BY KAREN BOSSICK

He wanted to be the Jewish Elvis. His sidekick was a lifelong friend from elementary school in Queens, N.Y., who like him wanted to sound like the Everly Brothers.

Together Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel rocketed to fame as Simon and Garfunkel, recording such memorable songs as “The Sound of Silence,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Boxer” and “Mrs. Robinson.”

This month their story will be told in one of three films being shown free of charge as part of the annual Sun Valley Jewish Film Festival.

“Simon & Garfunkel” will be shown on Tuesday, July 22, at the Sun Valley Community School Theatre. “Cadilla Records” will kick off the festival on Tuesday, July 8, and “The Best of Men” on July 15.

Ketchum resident Linda Cooper founded the film festival 11 years ago to celebrate Jewish stories and film. She and a volunteer committee watch as many as 200 films through the year to find the best in Jewish-themed and Israeli cinema.

“About a third of the audience is not Jewish, and I like that because I want to show people how special our culture is,” she said.

This year’s lineup:

…“Cadillac Records,” which screens on Tuesday, July 8, revolves around a Jewish Polish immigrant named Leonard Chess, whose Chess Records recorded stars like Muddy Waters, Etta James and Chuck Berry. It stars Adrien Brody and Beyonce.

Chess grew up across the street from a black gospel church and he loved their music, Cooper said. So, when he founded Chess Records in Chicago in 1950, he became a big part of opening the doors for black musicians.

…“The Best of Men,” on Tuesday, July 15, is the true story of Dr. Ludwig Guttman, a refugee doctor who escaped to England during Nazi Germany. There, he watched as paralyzed soldiers were written off, kept under sedation and immobile in bed.

Guttman insisted that it was better if they were as mobile as possible and, so, he hit on competitive sport as a way of encouraging physical exercise and building self-esteem. His program became the forerunner of the Paralympic Games. And Guttman was ultimately knighted by the Queen.

…“Simon and Garfunkel,” on Tuesday, July 22, is an award-winning film featuring the lives and music of America’s musical sensation.

All three films will be shown at 5:30 p.m. at the Sun Valley Community School. Admission is free.