ONE LIFE - Opening Night
In Person: March 2 at 7:30 PM
Two-time Academy Award winner Sir Anthony Hopkins gives an intensely moving performance as Sir Nicholas Winton, a humble, mild-mannered British stockbroker who helped rescue hundreds of Jewish children from Europe on the verge of WWII—an act of compassion that was almost forgotten for 50 years. Helena Bonham Carter costars as his indefatigable mother and collaborator in this vivid and stirring portrait of an incredible true story.
REMEMBERING GENE WILDER – Brunch + Film
In Person: March 3 for Brunch + Film at 10 AM
A heartfelt tribute to the beloved star of THE PRODUCERS, BLAZING SADDLES, and WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, who created the most memorable characters shaped by sheer comic genius. Featuring interviews with Alan Alda, Mel Brooks, Harry Connick Jr., and Burton Gilliam.
THE SECRET SABBATH - Sephardic Spotlight
In Person: March 3 + Virtual: Streams March 11 – 17
Hispanic people from Mexico and the U.S. disentangle family secrets and traditions, discovering how their Jewish ancestors were persecuted and forced to hide from the Spanish Inquisition in Mexico.
THE MONKEY HOUSE (הפחדנים) - Israeli Cinema Spotlight
In Person: March 3 + Virtual: Streams March 11 – 17
A once-successful novelist tries to revive his fading career by launching a highly inventive plan. When a graduate student expresses interest in his work, he sees an opportunity for it to live on in ways neither could imagine, altering their lives forever. Set in the 1980s, this epic tale—the latest by legendary Israeli director Avi Nesher—is part literary mystery, part rambunctious comedy, and part Almodóvar melodrama. Nominated for 11 Ophirs (Israeli Academy Awards).
THE CATSKILLS - Midday Matinee (Half-Price 65+)
In Person: March 8 at 1 PM
A humorous and nostalgic tribute to the “Borscht Belt” or “Jewish Alps,” the storied summer Catskill Mountain resorts and havens for Jewish vacationers and entertainers in upstate New York starting in the early 20th century. In the film, standup comedians share their best shtick while former waiters, entertainers, and dance instructors recount tales of the family-run resorts and bungalow colonies that inspired TV shows like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and the film DIRTY DANCING.
SEVEN BLESSINGS (שבע ברכות) - Israeli Cinema Spotlight
In Person: March 9 at 8 PM
In this offbeat dramedy, Marie returns to Israel after 40 years for her wedding. There she reunites with her large, boisterous Moroccan Jewish family for the traditional week of celebratory meals, during which family secrets and lies are also on the menu.
Red Carpet Oscars Party
In Person: March 10 at 3 PM
Get dressed in your red carpet best and join us for an Oscars party! Watch the the stars walk the red carpet and the Oscars ceremony on the big screen in the J's theater; fill out your ballot and win prizes; and enjoy appetizers, gourmet popcorn, and drinks as we gather for the 96th annual Academy Awards and celebrate an amazing year of cinema together.
THE MAN WITHOUT A WORLD - Closing Night Film + Live Score
In Person: March 17 at 4 PM
This unusual silent drama by director Eleanor Antin is supposedly a rediscovered "lost" film. Set in 1920s Poland, this contemporary silent cinematic masterpiece is the creation of a modern-day filmmaker and performer, conceived as a love letter to her ailing mother, a Yiddish theater actress. In a Polish shtetl beset with antisemitism and political infighting, two star-crossed lovers seek happiness defying many obstacles. The film is set to a l live original score composed and performed by world-renowned klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals and celebrated silent film pianist Donald Sosin.
