Wednesday, January 16, 2019

9th Annual Carmel Jewish Film Festival From Hollywood to Bollywood Award-Winning Movies, Speakers, Receptions March 2-17, 2019

The 9th Annual Carmel Jewish Film Festival (CJFF), featuring eight films from six countries, noted speakers, and panel discussions, will be held March 2-17, 2019.

Carmel, CA, January 17, 2019 - The 9th Annual Carmel Jewish Film Festival (CJFF), featuring eight films from six countries, noted speakers, and panel discussions, will be held March 2-17, 2019. Film information, dates, venues and times can be found on the CJFF website (www.carmeljff.org). Tickets are available either through the website or by calling (800) 838-3006.

Festival highlights include:

— Opening Night (March 2): Carl Laemmle, a documentary about the man who began the Hollywood film studio industry, followed by a Q &A with Greg Laemmle, President of Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles.

— The return to the CJFF of two notable film makers: Roberta Grossman and Dani Menkin.

Grossman (Hava Nagila: The Movie, Above & Beyond) will discuss her award-winning documentary Who Will Write Our History on Sunday afternoon, March 3. The film transports its viewers inside the Warsaw Ghetto, where a group of journalists, scholars, and community leaders secretly buried documents that are later discovered after WWII. She also will serve as Scholar-in-Residence at Congregation Beth Israel on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2.

Dani Menkin (Dolphin Boy, On the Map) returns with his film Picture of His Life, a documentary about renowned underwater wildlife photographer and Pacific Grove resident Amos Nachoum. Both Menkin and Nachoum will participate in a Q & A following the film on Saturday evening, March 9.

— The CJFF will partner with the Center for Spiritual Awakening, Pacific Grove, on March 6 to present Itzhak, the Grammy Award-nominated (Best Music Film) documentary that explores the life of renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman.

— Partnering with The Village Project, Inc., Seaside, on Sunday, March 10, the CJFF will screen the Dutch film, An Act of Defiance, a nail-biting political thriller that explores the dark period in South Africa’s recent history, when 10 political activists, including Nelson Mandela, face a possible death sentence after being arrested by the apartheid government.

— The CJFF’s Second Annual Night of Shorts will feature five short films on Tuesday, March 12. Israeli film director Keren Hantman will discuss her film, Masks On, about Israeli families living under the threat of biological warfare.

— A reception with Indian food and dancing precedes Shalom Bollywood, a film about the role of Jewish women in the early Bollywood industry, on Closing Night, March 17.

As the only Jewish film festival in Monterey County, we serve all residents in efforts to promote understanding, respect, and cooperation through education using the medium of film. While informed by a uniquely Jewish sensibility, our films communicate themes and messages with universal appeal to a wide audience drawn from the Monterey Peninsula and beyond. Our festival’s accompanying programs further engage mind and heart through discussion and social interaction. We hope that our Festival will help bridge cultural and religious differences and contribute to community solidarity and peace.

Additional information about all films and events, including ticket prices, can be found on the Carmel Jewish Film Festival website (www.carmeljff.org).

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.carmeljff.org

Monterey County: The Ideal Place to find a New You in the New Year

Monterey County embodies the perfect backdrop to uncover a new, relaxed and inspired you in 2019.

Monterey, CA, January 16, 2019 – Monterey County embodies the perfect backdrop to uncover a new, relaxed and inspired you in 2019. The natural beauty of California’s Central Coast redwood forests, verdant valleys and sweeping, towering cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean will erase stress and inspires a new state of being.

“With plentiful offerings that will rejuvenate mind, body and soul, Monterey County is the ultimate destination for travelers to disconnect and focus on themselves in the New Year,” says Rob O’Keefe, Chief Marketing Officer for the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCCVB). “From spas and meditation studios to hiking trails and literary sites, travelers will surely be relaxed and revitalizedafter a trip to Monterey County.”

