Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of incredible storytelling! The Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) is back from 19 October to 21 December 2025, and it’s bigger and better than ever.
Prepare for a spectacular lineup of 50 new films, documentaries, shorts, and even a must-see television series. This is your chance to explore the richness of Jewish culture through cinema.
Screening in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Canberra, and Perth, the festival gathers the very best Jewish-themed stories from across the globe. The program is a vibrant mix, covering everything from history to contemporary life, the personal to the political. As Artistic Director Eddie Tamir says, “JIFF 2025 reflects the richness of Jewish culture… The program is about sharing Jewish voices in all their differences and vibrancy. We welcome everyone to come and discover these stories.”
Kicking Off with a Bang: Opening Night
JIFF 2025 starts with an absolute riot! The Opening Night film is Bad Shabbos, the Audience Award winner from the Tribeca Film Festival. This hilarious New York comedy throws two families—one Jewish, one Catholic—together for a Shabbat dinner that spirals into chaos when a corpse turns up in the powder room. With a stellar cast featuring Kyra Sedgwick, Australian actor Ashley Zukerman (Succession), and Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man, you can expect rapid-fire farce and sharp insights into family and faith.
A Dazzling Directorial Debut
One of the most anticipated films of the festival is Eleanor the Great, the directorial debut from none other than Scarlett Johansson. Fresh from its premiere at Cannes, this film stars the brilliant June Squibb (Nebraska) as a vibrant 94-year-old reinventing her life in New York. The story is both funny and touching as Eleanor’s penchant for storytelling lands her in a Holocaust survivors’ support group, even though her own past doesn’t quite match up.
Highlights of the 2025 Program
The excitement doesn’t stop there. The festival is packed with international hits and powerful local stories that you won’t want to miss.
International Gems
- Blue Moon: From acclaimed director Richard Linklater, this Berlinale prizewinner stars Ethan Hawke as lyricist Lorenz Hart. Set on the night Oklahoma! premieres, the film follows his career decline and features a star-studded cast including Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott.
- Once Upon My Mother: A French box office smash, this film is a beautiful celebration of maternal love adapted from Roland Perez’s memoir. It’s already won the hearts of over 1.5 million people!
- Fantasy Life: Matthew Shear’s wry directorial debut, starring Alessandro Nivola and Amanda Peet, brings a classic New York comedy vibe.
- Pink Lady: Nir Bergman’s powerful film, which won Best Director at Tallinn, delves into secrecy and desire within Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox community.
Australian Voices on Centre Stage
JIFF 2025 proudly showcases incredible Australian talent. Don’t miss the world premiere of TYCHO! Beyond the Baton, a celebration of Holocaust survivor and musical director Tommy Tycho, whose work helped shape Australia’s cultural identity.
The festival will also host special Work-in-Progress screenings of RISING: Voices of Protest and Hope. This documentary by Australian director Esther Takac follows five ordinary Israelis who have transformed the trauma of October 7 into grassroots activism, fighting to defend democracy.
History, Memory, and Groundbreaking Cinema
This year’s program features powerful new films that grapple with history and memory. The Disappearance of Josef Mengele, from Russian dissident director Kirill Serebrennikov, imagines the post-war life of the infamous Auschwitz doctor. For a deeply moving experience, see Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, which uses unprecedented archival access to paint a holistic portrait of one of the world’s most famous Holocaust survivors.
And for film buffs, From Darkness to Light investigates Jerry Lewis’s long-suppressed film The Day the Clown Cried. Featuring commentary from Martin Scorsese and Mel Brooks, plus newly uncovered footage, this is a cinematic event.
A Monumental Retrospective: Shoah at 40
At the heart of JIFF 2025 is a major retrospective marking the 40th anniversary of Claude Lanzmann’s monumental film, Shoah. This nine-hour epic, recognised by UNESCO, will be screened in a newly restored digital print. It reshaped Holocaust cinema by capturing testimony from survivors, perpetrators, and bystanders. Screening alongside it is All I Had Was Nothingness, a documentary drawn from over 220 hours of Lanzmann’s unused footage, revealing the incredible story behind the making of Shoah.
Don’t Miss the TV Hit: The Zweiflers
If you love a good family drama, you must see The Zweiflers. Described as “the German Succession,” this six-part series won Best Series at Canneseries. It follows a Jewish deli dynasty in Frankfurt and Berlin, exploring legacy and conflict with razor-sharp wit.
Get Your Tickets!
Beyond the amazing films, JIFF 2025 offers lively Opening Night parties in Sydney and Melbourne, filmmaker Q&As, and panel discussions to bring you closer to the stories.
Tickets are on sale now! Don’t miss this incredible celebration of film and culture.
JIFF 2025 Dates & Venues:
- MELBOURNE
- Classic Cinemas, Elsternwick – Sun 19 Oct – Wed 26 Nov
- Lido Cinemas, Hawthorn – Mon 20 Oct – Tue 25 Nov
- Cameo Cinemas, Belgrave – Thu 30 Oct – Sun 2 Nov
- SYDNEY
- Ritz Cinemas, Randwick – Mon 20 Oct – Wed 26 Nov
- Roseville Cinemas, Roseville – Thu 30 Oct – Wed 12 Nov
- HOBART
- State Cinema, North Hobart – Thu 30 Oct – Sun 9 Nov
- BRISBANE
- Angelika Cinemas, Woolloongabba – Thu 30 Oct – Sun 9 Nov
- CANBERRA
- Dendy Canberra, Canberra Central – Sat 15 Nov – Sun 16 Nov
- PERTH
- Luna Leederville, Leederville – Thu 4 Dec – Sun 21 Dec
Head over to www.jiff.com.au to check out the full program and book your tickets. We’ll see you at the movies