July 2014. Israel is at war in Gaza. Uri, an Israeli soldier, is shot and wounded. At the hospital, he is welcomed as a hero. Between treatments and visits from high-profile generals and celebrities, Uri and his family reckon with his new status. An insider’s look at how war as a state-of-mind is shaping Israeli society.
Ladino, the old Sephardic Jewish language, is in great danger of being extinct. In Serbia, there are only two surviving native speakers: two old ladies. They fight to save their language.
Rachel is losing her sight to the point she can”t even manage doing the smallest daily functions, like dialing the phone. She opens her door to passing by strangers, on a tiny but significant journey, to reach out to her daughter, on the other side of the world.
At a banquet hall in Israel, at the height of a war, Adam Weizmann’s Bar Mitzvah party turns into a glorious catastrophe. On the cusp of manhood—and on the verge of a nervous breakdown—Adam takes a crucial step toward coming to terms with his sexuality.
Adult language, sexual content, mature themes.
Length: 25 minutes
Cast: Amit Rahav, Amir Khoury, Maya Dagan, Yaniv Biton, Ruby Porat Shoval, Peter Knoller, Maayan Selektar
Photographer Olive returns from work to find her new flatmate, Nina rummaging through her room. Unbeknownst to Olive, Nina is about to miss the deadline to join a beauty pageant dedicated to Adolf Hitler and is in desperate need for photos for the application. She begs Olive to help her take them. Although Olive is bemused by her new flatmates erratic behaviour, she feels sorry for her and relents. As Nina’s behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre, Olive becomes suspicious. When the opportunity arises, Olive decides to investigate. Sneaking into Nina’s room, she discovers the truth behind the beauty pageant – discovering that the pageant is not your regular beauty pageant, but instead, something called Miss Hitler.
Moshe Sneh, Defense Minister and Chief of Staff of State in-the-making, the man who was in command of bringing thousands of Jews, Holocaust survivors, from Europe to Israel in spite of British Mandate opposition. The film focuses on SS Exodus, an operation he initiated, raised funds for the ship.
AJFF Festival and Combo passes include participation in this event. To watch online, go to virtual.goelevent.com and login with the same email and password you used to buy your ticket/pass/membership.
All four episodes are available to watch from November 2 – November 11 in Texas only.
Ever wonder how Israelis perceive us American Jews? The New Jew is a four-episode Israeli TV docu-series, showcasing the cultural and political influence of the Jewish community in the United States, the variety of alternative models it offers for living a rich Jewish life, and the intricate relations between American Jews and the State of Israel. The show is presented by Guri Alfi, one of Israel’s most popular comedians—and was produced for the Public Broadcasting Corporation in Israel.
Cast: Guri Alfi, Moshe Samuels
Guri Alfi – Host and Creator of the Series
Guri is one of the most well-known television personalities in Israel. He is an Israeli actor, director, and comedian who has starred in numerous comedy and dramatic series, and films. He was nominated for the Ophir Award for his role in Human Resources Manager and granted the Israeli Theatre Award for Play It Again, Sam. Guri is known for his role in the political-satirical show State of the Nation and host of the late-night shows Tonight with Guri Alfi and Tonight with Guri and Lucy, both winners of the Israeli Academy Awards for television for best entertainment program. In the past year Guri has starred in two acclaimed dramas—The Cook and Blackspace, and in the poignant satirical series Transparent.
Asaf Nawi – Producer and Creator
Founder of NawiPro Ltd., Asaf has many years of experience in the television and film industry. Before founding his own company, Assaf led productions as a line producer in series such as Kidnapped and My Successful Sisters, as well as large American productions filmed in Israel such as Homeland and Dig. His television productions include: Tonight with Guri Alfi (3 Seasons), Night Club (Season 6), and Conan O’Brien’s Journey to Israel in 2017. For cinema, he produced the documentary Between the Walls, and his film One More Story is expected to be released in 2021.
Bar (12), a longtime member of the boys group and the class”s soccer team, dominates the field more than ever and scores the winning goal at her school’s semi-final soccer tournament. So when the team’s captain announces opening the fixed line -up for voting, she isn”t worried. Following their first sex education class, Bar senses a change in the group and feels the need to ensure her getting enough votes until the end of the school day. While going from one friend to another, having a hard time getting what she wishes for, she starts to realize that a deeper issue is at stake.
Adult language.
Length: 20 minutes
Cast: Talma Tal, Netanel Bondi, Ori Sardam, Ori Assraf Shimon, Roi Chaluya, Dolev Ashurov, Jonathan Burg, Noam Marom, Yam Teper, Itai Abayan, Ofek Peretz, Zohar Shitrit, Tsafi (Tsafra) Shimoni, Anna Anat Gofman Banai
In this surrealist dreamscape based on actual events, E=MC³‘ is Victor Stabin’s animated tale of Albert Einstein’s invention and patenting of the perpetual motion refrigerator that brings peace to the Middle East. The animation combines fantastic imagery with tongue-in-cheek storytelling and plenty of schtick.
How would you react if your father”s last wish was a little bit out there? For siblings Roz and Elli, it becomes a battleground for who will determine their pop”s final journey. Pops is a Jewish comedy drama about family, religion and how we choose to honor a life well-lived.