Jewish Film Festival Jewish Film Festival

2023 Film Guide

Show by: Film | Festival Sections

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Festival Sections
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Venues
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  • Vogue Theater
White Bird
White Bird
When famous artist Sara Blum (Helen Mirren) confronts her grandson’s bullying behavior, his unrepentant demeanor provokes her to recount her experience as a Jewish girl in an occupied French village during World War II.
The Wild One
The Wild One
Powered by his vivid recollections, legendary director of stage and film Jack Garfein reflects on how his tragic childhood informed his unique, driven and uncompromising vision as an artist.
The Anne Frank Gift Shop
The Anne Frank Gift Shop
When a high-end design firm presents its plans to reimagine the gift shop at The Anne Frank Haus, the company’s overt appeals to Generation Z sparks a darkly comic debate about collective trauma, the Holocaust and tote bags.
Arava
Arava
Two runaway teenage girls hitchhike through small-town Israel to a Northern Jewish sanctum in pursuit of spiritual redemption. Along the way, they’re confronted with the complexities of their relationship.
The Artichoke Season
The Artichoke Season
After her father leaves home, 10-year-old Rosalie, who lives in a Jerusalem slum, turns to fantasy-like memories from her childhood.
Deciding Vote
Deciding Vote
Fifty years ago, a now forgotten New York Republican assemblyman cast a single tiebreaking vote that legalized abortion in New York and laid the groundwork for Roe v. Wade.
Diving In
Diving In
Rachel and Yael share their first night together. But a problematic discovery could make it their last.
The Father, The Son and The Rav Kalmenson
The Father, The Son and The Rav Kalmenson
Yoel is honoring Shabbat in the neighborhood synagogue when his rabbi announces to him that his son is “lighting up”.
I Missed You at Synagogue
I Missed You at Synagogue
When Carmel, a religious boy, finds his best friend Ido at his house, heartbroken from a recent breakup, Carmel feels things he doesn’t dare to admit.

Download the SFJFF43 Program Guide
Special Presentations
SFJFF43'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.
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. SFJFF43 is proud to showcase this dynamic group of films that received JFI support in their creation.
Next Wave Films
SFJFF43's Next Wave selections address the complicated, conflicting, and empowering elements of contemporary life, Jewish identity, and expression through a showcase of remarkable stories that touch on art, social justice, relationships, politics, and more.
Take Action Films
In an increasingly divided world, film has a role to play in connecting people and communities around the issues that define our moment. Focusing on subjects like abortion rights, gun violence, racial injustice, food systems, and human rights, these films respond to the urgency of our times and embolden us to take concrete action to repair the world.
Fractured Lens: Divergent Perspectives on Israel and Palestine
2023 marked an inflection point in Israel and Palestine when it comes to issues of democracy, free speech, occupation and hope for a shared future, and filmmakers are responding. SFJFF43 is highlighting the stories of Israelis, Palestinians, and American Jews grappling with their relationship to the Jewish State.
The Body as Battleground: Abortion Access in Post-Roe America
From the outlaw activists ensuring access to the abortion pill, to Jewish champions of the right to choose, SFJFF43 is spotlighting stories of resistance past and present as reproductive rights come under attack nationwide following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. 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.