Newswise — The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival’s milestone year will feature fourteen thought-provoking and entertaining films, dynamic discussions with filmmakers and special guests, and numerous New Jersey premieres on dance, music, the LGBTQ+ experience, American Jewish history, and Israeli society. Twelve films will be screened at the Regal Cinema Commerce Center, North Brunswick (November 7–17), and five films will be available virtually (November 15–21). In-theater and virtual tickets are $15; Discount passes are available. Sponsored by Rutgers’ Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, the festival is made possible by a grant from the Karma Foundation. For information or to purchase tickets, visit BildnerCenter.Rutgers.edu/film. (See full schedule below.)
Opening day, Nov. 7, features two Israeli narrative films. Running on Sand, which has its New Jersey premiere at the festival, is a lighthearted look at healing racial divisions in contemporary Israel; Seven Blessings, winner of 10 Israeli Academy Awards in 2023, unlocks secrets of a large Moroccan Jewish family as they observe the traditional week of sheva brachot (seven blessings), celebratory meals after a wedding. Guest speaker TBA.
Closing Day, November 17, will feature two special events at the Regal Cinema. Renowned singer-songwriter Janis Ian and director Varda Bar-Kar will speak at the New Jersey premiere of the documentary about Ian’s life, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence. In the evening, professional dancer Manish Chauhan will speak at the screening of Call Me Dancer, which tells his story, from his early years as a street dancer in Mumbai, India, to training with an Israeli ballet master and following his dreams.
In-Person Event Highlights--All NJ Premieres: On Sunday, November 10, Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and film director Sandi Dubowski will speak about Sabbath Queen, the powerful documentary about Lau-Lavie’s journey from radical drag queen to influential Rabbi of a God-optional, artist-driven New York synagogue. Later that day, director Lex Gillespie will speak about his charming film The Catskills, about the beloved Jewish vacation destination that also served as a refuge from antisemitism. On the 14th, director Daniel Robbins will speak at the screening of his dark comedy Bad Shabbos, which premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and won the Audience Award in the narrative category.
Virtual Cinema Highlights (Nov. 15–21): Colleyville, a heart-pounding documentary about the 11-hour hostage crisis that rocked a synagogue in the quiet town of Colleyville, Texas, in 2022, will feature a live Zoom discussion with film director Dani Menkin. The Glory of Life, a moving love story about the relationship of Franz Kafka and Dora Diamant, will also be screened only virtually. Three additional films will both be screened at the Regal Cinema and also available virtually. (See below.)
The Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life connects Rutgers University with the community through public lectures, symposia, Jewish communal initiatives, cultural events, and teacher training in Holocaust education. For twenty-five years, the Center’s annual Rutgers Jewish Film Festival has brought Central New Jersey diverse award-winning international films and dynamic discussions on Jewish history, culture, and identity.
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FEATURED FILMS
All About the Levkoviches (Hungary, Drama)
Bad Shabbos (USA, Drama)
Call Me Dancer (India, Israel, UK, USA, Documentary)
The Catskills (USA, Documentary)
Colleyville (USA, Documentary)
The Glory of Life (Germany, Drama)
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence (USA, Documentary)
Of Dogs and Men (Italy, Israel, drama)
The Performance (USA, Drama)
Running on Sand (Israel, Drama)
Sabbath Queen (USA, Documentary)
Seven Blessings (Israel, Drama)
The Stronghold (Israel, Drama)
Telling Nonie (Israel, Documentary)
OPENING DAY FILMS
Running on Sand (Virtual and in person)
Israel, 2023, 104 minutes
Hebrew with English subtitles • Director: Adar Shafran
NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
An Eritrean refugee, Omari, is about to be deported when he is mistaken for a top-notch Nigerian soccer player. Despite zero soccer skills, Omari hides his identity in order to stay in Israel. His presence on the team both exposes and heals the racial divisions among his teammates. Running on Sand is a charming antidote for our polarizing times.
Thursday, November 7, 3:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Saturday, November 16, 7:00 p.m., Regal Cinema
Virtual Discussion: Professor Don Seeman, Emory University
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Seven Blessings (Israel, 2023, 108 minutes)
Hebrew, Arabic, and French with English subtitles • Director: Ayelet Menahemi
In this intense family drama, Marie, now living in Paris, returns to Israel for her wedding. There, she reunites with her large Moroccan family and drama unfolds over the traditional week of sheva brachot (seven blessings), the celebratory meals following a wedding. Over sumptuous tables, painful family secrets and lies are revealed. Inspired by true events.
Thursday, November 7, 7:00 p.m., Regal Cinema
Speaker: TBA
Saturday, November 9, 7:00 p.m., Regal Cinema
DOCUMENTARIES
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Call Me Dancer (India, Israel, UK, USA, 2023, 84 minutes)
English and Hindi with English subtitles • Directors: Leslie Shampaine, Pip Gilmour
In India, an Israeli ballet master discovers Manish Chauhan, a talented, athletic street dancer with no formal training. Impressed by Manish’s talent and passion, he takes him under his wing, arranging scholarships and an internship with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. Facing competition from a younger more talented dancer and against the wishes of his parents, Manish pushes himself to become a professional dancer.
Tuesday, November 12, 3:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Sunday, November 17, 7:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Speaker at both screenings: Manish Chauhan
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NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
The Catskills (USA, 2024, 86 minutes)
English and Yiddish with English subtitles • Director: Lex Gillespie
This charming documentary pays tribute to the summer resorts and bungalow colonies that became Jewish-American vacation destinations during the 20th century when hotels and resorts discriminated against Jews. Lovingly nicknamed the Borscht Belt, this film explores the Catskills not only as a hotspot for lavish meals and hilarious entertainment, but also as a refuge from social antisemitism.
