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Filtered By: n Clear All

The Darwish brothers are Iraqi Jews who run an Israeli menorah factory. Beyond that, nothing is simple in My Fantasia as the filmmaker probes the family secrets of his silent father and quirky uncles.

My Father and the Man in Black

My Father and the Man in Black

Utilizing an impressive array of found footage, recreations, letters and audio-taped journals, director Jonathan Holiff reconstructs the memories of his late father Saul Holiff, longtime manager of music legend Johnny Cash. A close examination of two strong characters, the documentary sheds light on a tumultuous yet fruitful relationship between the star and his agent, and the immense toll it took on his family.

Why do some men exude an air of quiet confidence while others appear indecisive and uncertain? Filmmaker David Sampliner wants to know. He is about to become a father, and he’s worried that he’s not “man” enough to serve as his child’s guardian and protector. In My Own Man, Sampliner searches for the keys to becoming the man he wants to be by confronting his own past and embracing new challenges.

My Polish Honeymoon | Palo Alto Opening Night

My Polish Honeymoon | Palo Alto Opening Night

Anna and Adam, a young Parisian couple with Jewish origins, are about to travel to Poland for the first time. They are just married and technically speaking this will be their honeymoon. They will attend a ceremony in memory of the Jewish community in the village of Adam's grandfather, which was destroyed 75 years ago.

The Names of Love

The Names of Love

What happens when a tightly-wound Jewish scientist falls for a young Algerian sexpot in modern-day France? Cultures, mores and tragic histories collide—to surprisingly humorous effect. By hook, by crook and by routine wardrobe malfunction, the charming Baya seduces right-wingers in order to convert them. When she mistakenly propositions socialist Arthur and he politely declines (having to perform an autopsy on a goose), the spark of love ignites in this whimsical, unexpectedly sensitive romantic comedy.

Tight, edgy Israeli film noir sets off a ring of betrayal and deception after a radiant young Haifa artist has an affair behind the back of her much older science professor husband. An homage to the thrillers of Hitchcock past, the story features a heaping dose of repressed Jewish guilt and builds to an unexpected twist with the professor and his mother forming an unlikely alliance. [MINIGUIDE 66/70]

An insightful, merciless black comedy - one of the most viciously funny satires to come out of Germany. Schoolgirl Sonja (Lena Stolze, featured in THE WHITE ROSE) comes from a prominent family and has gained the respect of the people in her small Bavarian town by winning a prize for best essay in a European competition.

Jewish Canadian writer David Bezmozgis directs his acclaimed short story of forbidden teenage love between Mark, a Toronto slacker and his troubled Russian cousin by marriage. Bezmozgis’s highly provocative and deeply poignant coming-of-age drama features the extraordinarily measured performances of Alex Ozerov as Mark and newcomer Sasha K. Gordon as the sexually precocious Natasha, the dark star who forever alters Mark’s staid, suburban existence. —Thomas Logoreci

A Nazi Legacy: What Our Fathers Did

A Nazi Legacy: What Our Fathers Did

Can a man’s character be separated from his role in history? From his role in mass murder? With the volume of Holocaust material, these questions have certainly been touched on before. What makes David Evans’ documentary particularly fascinating is how close he brings us to the Nazi men that have become an almost abstract symbol of ultimate evil: He has us meet their sons.

What may be the last WWII Nazi trial, was also the first to use virtual reality in the courtroom.

This crucial and compelling doc draws connections between online harassment and older forms of persecution.

Next Year in Bombay

Next Year in Bombay

Next Year in Bombay profiles the surprising diversity of India’s Jewish communities, some of which have existed for over 2,500 years. Now, however, they are struggling to maintain their culture and traditions as their populations dwindle. At the heart of the film is the story of a young couple torn between their desire to see Judaism thrive in India and their commitment to providing their children with a Jewish education only possible if they move to Israel.

