Welcome
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
3301 Lyon St
Vogue Theater
JCCSF
3200 California St
3290 Sacramento St
SAN FRANCISCO
Box Office
TICKETS
JFI Member: $15
General Admission: $20
Student/Senior/ADA: $19
Special Events:
Urban Adamah 1151 Sixth St
Landmark’s Piedmont Theatre 4186 Piedmont Ave OAKLAND BERKELEY
Delancey Street Screening Room
600 The Embarcadero
Roxie Theater
3117 16th St
$20 Members / $25 General
Opening Night (Film Only):
$30 Members / $35 General Opening Night (Film + Party):
$65 Members / $75 General
TICKET
PACKAGES
Member 10-Flix: $140
General 10-Flix: $175
10-Flix tickets may be redeemed for any regular or special event with the exception of Opening Night.
Attending
SFJFF44 Venues
FESTIVAL PASSES
The best way to experience the Festival, passes include priority admission to screenings and events.
All Festival Pass:
$345 Members / $395 General East Bay Pass:
$250 Members / $275 General Next Wave Pass (ages 18–35): $45
Prices may vary for certain Special Events. Visit sfjff.org/tickets for more information.
PURCHASING TICKETS
Purchase tickets online at sfjff.org
Purchase tickets by phone or email: 415.621.0568, boxoffice@sfjff.org Monday–Friday, 11am–5pm
ACCESSIBILITY: JFI is committed to providing accessible experiences at all events whether in-person or online. For more information, please visit sfjff.org/accessbility, or contact info@jfi.org.
HEALTH & SAFETY: Masks are strongly recommended at all SFJFF screenings and events when not eating or drinking. Proof of vaccination is not required to attend. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home until you feel better.
CODE OF CONDUCT: At SFJFF44, JFI is dedicated to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for filmmakers and audiences from diverse cultures, identities, and perspectives. We encourage dialogue and differing opinions at the Festival. We do not tolerate harassment, discrimination, or abusive behavior. Thank you for helping to keep SFJFF a welcoming and supportive place for our entire community.
Become a Member
Join a community that believes in the power of independent film to expand and evolve the Jewish story. Enjoy free members-only screenings, early access and discounts on tickets to JFI and SFJFF events, and more—all while supporting independent filmmakers in the Bay Area and beyond. Membership starts as low as $60 at jfi.org/membership.
Opening Night
Shari & Lamb Chop
PoFA Thursday, July 18 6:30 PM
Piedmont Wednesday, July 31 3:30 PM
Lisa D’Apolito, 2023, United States, 92 minutes, English, BAY AREA PREMIERE
Before Mister Rogers there was Shari Lewis, best known for her skillful ventriloquism as the human counterpart to the beloved sock puppet Lamb Chop. Director Lisa D’Apolito, participant Mallory Lewis, and special guest Lamb Chop expected to attend.
Opening Night Bash
9:00 PM | Palace of Fine Arts
Following Shari & Lamb Chop, the party continues at the Palace of Fine Arts with tasty treats and refreshments from our festival partners
Centerpiece Narrative
PoFA Saturday, July 20 6:00 PM
Piedmont Saturday, August 3 8:00 PM
Nathan Silver, 2024, United States, 111 minutes, English, WEST COAST PREMIERE
A cantor (Jason Schwartzman) in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher (Carol Kane) reenters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student. Director Nathan Silver expected to attend.
San
PoFA Sunday, July 28 8:00 PM
Piedmont Tuesday, July 30 1:00 PM
Sandi DuBowski, 2024, United States, 105 minutes, English, Hebrew, Yiddish w/ English subtitles, WEST COAST PREMIERE
From drag-queen rebel to rabbi, Amichai LauLavie radically reinvents religion and ritual and establishes a God-optional, artist-driven, popup experimental congregation. Director Sandi DuBowski and participant Amichai Lau-Lavie expected to attend.
Centerpiece Documentary
Diane Warren: Relentless
Piedmont Saturday, August 3 3:30pm
Bess Kargman, 2024, United States, 91 minutes, English, BAY AREA PREMIERE
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.
