March 1: “Happy Birthday, Mr. Lewis: The Kid Turns 90.” I don’t know which is more astonishing, the realization that Jerry Lewis is 90 years old or the fact that the Museum of Modern Art is celebrating his career for two weeks. Lewis remains a litmus test for film tastes; you can love him or loathe him but it’s hard to ignore such a brash, colorful presence. His work with Frank Tashlin is dazzling and “The Nutty Professor” is one of the great American comedy films. See the series and make your own decision. Museum of Modern Art (11 W. 53rd St.), moma.org.
March 3: “Rendezvous with French Cinema,” the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s annual celebration of recent Francophone cinema includes, as usual, several films of interest. Among this year’s offerings are a French-Algerian retelling of “The Story of Judas,” with a very different take on the title figure; “Dark Inclusion,” a silky thriller about corruption and payback in the diamond business; and a new film by Emmanuel Finkiel, “A Decent Man,” about a crime victim with a murky agenda. Walter Reade Theater (Lincoln Center), filmlinc.com.
March 4: “Colliding Dreams,” a history of the Zionist movement by Joseph Dorman and Oren Rudavsky. When I saw an earlier version of this film, I was a bit disappointed, particularly given the excellence of the directors’ previous work, but I am told that the final release has been tightened up considerably and the material was always strong enough to support a feature. Lincoln Plaza Cinemas (61st Street and Broadway), (212) 757-0359).
March 10: ReelAbilities Film Festival. The 8th annual running of this exceptional and unique film event, celebrating “the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different abilities.” Among the highlights of this year’s festival: “A Blind Hero: The Love of Otto Weidt,” based on the true story of a visually impaired German factory owner who rescued dozens of Jews from the death camps; “Enter the Faun,” documents the work of choreographer Tamar Rogoff which with Gregg Mogzala, an actor with cerebral palsy; and “Stilts and Spokes,” a portrait of quadriplegic comedian Jay Cramer. For information, newyork.reelabilities.org.
March 10: New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival. The 19th edition of this annual event promises a weeklong kaleidoscope of Sephardic music, culture and tales, with many of the filmmakers present for Q&A sessions. Center for Jewish History (15 W. 16th St.), nysephardicfilmfestival.org.
March 16: New Directors/New Films, presented by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Much of the schedule was unknown at press time, but a couple of films jump out: the late Marcin Wrona’s reworking of “The Dybbuk” entitled “Demon” and the debut of Yaelle Kayam’s “Mountain,” a story of the spiritual reawakening of a young Orthodox mother on the Mount of Olives. For information, newdirectors.org.
April 13: Tribeca Film Festival. There’s no telling what will be shown in the 15th edition of this fixture in New York film, but there will certainly be something Israeli, something New York Jewish and something challenging, because that’s what has been an important part of the festival’s programming since the event began. For information, www.tribecafilm.com/festival.
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