Chicago’s Jewish Film Festival opens March 7 with stories of hope, chutzpah and humanity
JCC Chicago’s Jewish Film Festival returns March 7-22, featuring 21 films including documentaries, dramas, comedies, and family features, with special select post-film Q&As.
Now in its 13th year, the iconic JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival has been an important and highly anticipated cultural event within the community, screening over 300 films, debuting more than 100 premieres and hosting more than 70,000 film-goers throughout Chicago.
The JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival presents films that depict Jewish life, values, and history, with a mission of fostering an understanding of Jewish contributions to world culture. This year the festival is as relevant as ever — with films such as “The Bridge Back Home,” featuring Sam Harris, founder and president emeritus of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and one of the youngest Holocaust survivors in the U.S.; personal responses to the Oct. 7 attacks such as “Homefront” and “Always Together”; American Jewish experiences like “The New Jew” and “Floaters”; and exploring family mysteries related to the Holocaust such as “My Underground Mother.”
Additionally, the festival includes films celebrating the strength, courage and spirit of Jewish women as JCC Chicago kicks off its yearlong Chutzpah Girls exhibition across Greater Chicago. This powerful exhibition features artwork and stories of Jewish heroines from ancient history to today, inspiring viewers to stand firm against hate, discover new role models, and grow hope for the future.
Many of the films explore the multifaceted experiences of Jewish women, such as “For the Love of a Woman,” which ties together the lives of two women across generations; “Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Szold” about the visionary leader who founded Hadassah; and The “Lady in the Black Dress,” the story of Ada Sereni, the only woman to lead the secret organization dedicated to clandestine Jewish immigration from Italy to Mandatory Palestine.
“Our goal for the Jewish Film Festival is to invite moviegoers to enjoy films from all over the world that demonstrate and reflect on the complexity of Jewish experiences,” said Ilene Ullmann, director of community engagement, JCC Chicago. “My hope is for people to find insight and inspiration that grow hope for the future. We work hard to offer a variety of films ranging from documentaries to comedies to those that appeal to children.”
This year’s complete list of films includes: “Always Together,” “Homefront,” “Influenced,” “Sheitel: Beauty in the Hidden,” “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” “An American Tail,” “Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Szold,” “The Last Twins,” “Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief,” “Floaters,” “Frontier,” “For the Love of a Woman,” Marathon Mom,” “My Underground Mother,” “Deadly Deception at Sobibor,” “The Bridge Back Home: The Sam Harris Story,” The Stamp Thief,” “The New Jew: Days of War,” “They Called Us Trujillo’s Jews” and “The Lady in the Black Dress.”
“This year’s film selection weaves together hope, chutzpah, and humanity — honoring history, celebrating Jewish culture, and bringing community together to spark conversation and inspire a more compassionate world,” said Addie Goodman, president and CEO of JCC Chicago.
Films (alphabetical order):
“Always Together”
Evacuated from their Gaza border homes after Oct. 7, a displaced 12th grade class refuses to scatter. They convince the Ministry of Education to create a special boarding school on the Dead Seashore, where they learn and confront their shared trauma. March 7 at 1 p.m. at Wayfarer
“The Bridge Back Home: The Sam Harris Story”
This film tells-the story of Sam Harris, a survivor of two Nazi concentration camps, and his journey through facing his past and embracing the peace, tranquility and potential of the present moment. March 22 at 1 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Deadly Deception at Sobibor”
Weaving together history and science to expose remains of barracks, mass graves, gas chambers, and 70,000 artifacts — including metal name tags of children, archaeologists unearth evidence of a Nazi cover-up of a factory of death in a remote forest in Poland. Shown in partnership with the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. March 19 at 7 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Family Film Event: Jumanji”
Jumanji, one of the most unique- — and dangerous- — board games ever created, falls into the hands of a curious teen in 1969. The mysterious game strands the unsuspecting boy in the savage forests of a mythical realm. Nearly three decades later, the game releases him before the awed eyes of two orphaned siblings who are then sucked into the game. Has anyone ever escaped? March 8 at 4 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Floaters”
A struggling musician takes a last-resort job from her overachiever best friend: supervising misfits at their childhood Jewish summer camp. With the camp’s survival in the balance as it ramps up for competition with a longtime rival, the clashing friends and campers must overcome their differences to save the camp. March 14 at 7 p.m. at Wayfarer
“For the Love of a Woman”
Esther, a tormented American in her 40s, receives a letter after the death of her mother: she must find a woman who lived in the 30s in Palestine and keeps a secret about her life. Esther begins her search in Israel helped by Zayde, a university professor with a particular background. By merging the threads of past and present, Esther and Zayde will discover a shocking truth. March 15 at 4 p.m. at Gene Siskel Film Center
“Frontier”
In 1943, Franco blocked the path of the Jews fleeing Nazi oppression over the Pyrenees mountains. Manel Grau, a civil servant decides to go against the orders of his superiors and aid refugees across the border in his village, with the help of neighbor Juliana and a French smuggler, Jerôme. They start a crusade to help as many Jews as they possibly can. March 15 at 1 p.m. at Gene Siskel Film Center
