Boston Jewish Film Festival announces Audience Award winners

The Audience Award winners for the 25th Boston
Jewish Film Festival are “The Jewish Cardinal,” a French film based on the real-life story of a Jewish-born cardinal, for Best Feature Film, and “Life According to Sam,” an inspiring documentary about a pair of Jewish doctors searching for a cure for their son’s rare and fatal disease, for Best Documentary.
"I’m very happy for this great audience prize, especially for this film built around the idea of reconciliation, between Jews and Christians, father and son, past and present,” said Ilan Duran Cohen, director of “The Jewish Cardinal.”
“The Jewish Cardinal” is based on the true-life story of Jean-Marie Lustiger (1926-2007). Born to Polish Jews and saved from the Holocaust, Lustiger later joined the Catholic priesthood and became the Cardinal of Paris and confidante of Pope John Paul II. The controversial Lustiger referred to himself as a “Catholic Jew.”
“Life According to Sam” is a documentary about two married Foxboro doctors, Leslie Gordon and Scott Berns, who race against time to save their only son, Sam, from the accelerated-aging disorder, Progeria. Gordon and Berns’ efforts led to the first testing of an experimental drug that could prolong the life of Sam and other children.
Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine, winners of the 2013 Oscar for Best Short Documentary for “Inocente,” directed the film.
The Gordon and Berns family attended the Foxboro, Mass. screening. “We don’t often get the opportunity to celebrate a local family that is working so hard to treat a fatal disease that affects children throughout the world,” says BJFF Executive Director Jaymie Saks. “Leslie, Scott and Sam bonded instantly with the 300 community members who had come to hear their story, and everyone was impressed by Sam’s intelligence and eloquence.”
The 25th Boston Jewish Film Festival screened 48 films from around the world from Nov. 6-18 at 12 theatres in the Greater Boston area.