Sneak Preview
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence
PoFA Sunday, July 21 5:30 PM
Varda Bar-Kar, 2024, United States, 111 minutes, English
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. Director Varda Bar-Kar and participant Janis Ian expected to attend.
Artist Spot light
Photographic Memory
PoFA Sunday, July 28 5:30 PM
Piedmont Thursday, August 1 3:30 PM
Rachel Elizabeth Seed, 2024, United States, 87 minutes, English, BAY AREA PREMIERE
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. Director Rachel Elizabeth Seed expected to attend.
Community Programs
Peripheral Visions S
Urban Adamah Saturday, July 27 6:00 PM
79 minutes
Full program information at sfjff.org
These short films provide a cinematic exploration of the unique cultural contributions of Jews of Color in expanding collective understandings of what it means to be Jewish.
Vantage Points: Perspectives From Sapir College S
JCCSF Saturday, July 27 3:00 PM
97 minutes
Full program information at sfjff.org
SFJFF44 presents a collection of student shorts from Sapir College, the only academic institution in the Gaza envelope. These diverse selections reflect a spirit of pluralism that defies expectations. Sapir College faculty
Sami Shalom Chetrit and Philippe Bellaiche expected to attend.
Vogue Thursday, July 25 1:00 PM
Piedmont Wednesday, July 31 1:00 PM
Ilana Trachtman, 2024, United States, 89 minutes, English, WEST COAST PREMIERE
Radical Black students, progressive Jews, and a segregated carousel: the untold story of the first organized interracial civil rights protest in U S history.
JCCSF Saturday, July 20 3:00 PM
Ondi Timoner, 2024, United States, English, WORK IN PROGRESS
Vogue Wednesday, July 24 6:00 PM
Ádám Breier, 2024, Hungary, 85 minutes, Hungarian w/ English subtitles
When Tamás’ beloved wife Zsuzsa dies unexpectedly, he agrees to sit Shiva with his estranged son, as long as he brings his grandson Ariel with him.
A white reform rabbi and a Black baptist reverend bring their congregations together to combat racism and antisemitism in an effort to bridge the gap between harsh realities and utopian ideals. Director Ondi Timoner expected to attend. The Assembly
Piedmont Saturday, August 3 6:00 PM
Pascal Bonitzer, 2024, France, 91 minutes, French w/ English subtitles
Against all odds, an auctioneer comes across a missing Egon Schiele masterpiece, but after a brief investigation, he realizes that it is a looted work of art.
JCCSF Saturday, July 20 12:30 PM
Hershey Felder, 2023, Italy, 100 minutes, English
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. Participant Moses Libitzky expected to attend.
Silent Film with Live Score: Breaking Home Ties
Vogue Tuesday, July 23 6:30 PM
Frank N. Seltzer, George K. Rowlands, 1922, United States, 80 minutes, English, CALIFORNIA PREMIERE
Presented on the big screen with a live score, this restored silent film from 1922 was produced by Jewish filmmakers to counteract antisemitism. Live score by Adam Dorn, Gretchen Gonzales Davidson, Scott Amendola, and Steve Berlin.
Work in Progress: All God’s
Festival Schedule
Vogue Sunday, July 21 3:00 PM
Daniel Robbins, 2024, United States, 80 minutes, English, WEST COAST PREMIERE
When the film industry shuts down due to Covid, actors Zack and Joe embark on making a film about running for city council, while actually running for New York City Council. Director Daniel Robbins expected to attend.
The Glory of Life
Vogue Wednesday, July 24 8:00 PM
Georg Maas, Judith Kaufmann, 2024, Germany, 98 minutes, German w/ English subtitles, UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Because of the power of love, the last year of Franz Kafka’s life became his happiest. The worldly Dora Diamant accepts him as he is, and he accepts her.
Roxie Wednesday, July 24 9:00 PM
Veronica Kedar, 2024, Israel, 97 minutes, English
Two strangers in Amsterdam form an unlikely bond after sharing an afternoon on magic mushrooms.
