NEWS

PITTSBURGH, PA—JFilm, the largest Jewish cultural event in the region, returns to Pittsburgh for its 33rd year April 30–May 10, 2026, with the exception of Fridays for Shabbat. The 2026 festival will showcase 40 Jewish-themed independent feature and short films from around the world at three Pittsburgh area theaters—Row House Hollywood, CMU’s McConomy Auditorium, and The Lindsay Theater—with seven selections available to stream virtually during the festival.

On Opening Night, JFilm will host a B’Nai Mitzvah-themed party at Row House Hollywood in Dormont with the feature film ETHAN BLOOM, a sweet dramedy about an awkward and lovable teenager searching for meaning. The film will be preceded by the short film BESHERT and followed by a dessert reception. (Opening Night tickets $36, reception included)

Complementing select screenings, JFilm will also host Q&As with visiting filmmakers, Film Schmoozes (post-film discussions sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh’s Jewish Studies Program), and a Closing Day Bagel Brunch in celebration of Mother’s Day on May 10. (Bagel Brunch tickets $25, bagels included)

“In films like ETHAN BLOOM, HOLD ON TO YOUR MUSIC, and SWEDISHKAYT, we celebrate Jewish joy,” says Film Pittsburgh Executive Director Shanna Carrick. “From the Gen Z dry humor of CUZ YOU’RE UGLY to the baby boomer romance of BLISS, these films depict the full spectrum of life. There’s even a little bit of joy to be had in a bloody thriller like VINDICTA.”

On Saturday, May 2, at CMU’s McConomy Auditorium, JFilm will host Grammy-nominated concert pianist Mona Golabek for a piano performance preceding the film HOLD ON TO YOUR MUSIC. Presented by Classrooms Without Borders and Teen Screen, this deeply personal and profoundly universal documentary explores the story of Golabek’s mother, one of the 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children rescued from Nazi-occupied Europe and brought to England on the Kindertransport. Golabek will be present for a Q&A after the film.

Also on Saturday, May 2, JFilm will present the World Premiere of the Pittsburgh-shot narrative feature VALIDITY. Created with local cast and crew and featuring settings like the University of Pittsburgh campus, VALIDITY follows hypothermia researcher Dr. Sidney Randall (Amy Marsalis) as she discovers life-saving data gathered in Nazi death camp experiments, but she must argue for approval to get the medical establishment to validate her findings. The film will be followed by a talkback with director Randy Kovitz and producer Kate Vargish. Thanks to the City of Pittsburgh’s ARPA Grant, this screening of VALIDITY will be free for all attendees.

On Sunday, May 3, JFilm will feature the ReelAbilities film DISPOSABLE HUMANITY at CMU’s McConomy Auditorium. Co-presented with Achieva and the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, this documentary confronts the little-known history of the Aktion T4 program, a state-sanctioned campaign that led to the murder of more than 300,000 disabled people between 1939 and 1941. This screening will be followed by a talkback with Randall Halle of the University of Pittsburgh and Daniel Singleton of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.

New this year, JFilm honors its roots by presenting the first annual Harvey Sloan Award for Best Short Film. Jeff Finkelstein, CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, says, "Harvey Sloan served many positions within the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Through them all, he was a champion of JFilm, believing that the community could engage more people in Jewish life through cultural arts. This is a beautiful tribute to an individual who would be so proud of the staying power of this effort through Film Pittsburgh.”

The JFilm 2026 program showcases 23 short films, including a Comedy block, which celebrates Jewish humor and joy, and a Viewpoints block, which navigates varying timely perspectives in a post-October 7th world.

“We cannot have the light without the dark,” says Carrick, “which is particularly poignant in HOLDING LIAT, where there is the joy of being reunited with family while also feeling the sorrow of loss from October 7th.” The Oscar-shortlisted HOLDING LIAT plays on May 3.

JFilm’s Centerpiece film, THE SEA, was nominated for a record 13 Israeli Academy Awards, notably winning Best Actor and Best Film. THE SEA tells the story of Khaled, a 12-year-old boy from a Palestinian village, who embarks on an uncertain journey to the sea, navigating a world he barely knows and a language he does not speak. THE SEA will be followed by a Film Schmooze, a casual post-film discussion sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Jewish Studies Program.

“In a rapidly shifting world that seems to put empathy on the backburner in the interest of gaining finite resources like land and oil, I like to remember that love is not a finite resource—we can hold love and compassion in our hearts for ourselves, our Jewish Community, and our Middle Eastern community,” says Carrick.

Notably, JFilm will also feature the new documentary STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE! about Democracy Now! journalist Amy Goodman. Co-presented with Pittsburgh’s Public Source, this documentary by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin takes us behind the scenes, from Amy’s upbringing as the wisecracking granddaughter of an Orthodox rabbi to the frontlines of the monumental events she has covered over the years. A talkback will follow the film with Public Source’s Stephanie Strasburg and STEAL THIS STORY producer Karen Ranucci.

JFilm continues to offer a selection of films for virtual viewing. Five feature films and two shorts blocks will be available to stream online from Friday, May 1, through Closing Day, May 10, for patrons in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The full festival lineup is available to view and tickets are available to purchase at FilmPittsburgh.org.