Jewish Film Festival Jewish Film Festival

2022 Film Guide

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Festival Sections
  • Awakenings: Stories of Transformation
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  • Present Tense: Contested Histories
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Venues
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Filtered By: 2021 Clear All
Summer Nights
Summer Nights
Six-year-old Alva and his filmmaker father share a loving vision of the world as a series of small revelations. Bedtime, family haircuts, aging and the stirrings of first love are sublimely explored in this cinematic essay. First Prize, DocAviv Film Festival; Best Documentary, Ophir Awards.
Take the A Train
Take the A Train
In the wake of a difficult break-up, talented jazz pianist Yishai returns home to the smoky dive bars and sunlit side streets of Tel Aviv to reconnect with his past and decipher his future.
The Therapy
The Therapy
Two gay men in Jerusalem who were taught that homosexuality is a fault that one could “cure” through “conversion therapy” emerge from their experiences with different views in this gripping documentary.
We Burn Like This
We Burn Like This
When 22-year-old Rae witnesses the rise of antisemitism in her Billings, Montana community, she is forced to reckon with her ancestors’ trauma, and her own. Features notable performances from Madeleine Coghlan (The Rookie) and Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs).
Against the Flow
Against the Flow
A poetic and thought-provoking film about the interconnection of humans and nature—and the nature of humans.
Anne
Anne
Two actresses, one Black and one white, audition to play Anne Frank, prompting the controversial question: Who is best suited for the role?
Cherry
Cherry
Struggling with addiction and her relationship with her mother, Omer discovers she’s pregnant and tries to use it to lure back her ex.
Daddy's Girl
Daddy's Girl
A charming but overbearing father, played by Peter Friedman (Succession), helps his daughter (Tedra Millan, Fosse/Verdon) move out of her wealthy older boyfriend's apartment.
Did You Hear the Trees?
Did You Hear the Trees?
Local Polish children set out to find a treasure hidden behind the forest only to discover the remnants of an extermination camp.

Download the SFJFF42 Program Guide
Special Presentations
SFJFF42's Special Presentations honor stories big and small, illuminate the diversity of Jewish experiences, champion freedom of expression, and delight with their wit and charm. This year’s special screenings feature virtuosic performances, partnerships with fellow arts organizations, untold histories and uncomfortable truths, and more.
JFI Supported Stories
The Jewish Film Institute champions emerging and established filmmakers telling bold stories about Jewish life, culture, and identity through our Filmmaker Residency and Completion Grants programs. SFJFF42 is proud to showcase this dynamic group of films that received JFI support in their creation.
Next Wave Films
JFI Next Wave is a community of Bay Area filmmakers with an eye on the up and coming, and it is a platform for films and filmmakers that challenge and expand our ideas of Jewish storytelling. These films explore modern life and identity through a Jewish lens, often dealing with subjects like art, music, travel, social justice and more.
Take Action Films
Today's national conversation and political moment has inspired a powerful revolution of filmmakers applying their trade to the moment’s most pressing issues. Focusing on issues like climate change, abortion rights, and the fight against white nationalist violence, these films respond to the urgency of our times and embolden us to take concrete action to repair the world.
Awakenings: Stories of Transformation
As we return to the movies, SFJFF42 is highlighting stories that reflect our current moment of personal and societal awakening. What moves us from a space of inertia to action, in our lives and in the world? Who do we become when we pass the point of no return? These films ask those questions, and leave it to the audience to come up with the answers.
Present Tense: Contested Histories
Our current moment is one of grappling with history. Questions of whose stories become the popular narrative, and whose remain hidden from view, are frontline conversations in communities around the world. These films reexamine commonly accepted truths with a fresh lens, unearthing aspects of the past that illuminate our present reality.
Radiant Truths: Seeing Beyond Ourselves
What if, instead of being threatened by perspectives that challenge our own, we embraced the possibility that they have something to teach us? These films embody the idea of “multiple truths” by sharing a multiplicity of (sometimes contradictory) ideas and experiences.
Short Films
Don't miss the thirty-one short films in this year's program, each of which tells a big story. All narrative shorts compete for the SFJFF Film Movement Award and all documentary shorts compete for the juried Best Short Documentary Award, the winner of which is eligible for the Academy Award in Documentary (Short Subject).
Streaming Films
For those who prefer an at-home viewing experience, SFJFF42 offers more than a dozen programs online, available in the JFI Digital Screening Room from August 1–7, 2022. Selected titles include repeat presentations from the in-person Festival and stellar titles only streaming online.