Curtain rises on 29th annual Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival
MILWAUKEE – The 29th annual Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival, a global collection of thoughtful and innovative films that celebrate the Jewish experience, is scheduled to run Sunday, Oct. 11 through Monday, Oct. 19 at Marcus North Shore Cinema in Mequon.
Tickets for community screenings are $12 per person when purchased in advance, $14 at the door; stream-at-home viewing is $18 per household. Select films will be available for at-home streaming Tuesday, October 20 through Monday, October 26 on Eventive. VIP package is also available which provides access to all showings, and platforms. To purchase tickets, visit jccmilwaukee.org/filmfestival or visit the JCC table that will be located inside the Marcus North Shore Cinema beginning one hour prior to each movie. Tickets are not available for purchase directly through the theater.
The Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival is a program of the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, with support from Marcus Theatres Corporation.
The Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival is an annual cinematic exploration and celebration of Jewish and Israeli life, culture and history for all to enjoy. Films in this year’s line-up originate from multiple countries including France, Israel and the United States.
In the comfort of Marcus North Shore Cinema, movie-goers will enjoy five distinctly different films – all of which are not yet available for streaming in the United States – that speak to the diversity and complexity of the Jewish experience, according to a press release.
From documentaries spotlighting the Jewish-themed work of folk music icon Woody Guthrie, and a resort in the Catskills that provided Jewish immigrants an oasis of belonging, to a humorous and authentic look at ultra-Othrodox culture, to 1940s France and a whirlwind of chaos, the 2026 Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival will deliver an experience guaranteed to stir emotion and inspire conversation. Film discussions with special guests will be in-person at the theater following the screening of each movie.
Dust Bowls & Jewish Souls: Another Side of Woody Guthrie
Sunday, Oct. 11 • 7:00 pm
2026 | United States | English | Director: Steven Pressman
The unlikely intersection of American folk music and Jewish culture comes to life through Woody Guthrie’s years in Coney Island. After marrying Jewish dancer Marjorie Mazia in 1940, Guthrie immersed himself in the vibrant
Dust Bowls & Jewish Souls: Another Side of Woody Guthrie
traditions of her family – especially the influence of his mother-in-law, acclaimed Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt. This cultural exchange sparked a remarkable body of Jewish-themed work: Hanukkah songs, borscht-belt humor, and powerful reflections on the Holocaust.
Sponsored by the Shel & Danni Gendelman Endowment Fund.
After the screening, organizers will share a pre-recorded interview with Director, Steven Pressman, and Jody Hirsh, Community Judaic Educator.
Once Upon My Mother
Once Upon My Mother
Monday, Oct. 12 • 7:00 pm
2025 | France | French with English subtitles | Director: Ken Scott
Inspired by Roland Perez’s beloved bestselling autobiography, this irresistible cinematic gem transports us to France, 1963. When Esther Perez – a spirited Moroccan-Jewish immigrant raising six children in the Parisian suburbs – learns her newborn son Roland has been born with a clubfoot, she refuses to accept the doctors’ grim prognosis. With fierce determination, boundless love, and an unshakeable belief in miracles, she embarks on a decades-long crusade to ensure her son doesn’t just walk – he soars. A universal celebration to the extraordinary lengths parents will go for their children.
Shown in cooperation with JCC Disability Inclusion programs.
Talkback: TBD.
Lucky Star
Wednesday, October 14 • 7:00 pm
2025 | France | French with English subtitles | Director: Pascal Elbe
Set in France in 1940, Lucky Star centers on Jean Chevalin, a bumbling deserter who never meant to go AWOL – he just panicked, bolted the wrong way, and somehow stumbled home with no uniform, no honor, and no plan. Now, with a guilty conscience gnawing at him and the Nazis closing in, Jean hatches a desperate, harebrained scheme: disguise his wife and son as Jews to slip into the smuggler networks ferrying refugees to the Free Zone. What starts as a shameless ruse quickly careens into a whirlwind of chaos.
Shown in cooperation with Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC).
Talkback: Holocaust Education Resource Center representative.
We Met at Grossinger’s
Thursday, Oct. 15 • 7:00 pm
2026 | United States | English | Director: Paula Eiselt
An immersive documentary journey through the Catskills – once known as the Borscht Belt – reviving the iconic resort that inspired Dirty Dancing and defined an era of Jewish American life. Throughout decades of prejudice, stifling the integration of Jewish immigrants in America, the Catskills provided an oasis of belonging, and Grossinger’s Resort and Hotel was the crown jewel. The resort’s growing reputation attracted a wide variety of comedians, athletes, and political figures, including Mel Brooks, Jackie Robinson and Eleanor Roosevelt, and provided both a physical and mental getaway where Jews, and others from marginalized communities, could get away and relax.
Shown in cooperation with Nathan & Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center.
Talkback: Holocaust Education Resource Center representative.
The Wedding Entertainer (or the Tale of Moishe Badhan)
The Wedding Entertainer (or the Tale of Moishe Badhan)
Monday, Oct. 19 • 7:00 pm
2026 | Israel | English, Hebrew, Yiddish with English Subtitles | Director: Gidi Dar
Jerusalem’s greatest badchan (Hasidic wedding comedian), who wrecked his career because of liquor and a big mouth, gets a second chance as the sidekick of the famous American Badchan Meshulam. At the wedding, everything spins out of control. A heartfelt comedy about Moishe, a former star of Jerusalem’s Hasidic wedding scene who is struggling to rebuild his life and earn enough money for his daughter’s wedding. When a wealthy childhood friend returns from America, Moishe sees a potential solution to his troubles. This film offers a humorous and authentic look at ultra-Orthodox Jewish culture, exploring themes of redemption, family, and friendship through a charming blend of drama and comedy.
Talkback: Jody Hirsh, Community Judaic Educator.
