Guest speaker: film critic Adam Nayman This companion to Adam’s popular winter 2024 series continues the exploration of significant 20th century Jewish-American filmmakers. Through feature film clips, documentary material, and biographical texts, learn about Fritz Lang, Otto Preminger, Barbra Streisand, David Zucker-Jim Abrahams-David-Jerry Zucker, and Todd Haynes, the social, artistic and philosophical dimensions of their work, how (or if) their films connect to their Judaism, and the diverse cinematic worlds they represent. Presented in partnership with the Toronto Film Society. Join us in-person, on Zoom simulcast, or register to receive the recordings!

Mondays: January 13, 20, 27; February 3 & 10 1:00-2:30pm Series: $60; Drop-in: $16 January 13: Fritz Lang January 20: Otto Preminger January 27: Barbra Streisand  February 3: Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker February 10: Todd Haynes  To arrange for access to the recordings of Adam’s 2024 companion series (Billy Wilder, Sidney Lumet, Mike Nichols & Elaine May), Mel Brooks and James Gray), email Lisa Roy: lisar@mnjcc.org

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. Last winter’s multi-access series Bringing Five Jewish Directors into Focus was so popular, we just had to bring Adam back for part II – to access the recordings of the 2024 series, please email lisar@mnjcc.org.

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/