Sunday, November 10, 3:00 p.m., Regal Cinema
Speaker: Lex Gillespie, Director
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NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
Colleyville (VIRTUAL only)
USA, 2024, 80 minutes
English • Director: Dani Menkin
On January 15, 2022, a gunman took four men hostage at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. Featuring never-before-seen security footage and exclusive interviews with the hostages, this extraordinary documentary takes you inside that fateful day to examine how the hostages’ faith and resilience kept them strong when all hope seemed lost.
Virtual Discussion: Dani Menkin, Director
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NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
Janis Ian: Breaking Silence (Available virtually Nov. 18–21 and in person)
USA, 2024, 114 minutes
English • Director: Varda Bar-Kar
This inspiring documentary chronicles the epic life of acclaimed American singer-songwriter Janis Ian: her Jewish upbringing on a chicken farm in New Jersey; her struggle with notoriety following her first hit, “Society’s Child,” about an interracial love affair; and her ascent to fame with “At Seventeen” about body shaming. The film features other iconic singer-songwriters, including Joan Baez and Arlo Guthrie.
Sunday, November 17, 2:00 p.m., Regal Cinema
Speakers: Varda Bar-Kar, Director, and Janis Ian
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NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
Sabbath Queen (USA, 2024, 105 minutes)
English, Hebrew, and Yiddish with English subtitles • Director: Sandi DuBowski
Amichai Lau-Lavie is a descendant of an Orthodox rabbinic dynasty. He’s also gay, an interfaith minister, and a drag queen. Filmed over 20 years, this expansive, creative, and funny documentary follows his lifelong quest to radically reinvent religion and ritual for contemporary Jews.
Sunday, November 10, 12:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Speakers: Sandi Dubowski, Director, and Amichai Lau-Lavie
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Telling Nonie (Virtual and in-person)
Israel, 2024, 50 minutes
Hebrew with English subtitles • Directors: Paz Schwartz, Uriel Sinai
In 1956, Shin Bet official Geizi Tsafrir helped assassinate Mustafa Hafiz Darwish, an Egyptian military intelligence officer who had organized commando brigades against Israel. Now, more than 50 years later, an elderly Geizi seeks forgiveness for his decision and contacts Darwish’s daughter, Nonie. This essential documentary sheds an unwavering spotlight on the individual costs of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Thursday, November 14, 5:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
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NARRATIVE FILMS
All About the Levkoviches (Hungary, 2024, 85 minutes)
Hebrew and Hungarian with English subtitles • Director: Ádám Breier
Set in present-day Budapest, this moving family drama follows a stubborn boxing instructor who, after his wife dies unexpectedly, must reconcile differences with his estranged Orthodox son in order to meet his grandson. With humor and wit, they air their grievances and find reconciliation.
Thursday, November 14, 12:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Sunday, November 17, Noon, Regal Cinema
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NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
Bad Shabbos (USA, 2024, 84 minutes)
English • Director: Daniel Robbins
You’ve never been to a shabbat dinner quite like this. David and Meg, a newly engaged interfaith couple, have brought their families together for Friday night dinner. However, an unexpected accident injects chaos into an already nerve-wracking evening. Featuring hilarious performances from stars Kyra Sedgwick and Cliff “Method Man” Smith, this darkly funny comedy takes family dysfunction to new heights.
Saturday, November 9, 9:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Thursday, November 14, 7:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Speaker: Daniel Robbins, Director
NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
The Glory of Life (VIRTUAL only)
Germany, 2024, 104 minutes
German with English subtitles • Directors: Georg Maas, Judith Kaufmann
This tender love story portrays the relationship between acclaimed writer Franz Kafka and his lover, Dora Diamant, a charming and politically active Orthodox Jewish kindergarten teacher. Despite Kafka’s rapidly progressing tuberculosis, the two fall in love and make a life together. Told with hope and heart, The Glory of Life reveals Kafka as more than a tortured artist.
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NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
Of Dogs and Men (Italy, Israel, 2024, 82 minutes)
Hebrew with English subtitles • Director: Dani Rosenberg
Blending fiction and documentary, the film subtly explores the aftermath of the October 7th attack on Israel’s southern border. Sixteen-year-old Dar, who survived the attack on her kibbutz, returns home to look for her dog. Shot on location with most people playing themselves, this wholly unique account of the impact of October 7th is arresting in its humanity and gravity.
Tuesday, November 12, 7:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Thursday, November 14, 2:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Speaker: TBA
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The Performance (USA, 2024, 112 minutes)
English • Director: Shira Piven
While on a European tour in 1937, an acculturated American Jew and accomplished tap dancer Harold May (Jeremy Piven) is scouted by a German attaché to headline an exclusive performance in Berlin for a VIP guest: Adolf Hitler. He makes a Faustian bargain. Based on a short story by Arthur Miller.
Sunday, November 10, 5:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
Speaker: TBA
Tuesday, November 12, 12:30 p.m., Regal Cinema
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NEW JERSEY PREMIERE
The Stronghold (Israel, 2024, 113 minutes)
Hebrew with English subtitles • Director: Lior Chefetz
Set during the Yom Kippur War, The Stronghold follows a group of IDF soldiers whose outpost comes under siege. The group’s loyalties are divided between the young commander, who insists on fighting, and the visiting doctor (Michael Aloni) who believes they should surrender. This stirring drama portrays the complexity of the fateful 1973 war with intensity and humanity.
Saturday, November 16, 9:15 p.m., Regal Cinema
Sunday, November 17, 4:45 p.m., Regal Cinema
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