What's the film about?

Itʼs the day of Mendel Weiss's engagement party, also known as a "Vort". A nineteen-year-old Hasid in an orthodox Jewish family, Mendel grapples with the consequences of his culture and society. The Weiss family is busy preparing the party, but no one asked Mendel if he wants to get married. By chance, Mendel meets and secretly begins confiding in his Latino neighbor, Maria, through the bathroom air vent. Meanwhile, Yitzchok and Elisheva, Mendel's parents, reflect upon when they were matched, twenty years ago, and understand how young they were. As the day goes on, more suppressed feelings of the family members threaten to come to the surface. Just hours before the guests arrive, Maria, the neighbor, invites Mendel to go to a party with her and her friends. Mendel has never been to such an event, and aches for a window into her world. However, he is also conscious of the fact that if he can't overcome his curiosity about the secular world, and chooses to join Maria at the party, he will miss his Vort and will go down a path that leads to not being able to return to his family, his society, and the only community he knows, ever again.

Why Hasidim?

The film is set in a Hasidic family, but my focus will be on an individual’s feelings of guilt and hope on a pivotal day in his life. Vort is the story of an encounter between individuals, set against the persistent background of family, culture, and society. I will strive to accurately portray Hasidic life, setting the film in the Yiddish language and include actors with a Hasidic background in the cast.

Who's on the team? 

We are assembling an amazing cast and crew, including Yelena Shmulenson (A Serious Man, Boardwalk Empire, The Good Shepherd) and DP Greta Zozula, who was selected as an honoree for the Emerging Cinematographer Awards '14 for her work on The Immaculate Reception which screened at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. And many others. Scroll down for full bios.

How will the money be spent?

Making a film means many things. In order to be accurate with the aesthetics and culture of this specific community of Brooklyn Hasidim, we need to obtain and design locations, create authentic Hasidic costumes, pay close attention to art design, professional hair and make-up, rent additional camera gear, as well as provide food and transportation.

How can you be a part of this? 

You can contribute by purchasing one of our awesome perks here, or through making a tax deductible donation thanks to our fiscal sponsor, The Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity-CJCC.

(for more details, please email vortthefilm@gmail.com)                                                                                  

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Team Bios

Jonathan Fred Schneider - Writer/Director

Coming from a background in Hebrew poetry, Jonathan started as a freelance editor in Tel Aviv, editing promotional videos for musicians such as the Junior Boys (CA) and Ellen Allien (DE). Later, Jonathan graduated from the Academy Program of FAMU film school in Prague. There, he created shorts under the mentorship of

surrealist Pavel Marek. Jonathan is currently based in Brooklyn, where he writes and directs short films as part of his studies in the School of Visual Arts. His last film Rice Paradise screened at Take Two Film Festival. Influenced by his childhood in Jerusalem, and inspired by his new Brooklyn stomping grounds, Jonathan is about to shoot his upcoming film Vort, which tells the story of communities through the eyes of a Hasidic family in Brooklyn.

Yelena Shmulenson - Lead Actress

Yelena was born in Belarus, spent her early childhood in Siberia, her adolescence in the Ukraine, and emigrated to the US in 1993. She’s perhaps best known as the icepick-wielding wife in the Coen brothers’ Oscar-nominated “A Serious Man”. Other film and TV credits include “Boardwalk Empire” (as ‘Mrs. Manny Horvitz’), Robert De Niro’s “The Good Shepherd”, “Romeo & Juliet in Yiddish”, and “Chinese Puzzle” (w/ Audrey Tautou); stage credits include five seasons Off-Broadway with the Folksbiene, two at the Ellis Island Theatre, “The Golem of Havana”, “The Essence: A Yiddish Theater Dim Sum” (Fringe/tour), “Covers”, (New York and Moscow), etc. She’s won three Earphones Awards for her recorded books, and is fluent in five languages.

Andrew Keltz - Lead Actor

ANDREW KELTZ is excited to be a part of VORT.  He has appeared Off-Broadway with the National Yiddish Theatre in THE MEGILE OF ITZIK MANGER and in the Drama Desk nominated production of THE GOLDEN LAND.Select regional credits include: FOLLIES, HOW CAN YOU RUN WITH A SHELL ON YOUR BACK? (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), SNOW QUEEN, JACOB AND JACK (Victory Gardens Theater), YEAST NATION (American Theater Company), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, BOWERY BOYS, ALADDIN (Marriott Theatre), THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE (Drury Lane Oakbrook), A FEW GOOD MEN, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, OVER THE TAVERN (Peninsula Players), and BILOXI BLUES (Forestburgh Playhouse).Andrew has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the West Point Concert Band and the Jewish People's Philharmonic Chorus. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and a proud member of AEA.

