The Chosen Ones

Two films about Jewish wrestlers (one a Sumo and the other a professional art dealer who keeps his wrestling a secret), a documentary about Israel's attempt at a professional baseball league, and an Oscar nominee directed by both a Palestinian and Israeli director.

The film selection at this year's Maine Jewish Film Festival defies easy categorization.

"You can't pin down the Jewish experience as one thing," explained festival organizer Kari Wagner-Peck "It's really a whole bunch of things, and what's really nice is the [films] all have a universal appeal."

The MJFF is entering its 13th year, and will feature 16 feature-length films along with six shorts. The screenings, which will be held primarily at the Nickelodeon cinema, begin Saturday night and run through next Thursday.

Organizers sifted through 150 films to par down the selection to a festival-friendly 22. In previous years, the festival had organized at least a third of the films around a central theme (Jewish Labor was the focus in '08, Jewish exile from the Holy Land in '09).

This year, organizers opened up the scope to allow for a wider array of subject. "We are all over the place," said Wagner-Peck.

Examples of such range include “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe”, a film that chronicles the radical defense attorney and civil rights activist, whose made a name for himself defending “The Chicago Seven” a group of activists charged with inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

“He was Jewish, but the film does not talk about 'here's a Jewish lawyer', it's about this radical lawyer,” said Wagner-Peck.

Organizers aim to have the festival perceived not only as a exposition of Jewish culture and film. “We really want people to consider it a festival for independent film,” said Wagner-Peck.

This aim means a selection process fraught with strange question and concerns. “Some films are very explicitly Jewish, and others we argue about 'is it Jewish enough?',” said Wagner-Peck.

This year, the festival will screen most of it's selections at the Nickelodeon, upping their capacity by around 75 seats from previous years. Even with the expanded size, the festival's Saturday night premier of Oscar-nominated film “Ajami” is sold out.

The film did not take home any awards at last month's awards , but for organizers, it's intense subject matter ("Crash" meets "Traffic" in the Middle East according to Wagner-Peck) and Israeli Jewish and Palestinian directors made it a no-brainer for festival organizers.

“It really looks at Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultures, and the intersection of those in one little neighborhood called Ajami (in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel),” said Wagner-Peck.

Another sell-out at this year's festival is the world-premier of “Canvasman.” The film was written, produced, and directed by Portland native Gary Robinov, and follows the story of Portland art dealer Robbie Elowitch, the co-owner of the world-renowned Barridoff Galleries. The 67 year old dealer has, for the last 40 years, wrestled on the weekends under the “ring name” Robbie Ellis.

“[Elowitch] kept his wrestling secret for a long time because he didn't want his clientele to know,” said Robinov who, along with his film's star, is Jewish. Elowitch eventually revealed his double-life to Sports Illustrated for a 1985 story. “It has the complete opposite effect, business went through the roof,” said Robinov.

The director said Elowitch's struggle to remain true to his two passions is an inspiring theme that elevates the story above the typical sports film. “If people go thinking it's just a wrestling movie, I didn't do my job right,” said Robinov.

For Robinov, the festival premier of his film on the 24th marks the end of a tiring two year journey to tell Elowitch's story. “After the premier, we are going to take a couple days off, catch up on some sleep, then actively pursue the festival route,” said Robinov.

Wagner-Peck promises that the festival holds something for everyone. The selection process is taken on in a way that assures a wide array of genres make the cut. Among Wagner-Pecks personal favorites is “A Matter of Size”, about an obese man who decides to become a sumo wrestler instead of losing weight. “It's like a guy film, a buddy flick, but I think it'll appeal to everyone,” Wagner-Peck said.

For more information about the Maine Jewish Film Festival, which runs through Thursday, March 25, see www.mjff.org.