The Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) 2025 returns from 19 October – 21 December 2025, presenting 50 new films, documentaries, shorts and a television series from around the globe.
Spanning history and contemporary life, the personal and the political, the intimate and the epic, JIFF showcases the richness o Jewish culture and storytelling.
“JIFF 2025 reflects the vibrancy of Jewish voices from icons of music and literature to contemporary struggles and celebrations” says Artist Director Eddie Tamir. “This program is about sharing Jewish voices in all their differences and dynamism. We welcome everyone to come and discover these stories.”
The Festival opens with Bad Shabbos, winner of the Audience Award at Tribeca. This uproarious New York comedy follows two families one Jewish, one Catholic whose Shabbat dinner descends into chaos after a corpse is discovered in the powder room.
With a cast including Kyra Sedgwick, Ashley Zukerman (Succession), and Wu-an Clan’s Method Man, the film blends rapid-fire farce with sharp insights into family, faith, and crisis management.
A major highlight is Eleanor the Great, Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, fresh from t’s Cannes premiere. Starring June Squibb (Nebraska,Thelma), the film follows a brassy 94 year old reinventing herself in New York, whose storytelling unexpectedly leads her into a Holocaust survivors’ support group.
Highlights of the 2025 Program; Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon; Berlinale prizewinner starring Ethan Hawke as lyricist Lorenz Hart on the night Oklahoma! premieres. With Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott. Once Upon My Mother; French box office sensation adapted from Roland Perez’s memoir, starring Leïla Bekhti, with 1.5M+ admissions to date. Fantasy Life; Feature debut of Matthew Shear, a wry New York comedy with Alessandro Nivola and Amanda Peet.
Pink Lady; Nir Bergman’s Tallinn Best Director winner exploring secrecy and desire in Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox community.Australian voices take center stage with TYCHO! Beyond the Baton; World premiere documentary celebrating Holocaust survivor and musical director Tommy Ty hi. RISING: Voices of Protest and Hope; Work in Progress screening of Esther Takac’s new documentary on Israelis who turned the trauma of October 7 into grassroots activism.
JIFF Short Film Fund 2025;The largest in festival history, presenting four original works on the theme “post-October 7 life in Australia.”
The Festival also presents powerful new films grappling with history, memory and the legacies of presecutiton. The Disappearance of Josef Mengele; by Russian dissident Kirill Serebrennikov, imagining the postwar years of the infamous doctor.Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire; A new portrait built from unprecedented archival access and Wiesel’s own voice.From Darkness to Light; On Jerry Lewis’s long-suppressed film The Day the Clown Cried, with commentary by Martin Scorsese and Mel Brooks, plus newly uncovered footage.
Marking its 40th anniversary, JIFF screens Claude Lanzmann’s monumental Shoah in newly restored point, alongside All I had Was Nothingness, a Berlinale premiered documentary revealing the hidden stories behind its creation.
The Zweiflers; Winner of Best Series at Canneseries, described as “the German Succession.” This six-part family saga follows a Jewish deli dynasty in Frankfurt and Berlin.
Audiences can also look forward to Opening Night celebrations in Melbourne and Sydney, filmmaker Q&As, and panel discussions throughout the season.
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
For tickets, session times, and full program details visit jiff.com.au
