Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival

Enjoy five days of world-class international and independent comedies, dramas, documentaries, and shorts from Israel, Europe, Canada, and the U.S. premiering for the first time in Santa Barbara.

Schedule of Events:

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Coffee and Bagel Breakfast

10:30 AM: Between the Stone and the Flower

Director Roberto Otero Morfa
USA | 69 Minutes | 2024

Between the Stone and the Flower: The Duality of the Conversos chronicles the remarkable odyssey of Genie Milgrom as she embarks on a decades-long quest to uncover her Jewish lineage. Born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Miami, Genie’s education was steeped in Roman Catholicism, from grade school to university. Despite her upbringing, she carried a persistent sense of disconnection within her Spanish Catholic surroundings. Genie’s story is one of twists and turns, as she confronts the challenging choice to transition from her traditional Catholic family in Spain to embracing Judaism, ultimately opting for an Orthodox path. Her decision sends shockwaves through her family and friends, while her own conviction about her family’s Jewish roots in the Iberian Peninsula centuries prior only deepens.

1:00 PM: J’Accuse

Director Michael D. Kretzmer
UK | 86 Minutes | 2022

The Lithuanian Jewish community was decimated in the Holocaust, when over 220,000 Jews, more than 95% of the Jewish population, were murdered. A key player in the massacre was Lithuanian nationalist Jonas Noreika, who today is revered as a national hero, and protected by the contemporary government’s official policy and infamous Lithuanian Genocide and Resistance Research Centre. In this galvanizing documentary, we follow the experiences of two dissident campaigners: Grant Gochin, whose family was murdered by Noreika; and Silvia Foti, a brave Lithuanian woman fighting for the truth, whose grandfather was Jonas Noreika. Together, the two push against Lithuania’s systemic Holocaust denial in an attempt to bring justice to victims and insist that the truth be told.

4:00 PM: Catskills

Director Lex Gillespie
USA | 2024 | 86 Minutes | English

The Catskills is a humorous and nostalgic tribute to what became affectionately known as the Borscht Belt. Through the lens of stand-up comedians delivering their finest routines and the reminiscences of former waiters, entertainers, and dance instructors, the film captures the essence of the family-run resorts and bungalows that served as the inspiration for iconic films like Dirty Dancing. By piecing together personal anecdotes, home videos, promotional images, postcards, and menus, this cinematic time capsule offers a comprehensive overview of Jewish immigration to New York.

6:30 PM with Panel Discussion: Screams Before Silence

Director Anat Stalinsky
USA | 57 Minutes | 2024

Never-before-heard eyewitness accounts from released hostages, survivors, and first responders.

During the October 7 attacks on Israeli towns and at the Nova Music Festival, women and girls were raped, assaulted, and mutilated. Released hostages have revealed that Israeli captives in Gaza have also been sexually assaulted.

Ticket Prices:

All Access Passes: $180
Single Tickets: $18

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