User:Coordination IMAJ/The Institute for the Audiovisual Jewish Memory

The Institute for the Audiovisual Jewish Memory is a non-profit cultural association established in Brussels in [./https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984 1984].

History
Béatrice Godlewicz, a teacher, remarks the lack of Jewish cultural cinematographic references in Europe. Consequently she takes the initiative to create an association that provides films and information on Jewish history and culture to schools and teachers. With the time, the association collects and classifies an increasing number of films and enlarges its audience. IMAJ thus becomes a specialized documentation center for those who wish to acquire further knowledge on Jewish cinema, for amateurs of the seventh art or for general public interested in Jewish culture. Moreover, IMAJ organizes events promoting recent or ancient films. Baron Georges Arthur Schnek (1924 - 2012), Paul Danblon (1931 - 2018), Simone Susskind, Gyora Glupczynski and Béatrice Godlewicz are the founding members of IMAJ.

The objectives
IMAJ participates in the effort of reviewing and circulating movies on Jewish culture and history : fictions, documentaries, short films, etc. IMAJ has an important data base in French on Jewish related films. More than 10 000 films have been classified and about 2500 are thus already identified and hundreds of tapes and DVDs can be consulted on the spot. These are both renowned films and rare, private or undiscovered documents. The aim of this database is to promote films that have a connection with Jewish life and history. In this context, IMAJ wishes to uncover Judaism under its multiple aspects to a large audience. Beside the screenings and events management, IMAJ supports, like other Jewish organizations, the importance of memory and disseminates films on the Shoah on other genocides and crimes against humanity. This is also a way to fight against stereotypes, denial and antisemitism. IMAJ is also a place for discussion on cinema.It defends freedom of speech, pluralism of opinions and intercultural dialogue. IMAJ wishes to establish a dialogue that aims at building bridges among different communities.

The actions
IMAJ organizes movie events : premieres, festivals, screenings followed by debates, and supports film production. It gives support to other events such as exhibitions, book presentations, concerts, conferences… In 1989 IMAJ created its own first festival titled “Mieux vaut en rire” (it is better to laugh) on Jewish humor and cinema. The festival is renamed in 2010 Au fil(m) du temps  (as time goes) and becomes the “Brussels Jewish International Film Festival”(BJIFF) in 2014. Between 2010 and 2016, a prize was being awarded to the best Jewish or Jewish related film. This prize is named Georges Schnek Prize, the first President of IMAJ and  is awarded by a professional jury. Baron Georges Arthur Schnekhas been a prominent representative of the Belgian Jewish community.

The Prize has been awarded to :


 * Jorge Gurvich, for the movie Le chat de Madame Moskovitch during the 13th edition of the festival (2010)
 * Doron Eran for his movie Melting away during the 14th edition of the festival (2011)
 * Sharon Bar-Ziv for her film Room 514 during the 15th edition of the festival (2013)
 * Nurit Kedar and Yaron Shani for their movie Life sentences during the 16th edition of the festival (2014)
 * Nir Bergman for his movie Yona during the 17th edition of the festival (2016)

Following one of the festivals, IMAJ has produced a DVD accompanied by a booklet Le cinéma de Vouzôtres with the support of Belgian French Community. This production is a compilation of Jewish related movies produced by Belgian filmmakers. IMAJ has also produced other DVDs on events it organized or to which it took part.

Affiliations
IMAJ, as an association, is recognized and supported by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. It is also supported by the Fondation du judaïsme de Belgique. IMAJ has been recognized as a « Centre labellisé Holocaust » by the department « Democracy or Barbarism » of the French Community of Belgium in 2010.