Film Archive | Jewish Film Institute

Exhibition Series

2020 Filmmakers in Residence
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Film Type

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Television Series

Sayed Kashua- Forever Scared

Sayed Kashua (2010 SFJFF Freedom of Expression Award winner) is a successful Israeli writer with a top-rated television comedy series, Arab Labor, but as a Palestinian citizen of Israel he’s a walking, talking existential crisis. Director Dorit Zimbalist’s fast-paced documentary makes us feel what it’s like to be a stranger in your own land. Followed by the concluding episode of the premiere season of Arab Labor.

Scaffolding

A troubled teen struggles in high school in a challenging film suffused with raw authenticity.

Scar of the Earth

I follow the tracks of my great-great-aunt in Kiev. My mother tells her story, her tragic death and reveals a dramatic part of the history of the Holocaust.

Scarface

Warning: This is not a Jewish movie! Scarface is an unforgettable gangster classic featuring exceptional Jewish actor Paul Muni (born Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund). Muni plays Tony Camonte (aka Scarface), a bloodthirsty Prohibition-era mobster on the rise. Director Howard Hawks’ early talkie is an excellent example of a gangster picture that would have had a Jewish subtext for Jewish audiences of its day because of Muni’s fame in the Yiddish theatre.

Scenes from the Divide

Exploring the perspectives of New Yorkers on both sides of Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for mayor of New York, this film reveals a fierce battle among American Jews over identity, history, and responsibility.

Science Fair

Nine optimistic and ambitious high schoolers compete for spots at Intel’s International Science Engineering Fair.

Scottsboro: An American Tragedy

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Screenagers

Are your kids scrolling through life, missing out on a childhood filled with imagination and outdoor adventure? Are you multitasking on your device, half listening to your child talk about his or her day? You are not alone. In Screenagers, filmmaker Delaney Ruston examines the impact of digital devices on our lives and the fraught household negotiations taking place around them. Screenagers will be followed by bagels and a post-film discussion. —Lexi Leban

Sea Horses

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The Sea

Khaled, a 12 year old Palestinian boy denied entry into Israel on a school trip, forges his own illicit path to the Mediterranean Sea in this devastating portrayal of a childhood defined by borders and occupation. Winner, Best Feature, Ophir Awards. Israel’s official selection for Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.

In Search of Israeli Cuisine

Renowned chef Michael Solomonov explores a diverse world of food drawn from more than 100 cultures. Chefs, farmers, vintners, cheese makers and home cooks discuss their roots and show specialties that both preserve and update traditional recipes using global inspiration. Uniquely and lovingly prepared shakshuka, boreka, maqluba, couscous and a kugel that challenges expectations are just a few of the irresistible dishes featured. Warning: This movie will make you hungry!

The Search

Future blacklistee Paul Jarrico scripted The Search, arguably the best early film to treat the Holocaust theme. A mother searches for her son lost during the war, while a GI (Montgomery Clift) befriends a boy in a UN camp in occupied Germany. Its surprisingly realistic depiction of the trauma of war earned Oscar® nominations for Best Picture and Best Direction for Fred Zinnemann (High Noon, From Here to Eternity).

Seaweed

In the south of Israel, a boy dealing with the loss of his mother, befriends a mysterious wanderer who lives in the desert.

The Second Coming

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The Secret Art of Human Flight (Local Spotlight)

In this heartwarming and captivating tale, a young widower seeks escape from grief by training with an eccentric stranger who claims his methods will allow the man to fly.

The Secret Life Of Uri Geller- Psychic Spy?

Vikram Jayanti’s doc is no mere portrait of Uri Geller, the famed Israeli spoon bender who became the world’s foremost showbiz psychic. Jayanti makes the curious case that government intelligence agencies used (and possibly still use) Geller’s unique paranormal powers. Whether recounting his friendship with John Lennon or his time as the psychic bodyguard for the Mexican first family, Uri Geller is a hypnotic raconteur who makes this film fascinating to watch.

Secret Lives: Hidden Children and Their Rescuers During World War II

SECRET LIVES tells the story of Jewish children saved from the Nazis by non-Jews. The film deftly examines biological ties and the poignant reunions between children and their survivor parents. JOHNNY & JONES is a pitch-perfect documentary that interweaves the story of these pioneers of European swing with the making of a modern opera based on their lives, and features their rich recordings.

Secret Screening!!

Take a chance on this special Secret Screening and add the element of surprise to your day. Get ready to take a leap into the unknown–trust us, it's worth it.

The Secret

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The Secrets

Naomi, daughter of a revered rabbi, comes to Safed—where the mystical texts of the Kabala were received—to study in an orthodox women’s seminary. Eagerly diving into serious Torah study, she catches the eye of the flirtatious Michelle. Assigned to bring meals to the mysterious Anouk (Fanny Ardant), ill and seeking spiritual redemption, Michelle and Naomi embark upon a secret journey of purifying rituals and forbidden love.

Security Groove

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Seder-Masochism

Loosely following a traditional Passover Seder, the events of Exodus are retold by Moses, Aharon, the Angel of Death, Jesus, and the director's own father. But there's another side to this story: that of the Goddess, humankind's original deity. Seder-Masochism resurrects the Great Mother in a tragic struggle against the forces of Patriarchy.

Seeds

Seeds, an exceptional documentary, introduces us to ten courageous teenagers who gather together for three life-changing weeks at the Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine. Back home, it’s impossible to believe that an Israeli and a Palestinian can share a bunk, let alone a laugh or a hug. Seeds sends a strong message of hope in a media landscape that is bursting with images of violence and intolerance.

Seekers of Happiness

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Seltzer Works

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The Sentence

An intimate documentary about the impact a mother’s incarceration for a nonviolent drug offense has on her family.

Sentimental Grotesque

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Separation

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Sepharad

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September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill

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Sergio Maza: Echoes of Foreign Films, The Talbots' Legacy

Echoes of Foreign Films is an intimate portrait of Dan and Toby Talbot's personal and professional life and their extraordinary contribution to the art film industry, and a cinematic journey through some of the most influential foreign movies that the Talbots brought to the U.S. and Canada.

The Settlers

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The Settlers (2016)

In a comprehensive and compelling retelling, award-winning Israeli filmmaker, Shimon Dotan (Smile of the Lamb, SJFFF 1986) traces with remarkable access the history of Israeli settlements in the West Bank since Israel’s decisive victory in the 1967 Six Day War. Using archival footage of the religious zealots and interviews with a diverse range of modern-day settlers, Dotan weaves together the story that entangles the destinies of Israel and the Palestinian people. —Janis PlotkinScreened at Sundance Film Festival 2016

Setup, Punch

Showing that there is always a reason to laugh, stand-up comic Reuben Stein (Elijah Wood) does the most daring set of his life. The consequences will change his life forever.

Seven Minutes in Heaven

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Seven Minutes in the Warsaw Ghetto

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