Bring Hava Nagila, The Movie, to a Theater Near You!

Hello, I'm Roberta Grossman, the director of Hava Nagila (The Movie).  When I was a kid growing up in a religiously assimilated, but strongly Jewish-identified family in Los Angeles, Hava Nagila was a touchstone. I remember all those weddings and bar mitzvahs when suddenly, it would happen...The band would play the first few notes of Hava Nagila and everyone would jump to their feet, join hands in a circle and begin fumbling joyfully through the Hora. These were powerful moments, laden with meaning.  In the circle, holding hands with my mother and grandmother, I felt a tribal connection. I felt Jewish.

Three years ago, I was thinking about these memories and realized I knew absolutely nothing about the song!  Was it 100 years old or 1000?  Did someone write it?  Or did it come down from Sinai? And so began a quest to uncover the history, mystery and meaning of the ubiquitous standard. The result is Hava Nagila (The Movie) which the San Francisco Chronicle called:

"A toe-tapping, entertaining celebration of the song!

Since the film premiered as the opening night film of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival in July, 2012, it has played to delighted sold-out audiences at film festivals across the country.  Time after time, the film seems to magically transform a group of individuals into a laughing, clapping, singing community. The critics love it as well! Here's what some of them are saying:

“Definitive. Glorious. Plan to walk out humming—or maybe singing out loud!” – San Jose Mercury News

“Brilliant! A celebration of Jewish community.” JWeekly

“Judging by its keen production, sharp wit, and disarming cultural inquiry, [the film] is likely to further Grossman’s reputation as a leader in her field.” – Tikkun.org

Since San Francisco, Hava Nagila (The Movie) has been invited to 78 Jewish film festivals around the world and is opening or closing night at half of them!! These festivals include Opening Night at the Atlanta, Miami, Palm Beach and Denver Jewish Film Festivals, and Closing Night at the Boston, D.C., and Houston Jewish Film Festivals. Buoyed by this huge response, and thanks to the support of a generous contributor, we will open Hava theatrically in New York City, Los Angeles and Florida in March, 2013.  

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Although we are delighted that the film will be opening in NY, L.A. and Florida, we know there are thousands of people who want to see this movie who don't live in these cities! That's why we are asking you to help us roll out Hava Nagila (The Movie) to other cities around the country. Our goal for this Indiegogo campaign is to raise $25,000 to pay for the advertising and publicity necessary to begin a national roll out. We want to open in five additional cities in April and May and, if successful, open in many more cities throughout this summer!

WHAT YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL SUPPORT

Launching a national theatrical campaign is expensive. We need to make digital prints of the film, pay for advertising and publicity, and reach out to local community organizations in dozens of cities. The total cost of the entire campaign is $90,000. We have a contributor who is generously offering $65,000 which will cover the cost of the NYC, L.A. and Florida runs. We now need $25,000 to pay for the additional cities.  Each city will cost approximately $5,000 (which covers paid ads, publicist, posters, digital print fees, hard drives, and postage). Without your help, Hava Nagila (The Movie) will never make it beyond the coasts. Help us bring Hava Nagila (The Movie) to a theater near you!

Your contribution is tax-deductible! Our production company, Katahdin Productions, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

In addition to your contributions, we really need help getting the word out! Please, tell your friends, send them this link - www.bit.ly/Z820bx - and suggest they "like" Hava Nagila on Facebook.  Here are some useful links:

http://www.havanagilamovie.com

http://www.katahdin.org

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hava-Nagila-The-Movie/288255127932175

Thank you in advance for your support and Hava great day!

Warmly,

Roberta Grossman

More Info about the PERKS!