Below are some ideas for the perfect new you escape to Monterey County:

The newest luxury resort in Marina, The Spa at Sanctuary Beach Resortleavesguests feeling refreshed and inspired with their range of custom treatments focusing on body care and total wellness. For ultimate pampering time, guests can indulge in the unique Salt Wood Spa RX treatment, a sea salt exfoliation using seasonally inspired salt blends to aid the body in releasing toxins while unveiling a healthy glow. For head to toe relaxation, The Spa at Sanctuary Beach Resort offersthe Pacific Ocean Body Treatment - a basalt stone face massage, mineral rich seaweed body mask and a full body massage.

To further cultivate and elevate well-being, consciousness and kindness, visit Monterey Bay Meditation Studio for a variety of movement, nature and relational meditation sessions, retreats and courses. Sessions are held on the beach, in the forest, by the river, and in meadows throughout Monterey County, as well as in their ocean-view studio in Pacific Grove. In 2019, the studio will be offering a Conscious Living Series, which includes several courses focusing on different aspects of incorporating mindfulness into daily life.

Among the rolling hills and sun-dappled vineyards of Carmel Valley, the Spa at Bernardus Lodge offers a variety of unique experiences for rejuvenation, inspiration and indulgence. With seasonal body treatments focusing on the solstices and equinoxes, the experiences integrate celestial reminders to take time for ourselves; reflect on the past, renew for the future and optimize balance.

Find inner peace at Refuge in Carmel – America’s first co-ed outdoor relaxation spa. This sanctuary is a wellness paradise offering the ultimate in relaxation through a three-step thermal cycle featuring a cedar sauna with Himalayan salt walls, eucalyptus infused steam rooms, cold plunges, and warm pools with thermal waterfalls. Repeated use of Refuge’s thermal cycle soothes aches and pains, speeds up metabolism, and enhances muscle recuperation– the perfect recipe for a new you.

More than 50 years ago, the Esalen Institute was founded as a retreat and educational center focused on creating a space where people could explore holistic approaches to wellness and personal transformation. Esalen attracts a worldwide network of teachers and seekers who look beyond dogma to explore deeper spiritual possibilities; forge new understandings of self and society; and pioneer new paths for change. Located in Big Sur, visitors can enjoy a plethora of experiences from moonlit baths in natural hot springs to unique forms of massage that focus on energy exchange and psychological well-being.

To expand the mind in the New Year, don't miss out on some of Monterey’s most notable literary sites including the National Steinbeck Center in downtown Salinas, Robinson Jeffers' Tor House in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea and the Henry Miller Library in majestic Big Sur.

Visitors looking to reconnect with nature will discover the exquisite beauty of Monterey County’s great outdoors. Take a stroll or bike ride along the 18-mile scenic stretchof the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail from Castroville (also known as the "Artichoke Capital of the World") in the North, to Pacific Grove in the South. Picnic on the white sands of Carmel Beach, hike through Fort Ord National Monumentor explore Pebble Beach’s gentle tide pools.

Learn how to unplug and discover mindfulness in beautiful Monterey Countyby uncoveringincredible, life changing, and enriching experiences. Additionally, Monterey County has become one of the country’s leaders in sustainable travel while offering unforgettable moments. Visitors are asked to practice responsible travel that will help minimize negative impacts to the environment, and preserve the cultural and natural resources of the destination. Visit responsibly and preserve the wonder of Monterey County on the beautiful California Central Coast in the New Year, and for years to come.

CONTACT:
Jessica Lessard, Monterey County CVB
(831) 657-6413; JLessard@SeeMonterey.com

ABOUT MONTEREY COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
The Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCCVB) is a 501c6 non-profit destination marketing organization that drives tourism for Monterey County as a premier destination to leisure and business travelers. Tourism is the largest industry on the Monterey Peninsula and the second largest in the County. MCCVB is a partnership of the hospitality community and local governments that drives business growth through compelling marketing and targeted sales initiatives that maximize the benefits of tourism to our guests, members and the community. Travel spending in Monterey County was $2.85 billion in 2017, representing a 3.5 percent increase from 2016. Visitor spending supported 24,990 jobs, contributed $255 million in total taxes and generated $127 million local tax dollars that directly benefited the community.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
Chatterbox PR
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 747-7455
http://www.SeeMonterey.com