Documentary Features

Ain't No Back to a Merry-Go-Round

Radical Black students, progressive Jews, and a segregated carousel: the untold story of the first organized interracial civil rights protest in US history.

All God's Children | Work in Progress

A white reform rabbi and a Black baptist reverend bring their congregations together to combat racism and anti-semitism in an effort to bridge the gap between harsh realities and utopian ideals.

The Assembly

Pianist Hershey Felder and a group of his students travel to Poland to retrace the steps of holocaust survivor Eva Libitzky and perform music inspired by her story.

Diane Warren: Relentless | Centerpiece Documentary

Diane Warren has penned songs for the world’s biggest stars, including Cher, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé. This in-depth documentary reveals the artist behind the songs.

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence | Sneak Preview

A chronicle of the inimitable singer-songwriter’s journey from her Jewish childhood on a farm to producing a body of work that breaks boundaries and stereotypes.

Jews By Choice

After an environmental disaster decimates a historic synagogue, an intrepid group commits to rebuilding a Jewish cultural center. And not one among them is Jewish.

Love Machina

Commissioned by futurists Martine and Bina Rothblatt, the humanoid robot Bina48 explores the potential to preserve both their digital consciousness and eternal love.

Lyd

Lyd is a sci-fi documentary about the city that "connected Palestine to the world" – exploring its history of expulsion and imagining a shared alternative future.

Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Appelbaum

Jacob Appelbaum, “the most dangerous man in cyberspace,” is living in exile and the subject of documentarian Jamie Kastner’s examination of privacy and ethics.

The Other

Filmed from 2017-2023, The Other focuses on Israeli and Palestinian peace-builders, working to liberate themselves from hatred, trauma and fear–no matter how impossible it may seem.

A Photographic Memory | Artist Spotlight

In this intimate, genre-bending documentary, filmmaker Rachel Elizabeth Seed attempts to piece together a portrait of her late mother after discovering her archive of work.

Physician, Heal Thyself

World renowned addiction expert Gabor Mate’s polarizing ideas are explored through the story of his life and personal evolution.

Porcelain War

Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey find and create beauty amid the destruction of war in this striking documentary.

The Return from the Other Planet

The real-life story of the mysterious author who reinvented himself as Ka-Tzetnik and created a body of influential works based on his imprisonment at Auschwitz.

A group of three white people, one woman and two men, are sitting indoors. The woman and younger man are in motorized wheelchairs. The woman has cropped brown hair, red glasses, and is wearing a red blouse covered by a purple shawl. The younger man is wearing a checkered button down shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. The older man is wearing a checkered button down shirt and khakis. All three individuals are smiling and appear to be in conversation.

The Ride Ahead | East Bay Closing Night

Turning 21 and disabled, Samuel Habib wants to date, leave home, go to college. Can a community of disability activist rebels help him follow his dreams?

Sabbath Queen | Closing Night

From drag-queen rebel to rabbi, Amichai Lau Lavie radically reinvents religion and ritual and establishes a God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation.

Shari & Lamb Chop | Opening Night

Before Mister Rogers there was Shari Lewis, best known for her skillful ventriloquism as the human counterpart to the beloved sock puppet Lamb Chop.

Silver's Uprising

In a country ravaged by PTSD, Amos Dov Silver creates a mobile app that becomes the largest marketplace for marijuana in Israel and he becomes an enemy of the state.

TABOO - Amos Guttman

This insightful, illuminating documentary chronicles the life and work of Amos Guttman, a rebellious filmmaker credited with making the first queer Israeli feature film.

The Teaches of Peaches

Celebrating her groundbreaking album’s 20th anniversary, multihyphenate performer and iconic feminist Peaches continues to inspire audiences with her authentic, outrageous, and joyfully adults-only performances.

Three Promises

While the Israeli army retaliates against the Second Intifada in the West Bank, a mother films her family’s daily life, punctuated by time spent sheltering in the basement.

Torah Tropical

In a tropical paradise turned dystopia by the War on Drugs, a struggling Colombian family of Orthodox Jewish converts attempts making Aliyah to Israel, putting their faith to the ultimate test.

Willem & Frieda

Stephen Fry tenderly researches artists Willem and Frieda, who used their skills to forge identity cards that saved thousands during WWII.

XCLD: The Story of Cancel Culture | Local Spotlight

XCLD is a nuanced, humorous, and provocative look at the controversial and oft misunderstood issue of Cancel Culture, featuring interviews with Judy Gold, Loretta J. Ross, and Marc Maron.