JFilm Festival: A Program of Film Pittsburgh

Remembering Gene Wilder, a 2024 JFilm Festival highlight, is now streaming on Netflix! 💙 Filled with hilarious clips and outtakes, never-before-seen home movies, and interviews with those who knew him best, this charming movie celebrates the life and legacy of a true mensch.

Thrilled to hear that “Remembering Gene Wilder” is now streaming on Netflix!

Remembering Gene Wilder Documentary

Drumroll, please! The JFilm 2024 Audience Award Winners are...

🏆 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 | 999: The Forgotten Girls
🏆 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 | Running on Sand

And the directors have something to say!

From director Heather Dune Macadam: “Receiving the Audience Award for 999 is such an honor, especially from such a prestigious festival previewing so many excellent films. That Pittsburgh audiences were so inspired by our forgotten girls that they voted for 999 means not only that our film touched your audience’s hearts, but that the girls will never be forgotten, again.”

From director Adar Shafran: “It is so exciting to me to win the Audience Award in Pittsburgh with Running on Sand. It’s always so great to hear that people from all over the world are watching it, enjoying it, meeting the film’s main character, Aumari, and learning his story."

We're feeling nostalgic already... Relive some fun moments from the 31st annual JFilm Festival and peruse through Film Pittsburgh's album! 👇

JFilm may be over, but we still have more Jewish-themed films to share! Join us for the Robinson International Short Film Competition on Tuesday, May 21 at the Carnegie Museum of Art, where we've queued up 6 top-notch shorts from around the world and brought them to Pittsburgh! $18,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to 3 attending filmmakers, and artisan desserts and drinks will round out the evening at our after-party in the Café Carnegie.

Learn more & get tickets: https://filmpittsburgh.org/pages/robinson-shorts

Make the most of JFilm's final weekend! JFilm is coming to a close this Sunday, but never fear—the weekend is PACKED full of Jewish-themed films at The Oaks Theater! Overwhelmed with choices? Our festival programmers highlight some of their must-sees below.

01. Running on Sand | https://filmpittsburgh.org/calendar/running-on-sand-event
02. Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortaro | https://filmpittsburgh.org/calendar/kidnapped-the-abduction-of-edgardo-mortaro-event
03. Shari & Lamb Chop* | https://filmpittsburgh.org/calendar/shari-lamb-chop-event

* Special ticket price includes free treats from Oakmont Bakery!

Last night, we had a theater full of Catskills alumni! (What are the chances you all ended up in Pittsburgh?!) Thank you all who came to see "The Catskills"—especially those who stayed to participate in an enriching Film Schmooze with Dr. Rachel Kranson, where we shared fond (and foodie) memories of a time gone by. We'll see you tonight for another incredible documentary, 999: The Forgotten Girls, followed by a Q&A with the director!

Tonight at JFilm, summer vacation starts early. ☀️ We'll see you at 7pm at The Oaks Theater for the delightful documentary "The Catskills," followed by a Film Schmooze with Catskills expert Dr. Rachel Kranson where you can recount all your favorite mountain memories.

Learn more | https://filmpittsburgh.org/calendar/the-catskills-event

A fun shot from JFilm Festival day 2 of the crowd enjoying the wacky and wonderful Remembering Gene Wilder Documentary. ❤️ We're at CMU's McConomy Auditorium this weekend, and then at The Oaks Theater starting tomorrow, May 6! Tickets at FilmPittsburgh.org.

Fresh batch of Programmer Picks for the next few days of JFilm! Film Pittsburgh’s Executive Director, Kathryn Spitz Cohan, highlights JFilm’s must-see movies playing this week at The Oaks Theater. Come for the films, and stay for the filmmaker Q&As and Film Schmoozes!

01. The Boy in the Woods 🎟️ https://bit.ly/jfilm-boyinthewoods
02. 999: The Forgotten Girls 🎟️ https://bit.ly/jfilm-999forgottengirls
03. Unspoken 🎟️ bit.ly/jfilm-unspoken
04. Haute Couture 🎟️ https://bit.ly/jfilm-hautecouture

So, about last night... 🤩

We are still starry-eyed from the Opening Night of the 31st annual JFilm Festival! With the Carnegie Music Hall as a beautiful backdrop, we presented the Pennsylvania premiere of Left Alone Rhapsody, featuring our special guests: the charismatic piano prodigy John Bayless and his partner-in-filmmaking Stewart Schulman. We had the honor of hearing John play for us, and then we schmoozed, noshed, and kvelled the night away. This is only the beginning. We'll see you tomorrow at CMU's McConomy Auditorium with more powerful, Jewish-themed films!

Thank you so much to our amazing friends on the Left Alone Rhapsody Host Committee who helped make this our GRANDEST JFilm Opening Night to date. The night was made possible by the Arthur and Betty J. Diskin Cultural Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

To make an additional donation to the John Bayless Fund for Brain Research, click here: https://www.leftalonerhapsody.com/brain-fund

Photography credit: Porter Loves

This Saturday & Sunday, JFilm is bringing some incredible Jewish-themed feature films to CMU's McConomy Auditorium. Not sure what to see? Film Pittsburgh's festival programmers are here to help you find your new favorite movie. Check out their recommendations!

