Leo Kadner (Jonah Feingold), a filmmaker living in New York City, is a bit of a romantic—actually, he’s a full-blown romantic. He’s falling for his uninterested situationship, going on endless, aimless dates, and romanticizing every detail along the way. So when his former camp crush, Eva Shapiro (Sarah Coffey)—now a Torah tutor—reenters his life, he decides, at the ripe age of 31, to finally have a bar mitzvah. But as the reality of his choices sets in, Leo may at last be forced to become a man. Writer, director, editor, and star Jonah Feingold’s fifth feature, 31 Candles, perfectly captures Jew-ish New York City neurosis with the help of some fabulous actors—from the great Caroline Aaron to internet personality and comedian Joey Dardano. With wit, heart, and a truly specific point of view, 31 Candles is a fun and relatable film for anyone searching for love—and failing spectacularly along the way. —Anisse Elias
West Coast Premiere
Jonah Feingold is a New York–based filmmaker known for his romantic comedies. His debut feature, Dating & New York, premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and sold to IFC in a bidding war. His second film, At Midnight, starring Monica Barbaro and Diego Boneta, debuted on Paramount+ in 2023, premiering at No. 2 globally. His third feature, EXmas, starring Leighton Meester and Robbie Amell, became Freevee’s most-watched original comedy of the 2023 holiday season. Feingold also wrote, directed, edited, and starred in 31 Candles, a comedy about a 31-year-old having a Bar Mitzvah. He is currently in postproduction on Busboys, starring David Spade and Theo Von, and developing The Spy That Got Away, a romantic spy comedy starring Alexandra Daddario. When not filmmaking, Feingold enjoys bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches and his signature cable-knit turtlenecks.