The Wedding Entertainer: SFJFF46 Audience Award

Winner of the SFJFF46 Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature

In Jerusalem’s Hasidic wedding circuit, a badhan—a traditional Jewish wedding entertainer—is only as good as his last performance. Moishe (Shuli Rand) was once the best, but personal struggles cost him both his reputation and his livelihood, and the better bookings now go to others. Sober and desperate, he has one urgent goal: finding the money to pay for his daughter’s wedding. When a childhood friend returns from America with mysteriously good fortune, Moishe sees a chance to solve all his problems in one fell swoop.

With The Wedding Entertainer, director Gidi Dar and actor-writer Shuli Rand—collaborators since Ushpizin (2004)—once again bring ultra-Orthodox life in Jerusalem to international audiences with warmth and specificity. The film offers a rare comedic glimpse into Hasidic wedding culture—its rituals, hierarchies, and performers—through a story that is equal parts character study and caper. Elon Gold co-stars as Moishe’s slick, high-priced rival and steals every scene he is in, rounding out an ensemble cast that brings genuine delight to a world rarely seen on screen. —Johanna Gustin

West Coast Premiere

Gidi Dar is an Israeli film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing Ushpizin (2004), a landmark Israeli drama that gained international recognition for its portrayal of ultra-Orthodox life in Jerusalem. His later work includes Legend of Destruction (2021), an animated historical film that received multiple Ophir Awards and international festival attention. His recent feature The Wedding Entertainer (2026) premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Dar’s work often explores Jewish identity, tradition, and contemporary Israeli society.