. And for festival aficionados kvetching about driving to Boston, screenings will also take place north, south and west of the city.

For those who don’t know, (and where have you been?) the Boston Jewish Film Festival is a celluloid extravaganza that Boston loves more than matzo ball soup. It’s a non-competitive event showcasing movies with moxie — films with messages that touch viewers and reverberate throughout the community long after the credits roll. And with the impressive array of films, speakers, panels and events planned for this year’s festivities, giddy expectancy abounds for good reason.

"One thing I really respect that Kaj does is that she pushes the envelope of what is a Jewish film," explains Rubin. And you don’t have to be Jewish to fancy these films.

An opening night demands blockbuster entrances and sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, both of which you’ll find at the MFA Koch Gallery. Special guests include Neal Slavin, the director of "Focus," a movie touted as the belle of the festival ball and already garnering significant buzz from the New York Times.

Famed filmmaker Claude Lanzmann, the director of "Shoah," is also arriving from Paris to debut his latest documentary "Sobibor," and director Ayelet Bargur will be on hand to discuss her movie "At The End of the Day."

Films targeting younger audiences, Spanish audiences, women, theatre lovers, music lovers, seniors, Bostonians, gays and lesbians, and those interested in post-war North American, Israeli, and French flicks, are just some of the crowds this festival will please.

"On the one hand, it’s a key Boston cultural event," says Wilson. "Yet at the same time, it’s really a community event. People feel a certain ownership of this festival and it means a lot to them. We have a very large and enthusiastic audience, and it’s a very diverse audience, so we try to select films that will be of general interest but will also really appeal to different groups."

Rubin and Wilson are very excited about the Cruising Program on November 7th which is a selection of short films about relationships by young directors. "’Najeeb – A Persian Girl in America’ is a look at a young Iranian woman’s family’s attempts to marry her off," explains Wilson. "It offers a really interesting look at Iranian Jewish culture. It’s a delightful film, and I think it’s especially interesting to look at different cultures since September 11th."

The B’Nai Mitzvah Program, on November 5th, is also new this year, displaying shorts on none other than Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Of special interest is the U.S. premiere of "Wanderings: A Journey to Connect," about filmmaker Nikila Cole and her daughter Sarah, who set out on a "traveling Bat Mitzvah" around the world. The duo will be at the screening to discuss the film and their experiences.

"I have a hard time picking out one film or one event and saying that this is what is going to make the festival," admits Wilson. "I think it’s really an accumulation of one good film after another. It’s like asking who is your favorite kid, you know?"

Closing day activities kick off with a star studded brunch with special guests like Sandi Simcha DuBowski, the director of "Trembling Before G-d," a documentary of intimately told stories of gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews.

B.Z. Goldberg, director of "Promises," a film that won the audience award at this year’s Rotterdam and San Francisco International Film Festivals and "offers a fresh and sharp perspective on the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," will also be around to clink coffee cups and talk.

But that’s not all. Tovah Feldshuh, star of "Kissing Jessica Stein," a lively film offering a "fresh take on sex and the single girl," will be brunching, and later that day, Isabella Rossellini will show off her immeasurable beauty and talent at the closing night feature, "The Sky is Falling."

"I think people should just come and try something," says Wilson. "I wish people would pick a film that they think they’ll like, and then try one more, just to see something different."

"People are really appreciative when they see something special, and we have those special films," adds Rubin. "It’s been a difficult year and this is a way for people to come together to really discuss things. We have an opportunity to be part of other people’s imaginations. It can help us aspire to other things."

Just when you think that the band is winding down, all the centerpieces have been snatched and the party is over, the Boston Jewish Film Festival has one more zinger for your goody bag. The festival staff collaborated with local authors, journalists and filmmakers to put together a program book of essays in response to the marvelous movies. It’s a way to extend discussions and give audiences a keepsake to treasure year round.