“Homefront”
An Israeli reservist's combat diary and his wife's home recordings intimately document the rift between home and the war front since Oct. 7 — portraying an Israeli relationship put to the test by the emotional cost of war. March 15 at 1 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Influenced”
A feel-good Jewish comedy featuring an all-star cast led by Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore, Matt Damon, and Jill Kargman, this sharp satire from director Rachel Israel (The Floaters) captures the messy magic of New York life. March 7 at 7 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Szold”
The story of Henrietta Szold, one of history's most visionary, yet underrecognized, American-Jewish women, who founded Hadassah, established a health care system treating Arabs and Jews equally, and led Youth Aliyah, saving 11,000 children from the Nazis. March 12 at 7 p.m. at Wayfarer
“The Lady in the Black Dress”
Ada Sereni was the only woman to lead the secret operation facilitating clandestine Jewish immigration from Italy to Mandatory Palestine. Her courage and determination enabled the organization to grow, secretly bringing thousands of Holocaust survivors to Israel. March 21 at 4 p.m. at Wayfarer
“The Last Twins”
Erno “Zvi” Spiegel risked everything to save dozens of young twins from almost certain death at Auschwitz, Spiegel shielded the most vulnerable — the sets of twins targeted for brutal medical experimentation by the Nazis, as told through firsthand testimony and archival material. March 14 at 1 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Marathon Mom”
Beatie Deutsch, a young mother of five, races to fulfill her dream of becoming an Olympic athlete, defying the stereotypes assigned to Ultra-Orthodox women by the world and mainstream media. March 15 at 4 p.m. at Wayfarer
“My Underground Mother”
A daughter’s unraveling of her mother’s stories that explores the price of silence through the daring sisterhood and hidden traumas of survivors of Jewish women’s camps during the Holocaust. Showing in partnership with the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. March 7 at 4 p.m. at Wayfarer and March 8 at 2:30 p.m. at Chicago Cultural Center
“The New Jew: Days of War”
Israeli comedian Guri Alfi as he embarks on a journey to explore the profound impact of Oct. 7 on the identity, security, and status of Jews in the United States, delving into key developments after Oct. 7, including the isolation felt by many American Jews, the rise in hate crimes, and the growing quest for renewed belonging within their communities. March 21 at 7 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief”
Focusing on Bruno Lohse, Hermann Göring’s art dealer in Paris during the war, prospered by selling stolen art for 60 years after the war while families struggled to regain their paintings and memories — illuminating the failures of postwar justice and complicity of governments and the art trade in unpunished crimes. March 14 at 4 p.m. at Wayfarer
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue”
A harrowing real-life story follows retired Israeli general Noam Tibon, who on October 7, 2023, received a text from his son: terrorists had stormed his home, and he, his wife, and their two young daughters feared for their lives — and the 10-hour mission Noam and his wife, Gali, made to save their family. March 8 at 4 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Sheitel: Beauty in the Hidden”
A deeply personal and emotionally resonant film exploring the cultural, religious, and personal significance of hair covering among Jewish women, particularly in Orthodox and Hasidic communities. March 8 at 1 p.m. at Wayfarer and March 8 at 1 p.m. at Chicago Cultural Center
“The Stamp Thief”
An Oscar, Peabody, and Emmy Award-winning team investigate a tale dating back to the Holocaust: that a mysterious Nazi stole priceless stamp collections from concentration camp victims and buried the stolen stamps in a small town in Poland. One-time “Seinfeld” producer Gary Gilbert sets out to confirm the story, recover the stamps and return them to their rightful owners. March 21 at 1 p.m. at Wayfarer
“Sweet Lorraine in Auschwitz”
Ten-year-old Frank (Miša) Grunwald's life was upended when the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia. Forced into five different concentration camps, his only escape was through the music. At age 89, Frank recounts his story — playing the same American jazz on his piano accordion that sustained him during his darkest days. Showing in partnership with the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. March 8 at 11:30 a.m. at Chicago Cultural Center
“They Called Us Trujillo’s Jews”
The Sosua settlement saved countless Jews at a time when no country wanted them — except for the Dominican Republic. Despite Sousa’s complicated and convoluted history, it made a lasting impact and legacy for people in need. March 22 at 4 p.m. at Wayfarer
The screening locations will be: Wayfarer Theater, 1850 Second St. in Highland Park; Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago; and Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., Chicago
Tickets for the film festival: Individual tickets $18 per film; $120 for a 10-film; $90 for a 6-film. Some films will include post-show Q&A sessions, exhibits, and a chance to meet the filmmakers. For more information and tickets, visit jccfilmfest.org.
About JCC Chicago: JCC Chicago works to ensure a vibrant, thriving and connected community through meaningful and impactful programs inspired by Jewish and human values. The largest Jewish community center in North America, JCC Chicago serves tens of thousands of children, teens, adults, seniors and families through an array of award-winning, life-enriching programs, services and experiences. To learn more, visit www.jccchicago.org.