For Filmmakers

From its exhibition calendar to its suite of artist development services, the Jewish Film Institute creates a community of filmmakers exploring and expanding thoughtful consideration of Jewish history, life, culture, and identity. JFI supports projects at all stages of the creative process, from development and production through finishing and exhibition. 

Upcoming Filmmaker Opportunities

Kit Vincent: Red Herring

Kit Vincent: Red Herring

When 24-year-old director Kit Vincent receives a terminal diagnosis, his first instinct is to turn on his camera and embark on an emotional, spiritual and darkly humorous journey.

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Annie Berman: In Berlin

Annie Berman: In Berlin

IN BERLIN, a VR essay film, tells the story of a NYC-artist on her first and last trip to Berlin. Told she resembles Anne Frank, she floats through the city feeling like her doppelganger’s aged-ghost.

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Yael Bridge: Los Últimos Judíos de Guantánamo / The Last Jews of Guantanamo

Yael Bridge: Los Últimos Judíos de Guantánamo / The Last Jews of Guantanamo

A brief glimpse into the lives of the dwindling but passionate community of the Jews of Guantanamo.

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Sam Radutzky & Josh Fruend: Joyva

Sam Radutzky & Josh Fruend: Joyva

Joyva, the 113-year-old, family-run candy company, a beloved household name amongst Jewish Americans that’s woven into the fabric of their traditions, is at risk of going out of business, along with its legacy and four generations of dreams, which the great-grandchildren must now fight to save.

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Meg Moritz: Isobel Lennart: The Forgotten Funny Girl

Meg Moritz: Isobel Lennart: The Forgotten Funny Girl

She fled a Jewish past only to rediscover it in her last and most famous work, "Funny Girl." Now meet Isobel Lennart, the Hollywood screenwriter who forever changed the way audiences view Jews and women on the silver screen.

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Marissa Fox: My Underground Mother

Marissa Fox: My Underground Mother

Freedom fighter. Femme fatale. Double agent. My mother claimed she had been all three. Many years after her death, a secret diary from a Nazi women’s camp reveals a fourth, leading me on a global investigation to reckon with the harsh truths she took to her grave.

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Ken Paul Rosenthal: Julie Vinograd: Between Spirit and Stone

Ken Paul Rosenthal: Julie Vinograd: Between Spirit and Stone

A documentary about a street poet who threw bubbles instead of bricks.

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Malena Barrios: Call Me Lucky

Malena Barrios: Call Me Lucky

Marc is the protagonist of the 8mm family films shot for over twenty years by his father Henry, a successful Holocaust survivor obsessed with filming happy moments.

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Debra Schaffner: Curse of the Mutant Heirloom

Debra Schaffner: Curse of the Mutant Heirloom

A daughter excavates decades of estrangement from her Holocaust-survivor mother, fueled by a less visible predator – the BRCA cancer gene mutation. Robots and aliens join their human inspirations in this hybrid documentary about family, forgiveness, and expendable body parts.

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Joanna Rudnick: Brother

Joanna Rudnick: Brother

A filmmaker's brother opens up about his recovery from opioid use disorder.

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Holden Kepecs: Star in the Ring

Holden Kepecs: Star in the Ring

Documentary film that tells the story of the time when Jews dominated the sport of boxing.

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Andrew Garbus: Everything I Own

Andrew Garbus: Everything I Own

Andrew Garbus’ parents are preparing to divorce and sell his childhood home. As rooms are packed and memories unearthed, the family is forced to confront a traumatic past, an uncertain future and, most of all, themselves.

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Rebecca Pierce: Half Freedom

Rebecca Pierce: Half Freedom

Two African refugee activists fight against their community’s planned mass deportation from Israel, struggling alongside their Israeli and Palestinian neighbors.

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Lauren Greenhall: Zelda

Lauren Greenhall: Zelda

In an ultra-orthodox Jewish community where married women wear wigs, the charismatic owner of the a beloved wig salon gets divorced and begins resenting the practice.

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Yoav Potash: Among Neighbors

Yoav Potash: Among Neighbors

In a town where history has been silenced, an eyewitness to murder speaks out in search of the boy she loved.

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Eva Ilona Brzeski: Daughterland

Eva Ilona Brzeski: Daughterland

A father attempts to hide his mysterious past for his whole life. His daughter spends 35 years trying to get him to share his secrets.

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Charene Zalis: Repairing the World: Stories From the Tree of Life

Charene Zalis: Repairing the World: Stories From the Tree of Life

For three years REPAIRING THE WORLD: STORIES FROM THE TREE OF LIFE follows survivors, families of the victims, diverse community members, students and civic leaders as they examine their vulnerabilities and the impact of rising antisemitism, racism, hate speech, and gun violence. Against the backdrop of a tumultuous period in the country, a local community that has faced violence and trauma works to heal and grapple with what it means to be stronger than hate.

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Theo Rigby: Si Pudiera Quedarme / If I Could Stay

Theo Rigby: Si Pudiera Quedarme / If I Could Stay

When undocumented mothers Jeanette and Ingrid face deportation and separation from their young children, they and their communities rally support to keep them safe despite the risks. A story of courage and allyship, Si Pudiera Quedarme is a timely look at the transformative power of communities uniting for justice.

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Nora Mariana Salim: Alina

Nora Mariana Salim: Alina

As Nazis separate children from their parents in the Warsaw Ghetto, a gang of women risks everything to smuggle their friend’s three-month-old baby to safety. Inspired by true events. Starring Alia Shawkat (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, SEARCH PARTY), Edin Gali (MAD MEN), Rebeca Robles (BETTER THINGS), Erika Soto (VIDA), and Mark McCullough (LOGAN LUCKY).

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Filmmaker Support at JFI

JFI Completion Grants

JFI Completion Grants

The JFI Completion Grants Program provides finishing funds to emerging and established filmmakers for original stories that promote thoughtful consideration of Jewish history, life, culture, memory, and identity. Established in 2020, JFI has awarded more than $325,000 since the program's inception. Projects eligible for consideration include narratives, documentaries, shorts, episodic programs, or web series. Learn more about JFI's supported projects, the application process, and other updates here. Applications for the 2024 cycle of JFI Completion Grants are open through March 1.

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Film Festival Submissions

Film Festival Submissions

Do you have a film that the world needs to see? Submit your film to one of the Jewish Film Institute exhibition series, including the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, WinterFest, and more year-round screening programs. The current Call for Entries and submission criteria are available here.

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Filmmakers in Residence

Filmmakers in Residence

The JFI Filmmakers in Residence Program is a year-long, community-driven artist residency that provides creative, marketing, and production support for emerging and established filmmakers whose documentary projects explore and expand thoughtful consideration of Jewish history, life, culture, and identity. Learn more about current and former Residents and upcoming application opportunities here.

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Purchase a Filmmaker Membership to the Jewish Film Institute

  • Discounts and pre-sales on tickets, passes, and Jewish Film Institute merchandise
  • Festival program guide mailed to your home
  • Donor recognition on the JFI website and onscreen recognition at the Festival
  • Invitations to filmmaker events year-round

Tax Deductible Amount: $35

Applicants to the JFI Completion Grants Program will receive a one-year Flmmaker Membership via their FilmFreeway submission fee.

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Resources and Opportunities To Help You Tell Your Story.

The JFI Filmmaker Services newsletter is tailored to filmmakers working with Jewish themes. Join our community today.

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