2025 New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival coming to theaters in 6 communities

• Pre-Festival Event (Sunday, March 16) – Before the events officially begin, folks can enjoy the film “Technion 10²” at The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, which includes a dessert reception. Our guest speaker will be Dean Kamen.
• Opening Reception (Sunday, March 23) – Prior to the opening afternoon screening of “Shari and Lamb Chop” at the Rex Theatre, audience members will gather at the nearby Spotlight Room at the Palace for hors d’oeuvres to celebrate the start of the festival. (Separate tickets required for the reception and the film.)

• “Janis Ian” Q&A (Tuesday, April 1) – After an in-theater screening on Sunday, March 30 in Hanover and the opportunity for folks across the state to view the documentary “Janis Ian” at home, there will be a live Zoom discussion with director Varda Bar-Kar, moderated by a Film Festival Committee member.
• Live Q&A with local NH Filmmaker Terre Weisman (Thursday, April 3) – Following the showing of “Max Dagan” at Red River Theatres in Concord, Nashua based filmmaker Terre Weisman will answer questions alongside Rabbi Jon Spira-Savett of Temple Beth Abraham.
• Short Film and Bonus Pre-Recorded Conversation with Director Jonathan Gruber (Sunday, April 6) – The short film “Righting A Wrong: The Bialystok Cemetery Restoration Project” will be shown alongside the documentary “Centered: Joe Lieberman” along with a pre-recorded conversation with director Jonathan Gruber. This program is in memory of long-time volunteer Darren Garnick, who passed away in the fall of 2024.
• PJ Library Free Children’s Event (Sunday, April 6) – There will be a free screening of the classic animated film “The Prince of Egypt” at 1:30 PM at Red River Theatres in Concord for children and families, which will include a crafting project, too!
• Film Festival Wrap Party (Sunday, April 6) – Join the Film Festival Committee and volunteers for a wrap party to celebrate another successful year of events at 5:30 PM, also at Red River Theatres in Concord.

The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival strives to enhance an appreciation of extraordinary individuals, culture, identity, history, and contemporary issues in Jewish and Israeli life. Using the power of film and programming to educate and entertain, the NHJFF encourages dialogue on diverse perspectives, broadening understanding and strengthening community.

The 17th annual New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival is partnering with the following Granite State venues:

• Red River Theatres (Concord)
• Nugget Theaters (Hanover)
• Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester)
• The Rex Theatre (Manchester)
• The Spotlight Room at the Palace (Manchester)
• The Currier Museum of Art (Manchester)
• Apple Cinemas (Merrimack)
• Keene State College (Keene)
• 3S Artspace (Portsmouth)

The NHJFF is also supported by the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire State Council of the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, corporate sponsors, and Friends of the Festival.

Individual film tickets are $12 per in-theater ticket or per virtual household ticket. For  information on multi-ticket packages, movie trailers and the full film lineup visit https://www.nhjewishfilmfestival.com/.

2025 NHJFF Film Line-Up

(In-Theater Screenings)

Sunday, March 16

Special Pre-Festival Event

Technion 10²

6:30 PM – Currier Museum of Art, Manchester

Documentary, Israel (2024)

In 1924, the first Technion class opened in Haifa. Today, it is hard to believe that this modest beginning was the start of one of the leading technological research institutions in the world. The story of Technion’s hundred years on Mount Carmel provides a fascinating prism through which to view the history of the State of Israel. It is hard to imagine a modern-day Israel, with its strong economy and scientific and technological achievements, without the Technion. From the pre-state period, through dramatic moments in times of war, to the birth of the startup nation and breakthroughs in global-scale research, the Technion was always there.

Followed by a dessert reception in the Winter Garden. Private gallery viewings will be available at the museum when the doors open at 5:30 PM.

Sunday, March 23

Opening Reception

12 PM – Spotlight Room at the Palace, Manchester

(Separate tickets required for reception and film screening).

Shari and Lamb Chop (Opening Film)

2 PM – The Rex Theatre, Manchester

Documentary, USA (2024)

Hailing from a Jewish Bronx family, Shari Hurwitz Lewis rose from playful beginnings in the ‘50s with her engaging children’s variety shows to the debut of her iconic sock-puppet, Lamb Chop, on Captain Kangaroo. A master ventriloquist, singer, dancer, and even a magician, Lewis amassed impressive accolades over the course of her career, including 13 Emmys and a Peabody Award.

Tuesday, March 25

October H8te

7 PM – Walker Auditorium, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester

Documentary, Israel (2024)

From executive producer Debra Messing, a documentary about the explosion of anti-Semitism on college campuses, social media, and the streets of America in the aftermath of October 7th. High-profile people featured in the film include Debra Messing, Michael Rapaport, Mosab Yousef (son of Hamas’s co-founder), Sheryl Sandberg, Scott Galloway, US Rep. Ritchie Torres, US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, US Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, Dan Senor, Noa Tishby, Bari Weiss, and a survivor from Nir Oz.

Thursday, March 27

Midas Man

7 PM – The Rex Theatre, Manchester

Musical/Drama, UK (2024)

Meet Brian Epstein, a visionary who transformed music history and lived a thousand lives in a few short years. From running a Liverpool record store to shaping the sound of a generation, Epstein’s journey is a rollercoaster of ambition, passion, and relentless pursuit of greatness. Jacob Fortune-Lloyd stars as the mastermind behind The Beatles’ meteoric rise, navigating a whirlwind of unprecedented fame, cultural revolution, and personal demons.

