Ron Jeremy Makes Video Plea to Toronto Jewish Film Festival

TORONTO—In a short film that is less than one minute long, Ron Jeremy, cinephile and world famous porn star, makes a black-and-white plea to the Toronto Jewish Film Festival to be taken seriously as a filmmaker. According to the narrative, Jeremy has had several of his movies rejected by the festival, including one titled The Rod Father. The short opens with Jeremy in the back of a limo, looking plaintively out the window. "My name is Ron Jeremy," begins the voiceover. "Actor, producer and star of over 2000 films." "As a cinephile," he continues, now deep in thought as he walks the hills near the iconic Hollywood  sign, "I know what makes great film, but several of my submissions were rejected by the Toronto Jewish Film Festival." Cut to a pile of rumpled screenplays, The Rod Father on the top, and a cutaway to a film canister and the working title handwritten on tape, Woodfellas. "Questions arose." Now Jeremy is walking Hollywood Boulevard, bending over to check out a "walk of fame" star at his feet. "Were you not aware of the accolades bestowed upon me as a director?" Cutaway of awards, including blurred ones in the apparent shape of a phallus. "That I have worked with Hollywood's elite?" Shots of framed photos with Jeremy and a bevy of people with their faces blacked out. "And of course, that I am Jewish." Standing behind his desk in his office, he bends over in existential pain, his right hand stuffed in his pants pocket, fumbling with something near his crotch. Cut to Jeremy pulling out his bar mitzvah photo, holding it up by his head as he speaks directly into the camera. "I hope you'll reconsider," he says, his face twitching slightly. "Do the right thing." The film ends with a middle shot of Jeremy standing behind the desk holding the photo, the entire shot shimmering as book titles, awards and photos are all blurred behind him. A lifetime of achievement censored for the camera. Slowly paced, sparsely written, somber in tone and subtle in its pure satire, with Jeremy effectively understated throughout, the film is actually a promotion for the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, which opens today and runs through May 11. We're not exactly sure, but The Denver Egotist may have taken the bait The film, directed by Brian Lee Hughes with cinematography by Jason McCormick, exudes the type of quality filmmaking sought by the festival, even if its subject does not! Titled simply From the Desk of Ron Jeremy, the Toronto Jewish Film festival promo can be seen on YouTube here. Image: Screenshot from the movie, courtesy of adrants.com.