Culture Secretary Sajid Javid has praised the UK Jewish Film Festival and the Jewish contribution to the movie industry worldwide.

Mr Javid said the festival had for the past two decades “provided a unique platform for hundreds of film-makers telling thousands of stories, stories that provide stimulating and unique views of Jewish and Israeli culture”.

He added: “In an age where sometimes we hear about division and even hostility between different parts of society in Britain, this festival is a great opportunity to bring people together.”

The prominent role of Jews in film-making was perhaps "an extension of that great Jewish tradition of story-telling - that desire to share ideas with friends and with families and with strangers."

Mr Javid was speaking on Thursday evening at the opening gala of this year's festival. Among the audience at the event, at the BFI on London’s Southbank, were showbusiness stars Andrew Sachs, Maureen Lipman, Sarah Solemani and Nelly Tagar, and Israeli ambassador Daniel Taub.

A small but noisy anti-Israel demonstration was kept clear of the venue by police. The protesters shouted that it was “shameful” that the BFI was hosting an event from a festival which had received funding from the Israel embassy.

The movie selected for the opening night was the French thriller, The Art Dealer, about a young Jewish journalist’s investigation into stolen family paintings.

Its director, Francois Margolin and star, Anna Sigalevitch were present at the screening, the film's first in the UK.

Mr Margolin said it had been difficult attracting finance for the film in France. “I’m not sure that they wanted to fund a film about looted art.”

As a French Jew, it had been important to him to get the movie made at a time of rising antisemitism.

“It’s not only a question of money, or paintings, but a symbol of the relationship between the Jewish community in France and the state.”

He believed British audiences would be more receptive. “English-speaking countries are more aware of the problem of stolen paintings.”

Ms Sigalevitch said she was drawn to a story about the Nazi era and its aftermath.

“My generation needs to know what happened. I started to talk to my father about what happened. He was in Russia [she hails from a family of Russian musicians] so it’s not the same story. But nobody talked in my family, like in the film.”

The festival runs until November 23 and features 159 screenings at venues across the country.
Details at www.ukjewishfilm.org