The Hong Kong Jewish Festival is going on right now. If you haven't been yet this year, you've already missed some great films and some great food. (I think I may have overdosed on the kosher crème brulée yesterday!) But the good news is that there's still much more to come and we have some talented filmmakers in town to present their films to us. Here's the scoop on who is here:

Can traditional Jewish cuisine ever claim its place within the world of haute cuisine? Does it need a modern day Viking to take it there? When Danish born non-Jewish chef Henrik Iversen becomes head chef at the Jerusalem Hyatt, he champions the rustic delights of chopped liver, matzo ball soup and cholent but with his own "haymishe" twist!

A search for a sofa owned by filmmaker Pearl Gluck's great-great grandfather in Hungary unearths more than she bargained for in this bittersweet documentary. The near legendary divan, reputedly slept on by scores of famous Hasidic rebbes, brings Gluck back into the fold of her Orthodox family and in close contact with her father, from whom she has become estranged. Anchored by touching testimonies from other men and women, who have also strayed from their Orthodox roots, DIVAN tackles the big questions of faith, morality and the meaning of family, with sharp wit.

In the 16th Century, Spanish Jews arrived in Mexico trying to escape Spanish inquisition. In 1984, several families from the port of Veracruz began to investigate their origins and they discovered themselves to be descendants of these original immigrants. Thus began the fascinating adventures of the community of Beth Shmuel, a congregation of Jewish converts that has been fighting with the religious establishment in Mexico for its acceptance. EIGHT CANDLES recounts the history of eight of these families.

More information about all the films playing at the Festival as well as the schedule is available on our website. All films are shown at Cine-Art House Cinema, G/F, Sun Hung Kai Centre, Wanchai.

See you at the Festival!