Start Streaming: Frequently Asked Questions

How To Use JFI On Demand

JFI On Demand JFI has 450 expertly curated titles from past Festivals and programs indexed to stream on our online platform JFI ON Demand. By combining JFI's expertly curated history of films with the powerful streaming tool JustWatch, hundreds of seminal Jewish titles are now available to search, discover and explore on the streaming platforms of your choice, from Netflix and Amazon Prime to Fandor, VUDU and more. No need to leave your couch to discover the best in current and archival Jewish cinema! Watch the video to the left to learn how to get Jewish Film at your fingertips!

Start Watching Films

FAQ

JFI On Demand is a curated channel of films shown at SFJFF and other JFI screenings hosted on a variety of streaming platforms that allows viewers to rent, purchase, or stream with a subscription service. With over a dozen video services available, you can be sure to find JFI films on any online platform you prefer! Films in the JFI On Demand library are for home-use purposes only.

Of course! In order to nurture and build connections within and beyond the Jewish community, JFI will continue to present the annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF), the first of its kind in the world, as well as a host of year-round screenings and events, including WinterFest, various co-presentations, sneak previews for JFI members and more! We firmly believe that film as a collective experience will never die, and are working everyday in the Bay Area to make sure that this region's and the Jewish people's contributions to independent cinema continue to make an impact on the world. But in order to promote an evolving definition of what constitutes Jewish film and media, it was important for us to complement our signature live events with enhanced online offerings that extends participation to the global community. Find our upcoming live events in our Events Calendar.


JFI on Demand presents a portion of the 1,800+ films shown at SFJFF and other year-round screenings representing 39 years of exhibition history, thereby forever preserving and promoting these important contributions to Jewish cinema. Integrated with the JFI searchable online archive, viewers will benefit not only from being able to stream these films directly to their living rooms, but from the accompanying notes and supplementary materials which express the curatorial vision of the JFI. These films encompass narrative and documentary features, animation and experimental, domestic and foreign, and everything in between. To watch short films from the JFI archive, we recommend checking out our Monthly Online Shorts program, which features a new short film to watch FOR FREE each month. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with the newest additions. New titles will be added to JFI on Demand monthly. To stay up to date with newly added films, subscribe to the JFI On Demand newsletter.

Our JFI On Demand Library is where you can find all JFI films available online to browse in an easy-to-read format and explore specially curated sections browsable by interest.

Powered by GoWatchIt, our library lists wherever a film is available online so you can always use your favorite streaming service. See a film on a service you don't have? Learn more about streaming services available on JFI On Demand below.

Powered by GoWatchIt, JFI On Demand allows you to rent/own and stream through subscription on the leading online video services. Digital distribution is a constantly changing landscape, although we do our best efforts to update the titles in our library, availability is always subject to change.

Popular streaming sevices available on JFI On Demand include, but are not limited to, the following:

Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Vimeo, Fandor, Vudu, Google Play, Youtube 

Need help using a streaming service? Refer to the FAQ sections of the major service providers listed here:

Netflix

Fandor

Amazon Prime / Amazon Video

iTunes

Youtube / Google Play

Vimeo On Demand 

Still need help? Contact vod@jfi.org.

Learn more on how to connect your computer to your TV through the guide linked here.

JFI On Demand is available through any web browser. If you have a smart TV or internet accessible streaming device (Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, etc.), navigate to https://jfi.org/watch-online/jfi-on-demand through your web browser to explore the JFI On Demand library. Once on a film page, select the streaming service you wish to use and you will be redirected to the service provider's app to watch the film.

Having trouble using a 3rd party app? Refer to the troubleshooting guides for major streaming services in the previous question above. 

After watching a film, navigate back to the JFI On Demand library on your browser to discover more titles.

JFI On Demand uses new technology to aggregate films from top streaming platforms. At this time, we are unable to translate this to function in a standalone JFI On Demand app. We are constantly striving to enhance the viewing experience in our library and will make updates as they become available.

International streaming rights vary on a film by film basis, and are set by either the filmmaker or distributor. JFI cannot guarantee at this time that all JFI on Demand titles will be available to watch internationally.

The price varies, depending on the film and the agreement reached with that particular filmmaker or distributor, with streaming periods ranging between 48 hours and 1 year. Any film available on a subscription service (e.g. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu) incurrs no extra charge and can be viewed any time.

The easiest way to learn about new additions to JFI on Demand is to sign up for the JFI newsletter. Each month, we will announce our new offerings via the newsletter and on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Connect with us online and never miss a film you've been hoping to catch! 


No you do not, but membership in JFI does have its privileges! Receive invites to sneak preview screenings of brand new titles throughout the year, early ticket-buying privileges for all JFI and SFJFF programs, and early notifications of special events and VIP programs taking place. Plus, when you become a member of the Jewish Film Institute, you can show off your wares with our new JFI tote bag! To find out more about joining the JFI family, click here.


JFI On Demand exclusively offers titles exhibited at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and other year round JFI events. If you have had a film that has been screened at one of our events, we would love to include it in our library.

Hosting films across multiple streaming platforms gives our filmmakers and distrubtors to use the service that works best for their distribution needs.

If you would like to participate in additional JFI On Demand promotional programs, your film will need to be available on Vimeo On Demand. Learn more about distributing on Vimeo on their website.