Isaac Zablocki is Senior Director of film programs at JCC Manhattan including and is the founder of the ReelAbilities Film Festival, the Other Israel Film Festival, the Israel Film Center and Cinematters: Films for Social Change.
Isaac Zablocki
By Isaac Zablocki
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Community Israel’s Culture Minister Is Killing Israeli Cinema
Over the past 15 years, Israeli cinema has blossomed into a major force, becoming one of the country’s most impactful exports. What was once a struggling industry with low production values and local, sub-par storytelling has turned into a key player in film festivals around the world. Even in a tumultuous political climate, Israeli cinema…
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Community It’s Time For Disability Inclusion At The Oscars
As the Academy Awards declare their winners this weekend, I start my annual plea for inclusion of people with Disabilities in Hollywood. It has been over 30 years since Marlee Matlin won her Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God. She is the last actress with a recognizable physical…
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Community As Lincoln Plaza Closes, We Must Fight To Keep Arthouse Cinema Alive
As Lincoln Plaza Cinema closes its doors, I am identifying a huge void in the New York community. Obviously, the closing of this iconic film center is a major blow to the arthouse film scene, but even more so, it is a loss to the community of film lovers who access the Upper West Side….
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Community 7 Israeli Films You Must Watch This Summer
As the summer blockbuster season kicks off, Hollywood turns its attention to sequels, reboots and star vehicles. These films attempt to drive box office dollars with explosions and effects while sidelining story and drama. But the summer also opens a window for arthouse cinemas to provide an escape from the heat as well as a…
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Community It’s Not All Politics In Israeli Films
The 5th annual Israel Film Center Festival launches this May with a diverse selection of Israel’s latest hit films. The focus of this festival is Israeli stories beyond the politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Throughout the years, many of the films highlighted in this festival have not necessarily been featured in the top international festivals,…
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Community New Film Reveals The Perils of Jewish Power
Despite being held during the middle of the Passover Holiday, a special preview screening of Joseph Cedar’s latest film, Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer at JCC Manhattan brought out a packed house and opened in theaters to relatively nice sales this past weekend. Cedar was at the screening…
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The Schmooze Israel at the Oscars
At this year’s Academy Awards, Israel’s blossoming film industry has two nominations for the Best Documentary Award. In this highly competitive category, Israel is dominating with “The Gatekeepers,” following former chiefs of the Shin Bet, Israel’s secret service operators, who give a tell-all expose of some of the most notorious operations in the West Bank…
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The Schmooze Debating the Best Israeli Films
With “Footnote” the fourth Israeli film in five years to make it to the shortlist nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Israel’s recent cinematic prowess is indisputable. Though none of Israel’s total of ten nominations actually won an Oscar there have been many more excellent films to come out of that…
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