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Join us at The Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre for the opening of the 41st Annual Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival! The festival will kick off with a special Opening Celebration on Saturday, March 14th, at the Benderson Family Building, featuring an Red Carpet Opening Night honoring the Major film awards the following day, so dress your best! This celebratory event sets the tone for a week of outstanding cinema and community connection. 6:00pm - Reception/Photo Opportunity 7:00pm - Movie showing 9:00pm - After the film, there will be a special announcement from JCC Buffalo CEO Patty Simonson About the film:  The Ring Director: Adir Miller Israel 2024, 122 mins, Hebrew and Hungarian with English subtitles Arnon Noble is a religious man with a strong bond to his mother, a Holocaust survivor. He usually drives her to school lectures, where she tells students how she saved her baby boy and herself with the help of a thin gold ring. When the mother's health deteriorates, he travels to her old hometown, Budapest, to search for the mythological ring that saved her life in the past. He turns to his estranged daughter, a TV researcher, for help and offers to go on this journey together. Will the search […]

Eleanor the Great Director: Scarlett Johansson USA 2025, 98 mins, English In Eleanor the Great, June Squibb brings to vivid life the witty and proudly troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, who, after a devastating loss, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own. Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a comically poignant exploration of how the stories we hear become the stories we tell. This film is Sponsored by Monica Neuwirt CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue Director: Barry Avrich Canada 2025, 95 mins, English In a harrowing real-life story that echoes Taken, the feature documentary The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue follows retired Israeli general Noam Tibon, who, on October 7, 2023, received a desperate text from his son: terrorists had stormed his home, and he, his wife, and their two young daughters feared for their lives. With no time to spare, Noam and his wife, Gali, embarked on a ten-hour mission across a country under siege to save their family. Relying only on his instincts and military training, Noam navigated ambushes, roadblocks, and a collapsing security system in a relentless race against time. Directed by acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, the film retraces every step of that day, blending intimate firsthand testimony with the raw urgency of a survival thriller. Set against the backdrop of one of Israel’s darkest days, The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue is both a gripping cinematic retelling of an extraordinary rescue and an unflinching look at the failures and resilience revealed on October 7. At its core, it is a profoundly human story about courage, family, and the power of love […]

Once Upon My Mother Director: Ken Scott France/Canada 2025, 102 mins, French with English subtitles In 1963, Esther gave birth to Roland, the youngest of a large family. Roland was born with a clubfoot that prevents him from standing. Against everyone's advice, she promises her son that he will walk like everyone else and will have an extraordinary life. From that moment on, Esther would stop at nothing to keep that promise. Spanning decades of trials and life's miracles, this film tells a true story, funny and moving, about an incredible destiny and the greatest love of all: a mother's love for her child. This film is sponsored by Patricia Simonson CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

The Stamp Thief Director: Dan Sturman USA 2025, 103 mins, English From an Oscar-, Peabody-, and Emmy-winning team, “The Stamp Thief” is part detective story, part heist film, and part untold history. The documentary investigates a tale dating back to the Holocaust: that a mysterious Nazi stole priceless stamp collections from concentration camp victims and buried the stolen stamps in a small town in Poland. Embarking on a real-life “Argo”-like adventure, one-time “Seinfeld” producer Gary Gilbert sets out to confirm the story and recover the stamps. His tactic: a fake movie shoot. His goal: to return the stamps to their rightful owners, hopefully delivering a small measure of justice more than 70 years after the Holocaust. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

This is a dual film screening featuring two short films: Not My Weekend, followed by In the Middle. After both films are shown, there will be a virtual talkback with students from the Middle Meets program, connected to the film In the Middle. Not My Weekend Director: Rona Segal Israel 2024, 19 mins, Hebrew Sharon is on her way to a forest party to meet a lost lover from 20 years ago. However, her ex-husband left her responsible for their daughter, even though this is not even her weekend. In the Middle Directors: David Ullendorff & Felix Chamberlain USA 2025, 24 mins, English In the Middle is a 24-minute documentary about a group of Israeli and Palestinian college students who, in the wake of the October 7th Hamas massacre, came together to form Middle Meets—a space where Palestinian, Jewish, and international students can speak openly about the roots of the conflict. The film follows a weeklong gathering in Rome, where Israeli, Palestinian, and American students from the University of Notre Dame meet for difficult, often painful dialogue and reflection—an encounter made possible by the late Pope Francis, who also appears in the film. $15 per person CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Film Festival: The Floaters Director: Rachel Israel USA 2025, 101 mins, English The Floaters follows struggling musician Nomi, who accepts a last-resort job from her overachieving best friend Mara: mentoring misfit campers, the "Floaters," at their childhood Jewish summer camp. $15 per ticket CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Vindicta Director: Dominik Sedlar USA 2025, 120 mins, English In just one moment, 19-year-old Hannah’s world shatters when her parents are murdered in front of her. After fleeing, she seeks refuge with family friends before becoming the embodiment of rage and revenge towards those responsible for destroying her life. An unexpected connection with a handsome young Nazi Officer generates a moment of respite, but she is consumed by vengeance at any cost, no matter what or when. The story is inspired by the true events of women who helped defeat the Nazi army during WWII. $15 per ticket CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

The First Lady Directors: Udi Nir & Sagi Bornstein Israel/Germany 2025, 82 mins, English Efrat Tilma, a trailblazing transgender woman, was forced to flee Israel as a teenager in the 1960s, after a police officer threatened to kill her if he ever saw her again walking the streets of Tel Aviv in women’s clothing. Today, at 75, she is a prominent LGBTQ+ activist and the first transgender volunteer in the Israeli police force. As the country descends into an unprecedented social and political crisis, Efrat confronts the traumas that shaped her life and once again fights for her place in the world. $15 per ticket CLICK HERE TO REGISTER