Our Mission
Boston Jewish Film celebrates the richness of the Jewish experience through film and media. Throughout the year, BJF engages and inspires the community to explore the full spectrum of Jewish life, values, and culture.
Our History
Boston Jewish Film offers the finest in film programming, education, and conversation to audiences across the Greater Boston community. Created in 1989 as the Boston Jewish Film Festival and founded by filmmaker Michal Goldman, we are one of the largest film-based organizations in New England, welcoming more than 15,000 annually.
Today, the Boston Jewish Film Festival has become a destination for the community to get together and discuss international award-winning films on Jewish topics and themes. Presenting screenings at venues throughout Greater Boston, we’ve shown films to hundreds of thousands of filmgoers. Films that have had premieres at the Boston Jewish Film Festival include Academy Award-winners such as The Pianist (2002), Nowhere in Africa (2002), and Son of Saul (2015).
The Festival has grown to include a variety of arts and media, from music performances and dance to live podcast recordings. The Festival also prides itself on its in-depth post-screening conversations with filmmakers and other special guests from around the world.
We all love cinema and talking about films with you, which is why Boston Jewish Film has launched the BJF Film Club so we can get together to discuss movies! We share information on how to watch the film on your own beforehand. Most meetups are held in person at partner community spaces in the greater Boston area, and occasional virtual Film Club meetings. And, whether in-person or online, you can expect fun, insightful conversations with fellow BJF Film Club attendees during the event! Click here to learn more.
You may have noticed more great Jewish film programs now happening throughout the year. Perhaps you attended our Summer Cinematheque, our premiere of Foxtrot, or our humor event with William Novak earlier in 2018. Boston Jewish Film created these programs to deepen our community’s connection to Jewish film and culture, and they are now part of our Boston Jewish Film 360 program. Click here to learn more.
Our youth outreach program brings film screenings and filmmaking to local schools and community centers. Our students Go Beyond the Screen through screenings, discussions, and hands-on filmmaking courses. They discover other cultures, learn to read the language of film, and master the scripting, camera, and editing skills that enable them to tell their own stories on screen. Click here to learn more.
The Boston Jewish Film School Initiative to Combat Antisemitism (SITCA) uses the power of film to help students recognize and counter antisemitism. Our curators work with teachers to select a movie best suited to their 7-12 grade students. Filmmakers and other relevant guests—including holocaust survivors—add valuable context. We provide preparatory materials to help promote meaningful conversation. Students connect to stories in movies that often feature people their age. And through this connection, they learn how to respond to antisemitism, bigotry, and hate in their schools and communities and the public square. Click here to learn more.
Boston Jewish Film was proud to host ReelAbilities Boston from 2012 through 2021. ReelAbilities Boston was for us an act of tikkun olam—the Jewish spiritual commitment to heal the world. We will continue to honor that spirit and advocacy in our festival programming and special events throughout the year.
