Jewish and Irish film fests — plus a British noir series — get under way

The Seattle Jewish Film Festival is under way this week at SIFF Cinema, with the Oscar-nominated Israeli drama "Ajami" on Saturday night; the documentary "Where I Stand: The Hank Greenspun Story," about the charismatic journalist and featuring an appearance by director Scott Goldstein; the documentary "Killing Kasztner: The Jew Who Dealt with the Nazis" with director Gaylen Ross present; the Australian comedy "Hey Hey It's Esther Blueberger," starring Toni Collette and Keisha Castle-Hughes, and much more. For John Hartl's preview of the festival, see seattletimes.com (search for "Jewish Film Festival"); for more information on the fest, see seattlejewishfilmfestival.org or call the box office at 206-324-9996.

Seattle Art Museum has tickets on sale for a new Thursday-night series: "Empire of Night: The Best of British Film Noir." The series, Seattle's first to focus entirely on British noir, will begin April 1 with "Brighton Rock," a gangster tale based on a Graham Greene novel, and will continue for 10 weeks, featuring films both well-known (Carol Reed's 1949 "The Third Man," with Orson Welles) and rarely seen ("So Long at the Fair," a fascinating missing-person drama that screened at SIFF last summer). Tickets are $65 (SAM/NWFF/SIFF members $58) and available through the SAM box office at 206-654-3121 or through Scarecrow Video, 5030 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle, 206-524-8554 or scarecrowvideo.com.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day: The Irish Reels Film Festival returns this weekend at the Henry Art Gallery (tonight only) and Seattle Art Museum (Saturday/Sunday). "Saving Our Heritage: The Irish Georgian Society" screens tonight at 7, with a presentation by Desmond Guinness about Ireland's architectural heritage. "The Yellow Bittern," a documentary about the Irish singers the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, screens Saturday at 6:30 p.m., followed at 9 p.m. by Conor McPherson's new feature "The Eclipse," starring Ciarán Hinds and Aidan Quinn. "Kisses," a new Lance Daly film set in contemporary Dublin, screens Sunday at 6:30 p.m., followed by Joel Conroy's surfing documentary "Waveriders" at 9 p.m.

Tickets are $12 for opening night and $10 for other screenings ($8 SAM members) and available through brownpapertickets.com or at the door. For more information on the festival, which also includes free screenings at Seattle Center during Irish Week celebrations, see irishreels.org.

Silent Movie Mondays' "Silents from the South Seas" series at the Paramount (say that three times fast) continues this week with the 1928 drama "Sadie Thompson," starring Gloria Swanson and John Barrymore and set in exotic Pago Pago. 7 p.m. Monday, 911 Pine St., Seattle; tickets are $12 and available through stgpresents.org, by phone at 877-784-4849, or in person at the Paramount box office.

Along with "45365" (see review on Page 13), Northwest Film Forum this weekend presents the documentary "Leonard Cohen Live at the Isle of Wight, 1970," a portrait of the then-35-year-old songwriter as he performed at the music festival. Tonight and Saturday only; 1515 12th Ave., Seattle; 206-267-5380 or nwfilmforum.org.

Bob Levis' film "Gold: Before Woodstock, Beyond Reality," a 1968 fantasy created by "a ragtag band of dreamers, dropouts and drug-happy darlings," will screen this week at the Grand Illusion, through Thursday. 1403 N.E. 50th St., Seattle; 206-523-3935 or grandillusioncinema.org.

Metro Classics celebrates St. Patrick's Day with a digital screening of the 1952 John Ford classic "The Quiet Man," with John Wayne as an American who falls in love with a fiery Irishwoman (Maureen O'Hara). Wednesday only at 6:45 and 9:15 p.m., Metro, 4500 Ninth Ave., Seattle; 206-781-5755 or landmarktheatres.com.

And finally, Mel Brooks' 1973 Western spoof "Blazing Saddles," featuring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder and Madeline Kahn, plays at midnight tonight and Saturday at the Egyptian. 805 E. Pine St., Seattle; 206-781-5755 or landmarktheatres.com.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com