Vogue Friday, July 19 6:00 PM Piedmont Tuesday, July 30 6:00 PM
Maya Dreifuss, 2024, Israel, 102 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles, NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
A young woman disappears during a burning hot summer in Afula. Nobody is looking for her, except for one police investigator who won’t let it go. Jews By Choice
Vogue Friday, July 26 3:30 PM
Piedmont Thursday, August 1 1:00 PM
Justyna Gawełko, Tomer Slutzky, 2024, Poland, 70 minutes, Czech, Hebrew, English, UNITED STATES PREMIERE
After an environmental disaster decimates a historic synagogue, an intrepid group commits to rebuilding a Jewish cultural center. Not one among them is Jewish. Free Mitzvah Series screening.
Love Machina
Vogue Friday, July 19 1:00 PM
Peter Sillen, 2024, United States, 97 minutes, English, CALIFORNIA PREMIERE
Commissioned by futurists Martine and Bina Rothblatt, the humanoid robot Bina48 explores the potential to preserve both their digital consciousness and eternal love.
Highway 65
Vogue Sunday, July 28 12:30 PM
Piedmont Tuesday, July 30 3:45 PM
Rami Younis, Sarah Ema Friedland, 2023, United States, 79 minutes, Arabic w/ English subtitles, BAY AREA PREMIERE
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.
Milky Way
Vogue Friday, July 26 8:15 PM
Maya Kenig, 2023, Israel, France, 94 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles, WEST COAST PREMIERE
Desperate to support her first baby, offbeat musician Tala takes up a job at the “Milky Way”—a breast milk bank.
My Daughter, My Love
Vogue Friday, July 26 6:00 PM
Piedmont Thursday, August 1 8:00 PM
Eitan Green, 2023, Israel, 96 minutes, French, Hebrew w/ English subtitles, BAY AREA PREMIERE
On a trip to Paris, Shimon stays with his daughter, Alma, and her family. When he senses that something is wrong with her marriage his inquiries reveal the unimaginable.
Vogue Friday, July 19 8:15 PM
Piedmont Wednesday, July 31 6:00 PM
Maha Haj, 2022, Palestine, Germany, France, Cyprus, Qatar, 108 minutes, Arabic w/ English subtitles
An aspiring but depressed writer from Haifa befriends his new neighbor in an attempt to convince the man to help him realize a sinister scheme.
Monkey House
Vogue Thursday, July 25 3:00 PM
Avi Nesher, 2023, Israel, 128 minutes, Hebrew, Italian w/ English subtitles, BAY AREA PREMIERE
Nominated for 11 Israeli Academy Awards, this comedic character study finds a desperate author and a feisty wannabe actress embroiled in a complicated charade.
Nobody Wants To Talk About Jacob Appelbaum D
Vogue Sunday, July 28 3:00 PM
Jamie Kastner, 2024, Canada, 104 minutes, English, INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
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
The
Vogue Thursday, July 25 6:00 PM
Phinehas Veuillet, 2024, France, 105 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles, UNITED STATES PREMIERE
The most dedicated Talmud Torah student in his class, Rafael knows that his Sephardic ancestry precludes his acceptance into the community’s prestigious institutions, no matter how hard he, or his father, tries.
Oys and Joys: Narrative Shorts S N
Vogue Friday, July 19 3:15 PM
101 minutes
Full program information available at sfjff.org
Through a variety of styles and modes, these filmmakers imagine and reimagine Jewish life— its beauty, its challenges, and its edges—in this program of short fiction films.
Piedmont Friday, August 2 1:00 PM
Slava Leontyev, Brendan Bellomo, 2024, Ukraine, United States, Australia, 87 minutes, Ukranian, Russian w/ English subtitles
Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey find and create beauty amid the destruction of war in this striking documentary.
JCCSF Saturday, July 27 12:30 PM
Joy Sela, 2023, United States, 104 minutes, English, Hebrew, Arabic, CALIFORNIA PREMIERE
Filmed from 2017-2023, Israeli and Palestinian peace-builders work to liberate themselves from hatred, trauma, and fear–no matter how impossible it may seem. Director and writer Joy Sela expected to attend.
