Bringing Five Jewish Directors into Focus

Guest speaker: film critic Adam Nayman

While Hollywood was built by Eastern European emigres turned industry moguls, the second half of the 20th century saw a distinctly Jewish sensibility find its place behind the camera. Using feature film clips, documentary material, and biographical texts, Adam will place five significant Jewish-American filmmakers in conversation with each other, analyzing the social, artistic and philosophical dimensions of their work, how (or if) their films connect to their Judaism, and the cinematic worlds they represent. Presented in partnership with the Toronto Film Society. Join us in-person at the Miles Nadal JCC or virtually!                     

January 15: Billy Wilder

January 22: Sidney Lumet 

January 29: Mike Nichols and Elaine May 

February 5: Mel Brooks 

February 12: James Gray

Adam Nayman is a well-respected film critic, author and lecturer. He has been a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association since 2002, and he has programmed and hosted films for the Toronto International Film Festival’s Reel Talk series. Adam regularly writes about film for publications such as The Globe and Mail, The Ringer, Sight and Sound and Reverse Shot, and his reviews have been published in The Walrus, The Village Voice, Film Comment and in spring 2022, Adam was published in The New Yorker! Adam is a contributing editor for Cinema Scope and POV, has reviewed books for Quill and Quire, and was a staff writer for season one of The Vice Guide to Film. He has also written three books: It Doesn't Suck: Showgirls; Confusion and Carnage: Ben Wheatley; and The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together. Adam regularly lectures about film at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University. At the Miles Nadal JCC, Adam has programmed and hosted films for the Toronto Jewish Film Society, and has taught the very popular series In Nayman’s Terms, That’s Entertainment! The Evolution of the Hollywood Musical, The New Hollywood of the 60s & 70s: Geniuses in the System, and the virtual series Films Shot and Set in Toronto, Revenge of the Studios: Hollywood Strikes Back, The Greatest Movie Remakes and The Reboots that Nobody Asked For and last fall’s Hollywood, Cold War Paranoia and The Blacklist. We are thrilled to welcome Adam back to our building for this multi-access series!

Toronto Film Society is Canada’s second oldest film appreciation group. Formed in 1948 to serve the need for Canadian and international forgotten, banned, independent, and fringe sound and silent films, and to support film restoration and preservation, TFS remains a volunteer-run, membership-driven, non-profit organization dedicated to the artistic, historic, educational, and social significance of cinema. Expertly-curated films (circa 1910-80) are enjoyed as they were meant to be seen: on the big screen with an audience. Some are rare, archival prints not easily obtained by the general public. Our exceptional film series, festivals, and special events engage diverse cinephiles from the GTA and beyond. Join us; you’ll be glad you did! For more information, visit http://torontofilmsociety.com/