Shane Baker - Lead Actor

Shane Baker is the best-loved Episcopalian on the Yiddish stage today.  He recently costarred in the New Yiddish Rep production of his own Yiddish translation of Waiting for Godot, which the New York Times called 'more depressing than Beckett’s original.’  Other Off-Broadway credits include his one-man show The Big Bupkis! A Complete Gentile’s Guide to Yiddish Vaudeville, also with NYR, as well as The Adventures of Hershele Ostropolyer and The Megile of Itzik Manger with the National Yiddish Theater-Folksbiene.  As an entertainer and vortkinstler (word artist), Baker has entertained in venues from Stockholm to San Diego and from Montreal to Mexico City.  He comes to the current production directly from a sold-out run in the Shalom Club at the Four Seasons of Metedeconk Lakes, New Jersey.

Hayden Wall - Lead Actor

Hayden Wall is an 11 year old actor, singer and dancer who performed in his first musical theater production at the age of four. Some recent credits include Big, The Musical (Young Josh Baskin) at the York Theatre, Cameron Mackintosh’s National Tour - 25th Anniversary of Les Misérables (Gavroche); American Lyric Theatre’s The Long Walk (Sam); Adam’s Gifts (Adam), Sic Transit Gloria Mundi, Dude (Teddy) at The Davenport, “Late Night with David Letterman” (Featured Vocalist), “In The Dark” (Jacob Klovitz) , Toys R Us Children’s Fund Gala (Young Paul Shaffer), Green Eggs and Ham (Sam I Am) with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Hayden has shot two feature films this year, and just finished his run as Young Shlomo in the Off-Broadway production of Soul Doctor. Hayden loves being in this business, and hopes to inspire other kids to follow their dreams.

Alan Schmuckler - Actor

Happy to be a part of this gevaldik film. Off Broadway credits: Nikolai and the Others (LCT), Stars of David (DR2 Theatre), The Megile of Itzik Manger (National Yiddish Theatre), Dragons and Falling for Make Believe (York Theatre). Chicagoland: Rent (American Theatre Company/About Face Theatre), Murder for Two (Chicago Shakespeare Theater – Joseph Jefferson nomination), Sugar (Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace – Jeff nom.), A Minister’s Wife (Writers Theatre – Jeff nom.), others. Composer/lyricist: Days Like Today (Writers Theatre), We Three Lizas (About Face Theatre at Steppenwolf Garage, Joe's Pub), The Emperor's New Clothes (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Stage Artz Theatre Company – Sydney, AU), How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back? (CST, NAMT 2009, theaters and schools nationwide). In concert: Joe’s Pub, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Graduate, Northwestern University, School at Steppenwolf. More at alanschmuckler.com.

Sofya Leyzerova - Producer

Sofya was born in Belarus and emigrated to the US in 1997. She started her career at a public accounting firm in New York City, then went on to do marketing, PR, and event production in India and the US. She also acted in a number of videos and commercials. Her quest to explore her own Jewish identity led her to spend a lot of time in religious Jewish communities, which she holds close to her heart. Sofya is excited to tie these experiences together for the production of Vort.

Alex comes from a family of professors and professional artists that have shaped his taste and has been central to his work ethic and diverse artistic passions from an early age. Alex’s experience in various film projects includes working as the Leading Creative Producer on most recently his largest projects “Millennia” (dir. Justin Amorim, 2014), and “Still His House” (dir. Andrew Minogue, 2014). Other Line Producer, Unit Production Manager and Assistant Director credits include, “Knuckle Sandwich” (dir. Jackson Warner Lewis, 2013), “Sparks” (dir. Mark Hanting, 2013) and “The Electric Company” (PBS, 2012). Alex also worked for Mutuca Films in Brazil in the Camera Department for "Cartas D’água” (dir. Camila Botelho, 2013) and Ósculo (dir. Ricardo Targino, 2013), and also was the Assistant Director for Otto’s music video "O que Dirá o Mundo” (dir. Camila Botelho, 2013).

Nathan Blankett - Composer