01. The Shadow of the Day 🎟️ https://filmpittsburgh.org/calendar/the-shadow-of-the-day-event
02. Listen 🎟️ https://filmpittsburgh.org/calendar/listen-event?day=05-04-2024
03. No Name Restaurant 🎟️ https://filmpittsburgh.org/calendar/no-name-restaurant-event

Remember—full-time students get in for $5, and ages 25 and under get in for $10! These tickets are only available at the door so we can check your ID.

JFilm Festival returns this week with movies about Lamb Chop, Gene Wilder and more Film Pittsburgh’s annual celebration of Jewish cinema kicks off Thursday.

Thank you, Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, for highlighting some of the films that will be screened at JFilm Festival—now less than two weeks away!

More info & tickets here: https://filmpittsburgh.org/pages/jfilm

JFilm brings independent Jewish films to Pittsburgh 16 films from around the world will be shown in Pittsburgh or will be able to be accessed virtually

The clock is ticking... our Early Bird Discount on JFilm Festival Passes ends at MIDNIGHT TONIGHT! ⏳ Spend the least and get the most out of your JFilm Festival 2024 experience. Your All Festival Pass gets you access to all* in-person and virtual screenings, filmmaker Q&As and Film Schmoozes—and lets you skip the lines at the ticket booth.

*This pass does NOT include our Opening Night event. Get your separate Opening Night event ticket at an Early Bird discount below.

🎟️ All Festival Passes (In Person & Virtual): https://filmpgh.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/events/a0SPW000001oUYb2AM
🎟️ Opening Night tickets (discounted through April 26): https://filmpgh.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/instances/a0FPW000008DMZB2A4

Watching from home? Our Virtual Pass grants you access to all six Virtual JFilm selections from May 2-12! Discount ends tonight at midnight.
🎟️ Virtual Passes: https://filmpgh.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/events/a0SPW000001oT1R2AU

Film Pittsburgh Executive Director Kathryn Spitz Cohan talks all things JFilm on Classical WQED FM 89.3! Give it a listen if you want to know exactly what you're in for this May 2-12. 🎧

Kathryn Spitz Cohan - JFilm | Voice of the Arts Executive Director of Film Pittsburgh, Kathryn Spitz Cohan, spoke to WQED-FM about their upcoming international independent Jewish film festival, JFilm, that runs from May 2nd to May 12th with showings at Carnegie Mellon University's McConomy auditorium and The Oaks Theater in Oakmont. Kathryn highl...

"Superb! One of the finest French films ever made." - The Times of Israel

We're so proud to share that the film Farewell Mr. Haffman, which won JFilm Festival's 2023 Audience Award for Best Narrative, will be playing at The Manor Theatre in Pittsburgh starting this Friday, April 19!

If you missed it at last year's JFilm, this gripping WWII thriller is a must-see this weekend. (And it's a great way to GET HYPED for this year's JFilm in May!)

Graphic: Menemsha Films

This just in, : We're announcing JFilm Festival's Opening Night—an evening of film and live music at Carnegie Music Hall on Thursday, May 2!

Film Pittsburgh and The Arthur J. and Betty F. Diskin Cultural Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh are excited to present JFilm Festival's Opening Night screening of Left Alone Rhapsody: The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless!

This Pennsylvania premiere of Left Alone Rhapsody will be followed by:
- A live performance by John Bayless
- A Q&A with John Bayless and film director Stewart M. Schulman
- A dessert reception attended by John Bayless and Stewart Schulman

Tickets for Opening Night go on sale Friday, March 8! (Tickets for the rest of JFilm Festival go on sale April 11.)

About the film: Following a 30-year-long career as a solo pianist, Leonard Bernstein protégé John Bayless suffered a debilitating stroke. Left Alone Rhapsody chronicles his rise from a young musical prodigy to an internationally renowned recording artist, and his courageous struggle post-stroke to reinvent himself.

▶️ Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdMQqksZ5VA

Charitable proceeds for Opening Night benefit Film Pittsburgh and the John Bayless Fund for Brain Research.

Film Pittsburgh’s JFilm Festival, the largest Jewish cultural event in the region, returns to theaters May 2-12. The 31st annual festival will showcase Jewish-themed, independent feature films from around the globe paired with special events and filmmaker Q&As. See the full film lineup and get your tickets on April 11.

Many congratulations to JFilm Committee members Judy Ehrenwerth, Linda Joshowitz, and Marilyn Asimow who were honored as 2023 Volunteers of the Year by the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle! Read the article below to read more about the inspirational work they do. 👇

Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 2023 Volunteers of the Year Their stories are inspirational

TOMORROW: Join WQED Pittsburgh for a FREE community screening of “Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life,” a Not In Our Town film, followed by a panel discussion at 6:30pm on Tuesday, Oct 17 at Carnegie Mellon University’s Jared L. Cohon University Center.

Register for free: https://www.wqed.org/repairing-the-world