Physician: Heal Thyself
Vogue Friday, July 26 1:00 PM
Asher Penn, 2023, Canada, 78 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles, UNITED STATES PREMIERE
World renowned addiction expert Gabor Mate’s polarizing ideas are explored through the story of his life and personal evolution.
Reality Bites: Documentary Shorts S D
Piedmont Friday, August 2 3:30 PM
98 minutes
Full program information available at sfjff.org These nonfiction short films take up the task of witnessing and documenting reality, which is so often stranger than fiction. True stories and documentary gems populate this program.
Porcelain War
Vogue Wednesday, July 24 1:00 PM
Piedmont Sunday, August 4 1:00 PM
Assaf Lapid, 2023, Israel, 81 minutes, Dutch, English, Hebrew, Yiddish, WEST COAST PREMIERE
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.
Vogue Tuesday, July 23 3:30 PM
Piedmont Wednesday, July 31 8:15 PM
Adar Shafran, 2023, Israel, 104 minutes, Hebrew, English, Tigrinya
When a young Eritrean refugee at risk of deportation from Israel is mistaken for the new foreign player of a struggling soccer team, his survival depends on the team’s success. Silver’s Uprising
Vogue Tuesday, July 23 8:30 PM
Piedmont Sunday, August 4 6:00 PM
Liel Simon, 2023, Israel, 97 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles, CALIFORNIA PREMIERE
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.
Teaches of Peaches
Roxie Wednesday, July 24 6:30 PM
Philipp Fussenegger, Judy Landkammer, 2024, Germany, 102 minutes, English, German w/ English subtitles
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.
Vogue Wednesday, July 24 3:30 PM
Shauly Melamed, 2024, Israel, 74 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles, UNITED STATES PREMIERE
This insightful, illuminating documentary chronicles the life and work of Amos Guttman, a rebellious filmmaker credited with making the first queer Israeli feature film.
This is My Mother
Piedmont Friday, August 2 6:00 PM
Julien Carpentier, 2024, France, 105 minutes, French w/ English subtitles, UNITED STATES PREMIERE
Pierre has his life turned upside down by the sudden arrival of his mercurial mother who suffers from bipolar disorder and has recently escaped from a clinic.
TABOO - Amos Guttman D
Vogue Sunday, July 21 12:30 PM
Yousef Srouji, 2023, United States, 61 minutes, Arabic w/ English subtitles
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. Producer Marielle Olentine expected to attend.
Under the Shadow of the Sun
Piedmont Thursday, August 1 6:00 PM
Shalom Hager, 2023, Israel, 80 minutes, Hebrew, Amharic w/ English subtitles, NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Vogue Tuesday, July 23 1:00 PM
Jimmy Ferguson, Ezra Axelrod, Gloria Nancy Monsalve, 2024, Colombia, 100 minutes, Spanish w/ English subtitles, WORLD PREMIERE
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.
Released after 15 years in prison, Matko sets out in search of his only son. Unspoken
Piedmont Sunday, August 4 3:30 PM
Jeremy Borison, 2024, United States, 91 minutes, English, WEST COAST PREMIERE
When a closeted, religious teenager finds a love letter from before the Holocaust written to his grandfather by another man, he discovers that he might not be alone.
Vogue Thursday, July 25 8:15 PM
Piedmont Tuesday, July 30 8:15 PM
Dani Rosenberg, 2023, Israel, 98 minutes, Hebrew w/ English subtitles, BAY AREA PREMIERE
An Israeli soldier flees the Gaza battlefield and heads to his girlfriend in Tel Aviv.
Piedmont Saturday, August 3 1:30 PM
John Hay, 2023, United Kingdom, 76 minutes, English
Stephen Fry researches artists Willem and Frieda, queer members of the Dutch resistance, who used their skills to forge identity cards that saved thousands during WWII.
The Vanishing Soldier
Willem & Frieda
