Jewish Film Institute

WinterFest is the Jewish Film Institute's weekend-long showcase of exciting and transcendent Jewish films from around the world, held each winter in San Francisco

JFI Next Wave is a community of discerning, Bay Area film lovers as well as a platform for the showcase of emerging and established filmmakers whose work explores modern life and identity through a Jewish lens, often dealing with subjects like, art, music, travel, social justice and more.

Next Wave members receive all-inclusive Festival passes, attend private VIP receptions and parties with filmmakers, actors, and artists; experience programs and events that step outside the boundaries of film such as live music, comedy, art and, (of course), drink, eat, socialize, and network with other young leaders and fans of the independent arts community.

The Jewish Film Institute's Mitzvah Series was inaugurated in 2007 to take its Festival programming "on the road" to senior centers and residential communities for audiences that would otherwise not be able to view Festival films. Mitzvah Series programs are provided at no charge to residents and include post-screening discussions on issues in the films. JFI's collaboration with senior agencies has included the Reutlinger Center for Jewish Living, Rhoda Goldman Plaza and the Oshman Family JCC of Palo Alto.

In 2017, the Jewish Film Institute started a Mitzvah Series of screenings at San Quentin State Prison and has screened three films since January for inmates who identify and don't identify as Jewish. Each screening is followed by a discussion on the film's themes with a JFI programmer.

The Mitzvah Series also includes free matinee screenings at the annual San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and in four Bay Area cities.

JFI On Demand is a curated channel of films shown at SFJFF and other JFI screenings hosted on a variety of streaming platforms that allows viewers to rent, purchase, or stream with a subscription service. With over a dozen video services available, you can be sure to find JFI films on any online platform you prefer!

The JFI Archive project seeks to preserve a record of all films exhibited by the Jewish Film Institute and the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Our dedication to independent filmmakers ensures quality films are prevented from becoming lost and are recognized far beyond their original screening date. Watch films featured in this archive online on JFI On Demand.

FI Online Shorts features one new short film each month from emerging and established filmmakers. Since 2009, JFI has showcased over 75 online shorts and garnered worldwide views over 2 million on the the JFI Youtube channel.

JFI Online Shorts are available to watch for free in their entirety and are accompanied by an interview with the filmmaker on The Cinegogue.

The Jewish Film Institute provides creative, marketing and production support for filmmakers in residence who are in various stages of completion on their projects. Our first annual Filmmaker Residency program launched in 2012 to support independent filmmakers whose work promotes the exploration and understanding of Jewish identity and culture.

The Filmmaker Residency includes:

* JFI staff consultations in film production, development and marketing
* Private office space at the Ninth Street Independent Film Center
* Access to Ninth Street Film Center's intimate 80-seat screening room
* Marketing and publicity support through JFI channels
* A Meet & Greet with many of the Bay Area's film industry professionals
* Industry Pass to JFI's WinterFest and the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

The Jewish Film Institute has partnered with the Jerusalem Film Workshop (JFW) to sponsor young and emerging filmmakers (ages 19 - 27) from the Bay Area to participate in this Summer workshop, a six-week intensive filmmaking and film studies program in Israel. Collaborate with international students, meet leaders from Israel's film industry, and produce work to be screened at the Jerusalem International Jewish Film Festival.

n honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Jewish Film Institute and its signature program, the San Francisco Film Festival, JFI kicks off Stories She Tells, a new 2-year initiative that shines an investigative and exploratory spotlight on the contributions of Jewish women in front of and behind the lens in Hollywood, TV and Independent film.

The Jewish Film Institute’s DNA is intertwined with the history of pioneering female filmmakers. In 1980 - as six women directors (known as the Hollywood Six) were challenging the male-dominated status quo, - Deborah Kaufman founded the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the first festival of its kind at a time when it was rare for a woman to be an independent filmmaker let alone the the Maverick founder of a pioneering Jewish organization. 2020 brings an opportunity to reframe and set new sights, as JFI looks back 40 years and ahead to the future to ask where do we stand now and where do we want to go from here? Through in-depth conversations, panels, tributes, and a variety of screenings and events, this two-year series of programs takes a deep dive into how Jewish women are shaping the story.

Guest Curator, Caroline Libresco, the founding director of the Sundance Women's Initiative and Sundance Catalyst, a Senior Programmer of the Sundance Film Festival for the last 18 years and the former Associate Director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival will return to JFI to present the following three programs in spring and summer 2020. Fall and winter 2020 programs will be announced in the coming months.

Stories She Tells programs are generously supported by the San Francisco Jewish Women's Fund, a program of the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.