41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
Jewish Community Center – Maxine and Robert Seller Theater 2640 North Forest Road, GetzvilleWeek of Events
Sunday, March 15, 2026
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March 15, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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March 15, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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 […]
Monday, March 16, 2026
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March 16, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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March 16, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
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March 17, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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March 17, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
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March 18, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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March 18, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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
Thursday, March 19, 2026
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March 19, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
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March 19, 2026 -41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
Tatami Directors: Guy Nattiv & Zar Amir USA/Israel/Iran 2023, 105 mins, English Iranian female judoka Leila and her coach, Maryam, who are traveling to the Judo World Championship, are intent on bringing home Iran's first gold medal. Midway through the competition, they receive an ultimatum from the Islamic Republic ordering Leila to fake an injury and lose. With her own and her family's freedom at stake, Leila is faced with an impossible choice: feign injury and comply with the Iranian regime as Maryam implores her to do, or defy them both and fight on, for the gold. $15 per ticket CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
41st Buffalo International Jewish Film Festival
Following the screening of Hora by Avi Weissblei, please join us for a reception with treats, and a dance instructor will lead us in learning the Hora. Hora Director: Avi Weissblei Israel 2025, 60 mins, Hebrew with English subtitles One hundred years after the creation of the local Hora dance, we go back to the great dream that began then and continues to this day. It is a legend that tells the story of the folk dance movement's formation, told through the voices of those who were once stars of this world. They reveal the women who brought with them styles, movements, and a variety of ethnic dances that helped shape the concept of culture—East and West—transforming into a center through the dance circles. But today, in the struggle for reality and the future, will folk dancing remain, or will it become merely a relic of the past? Ticket Cost: $18 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Friday, March 20, 2026
No events on this day.
Saturday, March 21, 2026
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March 21, 2026 -Tree of Life Play Reading
Tree of Life Play Reading
Jewish Repertory Theatre Tree of Life Reading With special guest, playwright Victor Wishna JCC Sellers Theatre 2640 N Forest Rd, Getzville, NY 14068 Saturday, March 21 at 7 pm | $35 per ticket CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS!
