The Wedding Entertainer
Moishe’s unmarried, only daughter has finally found a suitor — and Moishe, once the most sought-after badhan by the wealthiest families of Jerusalem’s Hasidic enclave, can’t afford the wedding. A gifted comedian and singer whose career was long ago drowned in drink, Moishe can now barely feed his family, let alone marry off the daughter whose happiness means everything to him. Salvation seems to arrive in the form of Yisroel Bumchik, Moishe’s childhood best friend, who left the Holy Land years ago to make his fortune in America and has now returned to Jerusalem to host his son’s extravagant wedding. The joyous reunion is overshadowed by the fact that Yisroel has brought along Meshulem — America’s most celebrated badhan — whose ultra-modern style is an affront to everything Moishe has given his life to. This collision of old and new forces Moishe toward a reckoning with the bottle, his pride, and the hunger for greatness that ruined him once before, and now threatens the one thing he cannot bear to lose: his daughter’s future. A comedic, modern-day tale in the tradition of Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer, set in a shtetl in the heart of Jerusalem.
WHY WE LIKE THIS FILM: From the brilliant creative team behind the beloved film “Ushpizin,” director Gidi Dar and actor/writer Shuli Rand return for their fifth collaboration in a celebrated three-decade partnership: “The Wedding Entertainer.” Crafted like a rich, comedic folk tale in the spirit of Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer, this entertaining film blends warm humor with a touch of sharp wit. Grounded in situations and dilemmas that are achingly human, it seamlessly pairs lighthearted fun with compelling, dramatic subplots that pull at the heartstrings.
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Followed by an AJFF interview with director Gidi Dar and screenwriter/lead actor Shuli Rand.
Note: There will be a second, special FREE screening for university students, faculty, and staff at Texas Hillel on the same evening beginning at 7PM. See http://texashillel.org/ajff
Showtimes
In-Person
7:30 PM — Evans Performance Center at Shalom Austin
Need help with ticketing? Email boxoffice@AustinJFF.org with your name, email address, and phone number. We can process ticketing over the phone. Please don’t wait until the last minute!
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DETAILS
YEAR: 2026
RUN TIME: 102 Minutes
LANGUAGE(S): Hebrew, English, Yiddish
SUBTITLES: English
PREMIERE STATUS: Southwest Premiere
sections:
genres:
CONTENT RATING: Not Rated
CREDITS
DIRECTOR(S): Gidi Dar
SCREENWRITER(S):Shuli Rand
CAST:Shuli Rand, Elon Gold, Tzofit Grant-Rand, Malky Goldman, Tal Friedman
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