Sunday, March 30

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

10 AM – Nugget Theaters, Hanover

Documentary, USA (2024) 

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-1960s, teenage singer-songwriter Janis Ian’s hit song about an interracial relationship, “Society’s Child,” launched her career but also ignited controversy. Over the next six decades, Ian jammed with Jimi Hendrix, partied with Janis Joplin, and played duets with Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. But she also had to overcome the stigma of her debut, homophobia, record industry misogyny, and a life-threatening illness to produce an indelible body of work that continues to draw large audiences around the globe. With access to Ian’s incredible body of music, as well as family, friends, famed collaborators, and music journalists, this in-depth documentary balances the intimacy of a home movie against a sweeping historical and contemporary context.

Running on Sand

1 PM – Apple Cinemas, Merrimack

Drama/Comedy, Israel (2023) 

Aumari, a young Eritrean refugee living in Israel, is about to be deported back to his home country. During a spontaneous escape attempt at the airport, he is mistaken for a newly arriving Nigerian soccer star, just signed by the Maccabi Netanya football club. Despite the absence of any soccer talent, Aumari takes his place on the team and proceeds to do what it takes to maintain his freedom and reunite with his brother, who he has not seen since arriving in Israel five years before.

Never Alone

1 PM – Drennan Auditorium, Keene State College, Keene

Drama, Finland/Austria/Estonia/Germany/Sweden (2025)

A powerful, poignant true story of courage, resilience, and defiance during one of history’s darkest periods. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the film centers on Finnish businessman and philanthropist Abraham Stiller, a key figure in the Jewish community, who risks everything to protect Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution in Germany and Austria. As the Gestapo’s influence grows and deportations to Auschwitz loom, Stiller fights to save those seeking sanctuary in Finland, a country caught in an uneasy alliance with Nazi Germany. This gripping tale of bravery and sacrifice is a testament to the enduring power of hope amid overwhelming adversity.

The Property

1 PM – 3S Artspace, Portsmouth

Drama, Israel (2024)

Two months after the death of her son, Regina travels to Poland with her granddaughter Mika. The trip’s stated purpose is to retrieve the family’s property confiscated during World War II. But Regina has a secret ulterior motive: to find her first love, whom she was forced to leave 70 years earlier.

Unspoken

3:30 PM – Apple Cinemas, Merrimack and 3:30 PM – 3S Artspace, Portsmouth

Drama, USA (2024)

This film follows the story of Noam, a closeted teenager in a religious community who discovers that he might not be alone. When he finds a love letter written to his grandfather by another man before the Holocaust, he sets out to find this mysterious person and uncover his grandfather’s identity as well as his own.

Soda

3:30 PM – Drennan Auditorium, Keene State College, Keene

Drama, Israel (2025)

Eva, a beautiful seamstress, arrives with her daughter in an Israeli working-class neighborhood in 1954. Shalom Gottlieb, a former partisan leader and current factory foreman, falls for Eva, who offers him a chance at happiness and a life filled with beauty and laughter. But rumors of Eva’s past as a Kapo during the Holocaust shake the community. Shalom’s choice to be with Eva now means not only betraying his family, but also his fellow partisans and his duty to uncover her secret.

Wednesday, April 2

The Blond Boy from the Casbah

7 PM – Nugget Theaters, Hanover

Drama/Comedy, France (2023)

A celebrated filmmaker returns to Algiers with his young son in a bittersweet semi-autobiographical dramedy, reflecting on the loss of his multicultural community during the Algerian War of Independence. Having emigrated to France with his family years earlier, Antoine reconnects with his roots in a neighborhood of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Nostalgic memories flood back—school, friends, his Sephardic upbringing, and his early fascination with cinema—as he presents his new film, an account of his childhood shaped by the unrest that ultimately forced them to flee.

Thursday, April 3

Max Dagan

7 PM – Red River Theatres, Concord

Crime Drama, USA (2024)

After his father is sentenced to 15 years for the manslaughter of a California State Trooper, Max Dagan fights to uncover the truth and get his now terminally ill parent out of prison with a compassionate release. Max must open up old wounds, including seeking the help of his estranged uncle and the daughter of the dead trooper, to find evidence that could set his father free. In a race against time, two divided families discover they have more in common than they think.

Sunday, April 6

Centered: Joe Lieberman

1 PM – Red River Theatres, Concord

Documentary, USA (2024)

Joe Lieberman, who nearly became the first Jewish Vice President of the United States, was known for putting principles above party. This film chronicles Lieberman’s extraordinary journey and 40+ years of public service, revealing the depth of his commitment to the American people. At a time of deep political division, it reminds us of the values of unity and bipartisanship. Lieberman’s legacy as a principled statesman who navigated the tumultuous world of American politics with unwavering integrity, provides a timely call for civility, moderation, and dialogue.

The Prince of Egypt

1:30 PM – Red River Theatres, Concord

Animated Film, USA (1998)

The story of Moses and the Ten Commandments is retold in song and story, following the prophet from his adoption by the Pharaoh to his role in leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. This film features the voices of Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, and Jeff Goldblum.

Bad Shabbos

3:30 PM – Red River Theatres, Concord

Comedy, USA (2024)

Winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, Bad Shabbos is the story of a newly engaged couple, David and Meg, and the Shabbos dinner where her midwestern, Catholic parents are set to meet his New York, Jewish ones for the first time. What can we say? It all goes terribly wrong. A snappy, hilarious ensemble treat, starring Kyra Sedgwick as the controlling matriarch, David Paymer as the (at all costs) family protector, Cliff “Method Man” Smith as the resourceful building doorman, and an Upper West Side apartment full of other familiar faces.

(Bonus Week Screenings)

April 6 – April 11

All of these films that initially screened in New Hampshire theaters, will be available for virtual streaming. Films with an * next to them will be available to stream from March 23 to April 11. (See film descriptions above for more information.) 

• Technion 10²
• The Blond Boy from the Casbah
• Never Alone*
• The Property*
• Running on Sand*
• Soda*
• Unspoken