UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A free public screening of “Felix and Meira,” the film that earned Canada’s lone submission to the 2015 Academy Awards, will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 8 at the State Theatre in downtown State College.
The screening will be preceded by the short film “Where Is Joel Baum” directed by Penn State faculty member Pearl Gluck, an assistant professor in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies.
Along with the screenings, the evening features a question-and-answer session with co-star Luzer Twersky and Gluck. Twersky earned Best Actor awards for his role in “Felix and Meira” at both the Torino International Film Festival and the Amiens International Film Festival, and for his role in “Where is Joel Baum” at the Starz Denver Film Festival.
“Felix and Meira” tells the story of an unconventional romance between two people living vastly different realities mere blocks away from one another. Each lost in their everyday lives, they unexpectedly meet in a local bakery. What starts as an innocent friendship becomes more serious as the two find comfort in one another. Then, as Felix opens Meira’s eyes to the world outside of her tight-knit Orthodox community, her desire for change becomes harder for her to ignore, ultimately forcing her to choose: remain in the life that she knows or give it all up to be with Felix.
“Where Is Joel Baum” is the story of a tragic accident that causes unexpected circumstances in the home of a Hasidic rabbi in contemporary Brooklyn.
There will be a reception after the short film screens and preceding the screening of “Felix and Meira” at the State Theatre. The event is sponsored by the College of Communications, the Penn State Jewish Studies program and Hillel Penn State.