BANGOR will once again stake its claim to the most cosmopolitan cinema scene in North Wales with a season celebrating Jewish film.

Pontio's cinema will play host to this year’s touring UK Jewish Film Festival and bring four fantastic films to North Wales film lovers in November and December.

The annual film festival is dedicated to world cinema that explores Jewish life, history and culture, and this year feature the Oscar nominated Welsh language film Solomon a Gaenor on Sunday, December 8 at 5.30pm.

Emyr Glyn Williams, Pontio’s cinema coordinator, said: "Pontio Cinema is proud to reveal our involvement with this year's nationwide UK Jewish Film Festival with a season of films in November and December.

"A definite festival highlight will be the UK wide re-release of the Welsh language Oscar nominated film Solomon a Gaenor, starring Ioan Gruffudd. "

The 1998 film tells the moving and passionate story of an illicit love between a Welsh girl and a Jewish boy in 1911 in the South Wales valleys. Gaenor, born into a family of strict chapel-goers, falls for Solomon, a young door-to-door salesman, who conceals his Jewish identity from Gaenor and her family.

The couple, from similar yet very distinctive worlds, fall helplessly in love. The odds are against them, however, as the outraged community in which they live conspires to destroy their fragile happiness.

Mr Williams added: "This film clearly shows us the historical and on-going links between Jewish and Welsh life and culture and it is a prime example of what the festival aims to achieve by showing that cinema has the ability to unite, engage and educate diverse audiences through the telling of cinematic stories that provide stimulating, interesting and unique views of Jewish life and culture.

"We will also be hosting a post screening panel discussion to discuss issues raised by the film."

Rhyl Journal:

To open the festival on Saturday, November 23 at 5.30pm, the cinema will screen the fantastically entertaining biopic Gainsbourg, which offers a glimpse into the colourful life of French musical genius Serge Gainsbourg from 1940s Nazi-occupied Paris to his 1968 chart-topping success and beyond.

Rhyl Journal:

Joining Gainsbourg in a double bill is brand new documentary film, From Slavery to Freedom, which examines the inspiring history of the Russian 'Refuseniks' and their long fight to leave for a new life in Israel at 8.15pm.

Rhyl Journal:

Finally on Wednesday, November 27, Barbra Streisand's ground breaking directorial debut Yentl returns to the big screen, which tells the tale of a young Jewish woman who has to disguise herself as a boy in order to receive an education.

Mr Williams said: "We at Pontio support UK Jewish Film's aims to develop a culture where Jewish related film is recognised and enjoyed by the widest possible audience."

Don't miss this opportunity to support a local cinema bringing international film to North Wales!

Standard tickets for each screening are £7.50, with concessions available. To book, visit pontio.co.uk or call the box office on 01248 382828.