Nobody's Business

Nobody's Business

About This Film

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Norman Lear wrote, produced, created, and developed more than a hundred television shows. His legendary body of work includes such iconic programs as: All in the Family; Maude; Good Times; The Jeffersons; and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Now about to turn 94, this Jewish World War II veteran is the focus of the documentary Norman Lear: Another Version of You and the author of an autobiography, Even This I Get to Experience. The Festival is honored to present this year’s Freedom of Expression Award to Norman Lear, the television pioneer and founder of the advocacy organization, People for the American Way, whose passionate, inspiring involvement may be needed now more than ever.—Lexi LebanScreened at Sundance 2016

Odessa...Odessa!

Odessa...Odessa!

Odessa...Odessa! is a poetic journey to find the Jewish soul of Odessa, Ukraine, moving poignantly from Odessa today to Brighton Beach and to Ashdod, Israel.

Preceded by B-BoyThough set during the Second Lebanon War of 2006, this coming-of-age story from Israeli director Maya Kenig evokes the offbeat charms of Juno. Libby, a shy 13-year-old California resident, is sent to live with her father in Israel, only to discover that he’s a well-intentioned sham. Launched on a modern-day quixotic adventure, they discover a shared talent for telling “off-white lies.” Kenig’s laconic storytelling highlights her actors’ considerable gifts. [MINIGUIDE 69/70]

On Broadway | Opening Night at the San Jose Drive-in

On Broadway | Opening Night at the San Jose Drive-in

From composers to lyricists and producers to actors, Jews have played a pivotal role in the creation of many of Broadway’s biggest hits. This entertaining documentary tracks the breakthrough works and artists who made Broadway into a venue where you will find everything from the experimental and iconoclastic to the corporate and commercial, reflecting the diverse, complicated society in which we live.

On Her Shoulders

On Her Shoulders

Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi refugee and reluctant activist is the subject of this critically acclaimed documentary.

On My Way Out: The Secret Life of Nani and Popi

On My Way Out: The Secret Life of Nani and Popi

What happens to a 65-year marriage when a life-long secret is finally revealed?

Led by the magnetic Tal Brody, the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team, a combination of NBA also-rans and Israeli players, rallied a nation in its David-and-Goliath pursuit of the 1977 European Championship. Director Dani Menkin presents the context for what was a much-needed morale boost amid Israel’s sagging economy, the lingering sorrow of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre and the battle-weariness in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. —Sara L. Rubin

One Day After Peace

One Day After Peace

Ten years ago Robi Damelin’s son, a soldier in the Israeli army, was killed by a Palestinian sniper. Instead of seeking revenge, Robi sets off on a journey to find forgiveness in herself. Originally from South Africa, she travels home to investigate the methods used for ending apartheid, hoping that she can bring the same peacekeeping tactics to Israel to begin the healing process and end the cycle of violence. [MINIGUIDE 70/70]

One Week and a Day

One Week and a Day

When Eyal (Shai Avivi, Sweet Mud, SFJFF 2007) finishes the week of mourning for his late son, his wife (Evgenia Dodina, Invisible, SFJFF 2011) urges him to return to their routine but instead he chooses to gets high with his young slacker neighbor. The two misfits embark on a tragicomical journey to discover that there are still things worth living for in Eyal's life. Director Asaph Polonsky's debut feature offers a humorous and moving depiction of grief and whatever comes next. Winner, International Critic's Week, Cannes Film Festival 2016- Joshua Moore

SNEAK PREVIEWBethlehem is revered as one of the world’s holiest places by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Yet for a Palestinian teenager growing up in the 1980s, the city felt small and stifling. To her proud father’s chagrin, Leila Sansour left Bethlehem for Europe at age 17. Open Bethlehem chronicles return to her homeland, and charts how Israeli settlements and military restrictions haves affected the political and cultural landscape of this ancient city.

Dana Ivgy headlines this powerful drama, which won the Camera d’Or at Cannes and earned Ivgy the Israeli Oscar for Best Actress. With graphic intimacy, Or takes us inside the private lives of Or (Ivgy) and her working-class mother Ruthie (veteran actress Ronit Elkabetz). Or is desperately trying to convince her mother to stop working as a prostitute, but after 20 years in the business, Ruthie finds her options narrowing.

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