MANCHESTER, NH – The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival this year is delighted to offer its audiences a choice between virtual and in-theater screenings as it brings its international lineup to theaters in Concord, Hanover, Londonderry, Keene, Manchester, and Portsmouth. The multi-access festival, which will screen independent and foreign films from March 15 through 29, includes selections from Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, and the United States.
“Our devoted film festival volunteers spend the year screening some of the best independent cinema in the world to bring these untold stories to New Hampshire,” says Pat Kalik, of Manchester, chairperson of the NHJFF. “We’re proud to play a role in bringing different communities together.”
“New Hampshire has so many wonderful entertainment venues that support independent film,” adds deputy chair Ross Fishbein, of Bedford. “We’re delighted to partner with venues statewide and share unique experiences you can’t easily find at the major chain cinemas.”
Special Film Festival Events include:
- Opening Reception (Sunday, March 15 – Prior to the opening evening screening of “Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire” at the Rex Theatre, audience members will gather at the nearby Singer Center for the Arts for hors d’oeuvres to celebrate the start of the festival. (Separate tickets required for the reception and the film.)
- Live Q&A with NH Resident Kati Preston (Sunday, March 29) – Following the 1 PM showing of “Hidden: The Kati Preston Story” at Red River Theatres in Concord, New Hampshire resident and film subject Kati Preston will join audiences for a post-film discussion.
- PJ Library Free Children’s Event (Sunday, March 29) – There will be a free screening of “13: The Musical” at 1:30 PM at Red River Theatres in Concord, a great event for families to enjoy together!
- Film Festival Wrap Party (Sunday, March 29) – 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 18th annual New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival is partnering with the following Granite State venues: Red River Theatres (Concord), Nugget Theaters (Hanover), O’Neil Cinemas (Londonderry), Showroom (Keene), The Rex Theatre, The Singer Center for the Arts, and Chunky’s Cinema Pub (all in Manchester), and Novocure (Portsmouth).
The NHJFF is also supported by the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire, corporate sponsors, and Friends of the Festival.
Individual film tickets are $14 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/.
2026 NHJFF Film Line-Up
(In-Theater Screenings)
Sunday, March 15
Opening Reception
5 PM – Singer Center for the Arts, Manchester
(Separate tickets required for reception and film screening).
Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire (Opening Film)
7 PM – The Rex Theatre, Manchester
Documentary, USA (2024)
Eighty years after his liberation from Buchenwald, we seek to understand the man behind Elie Wiesel’s searing and widely read memoir “Night.” Told largely through his own words and voice, this film seeks to penetrate to the heart of the known and unknown Elie Wiesel (1928-2016): his passions, his conflicts and his legacy as one of the most public survivors of the Holocaust. Using unique access to personal archives, original interviews and hand-painted animation, the film illuminates Wiesel’s biography as a survivor, writer, teacher and public figure.
Tuesday, March 19 and Sunday, March 22
The Road Between Us
7 PM (Tuesday, March 19) – Chunky’s Cinema Pub, Manchester
& 1 PM (Sunday, March 22) – Showroom, Keene
Documentary, Canada (2025)
On Oct. 7, 2023, retired Israeli general Noam Tibon received a desperate text from his son: Terrorists had stormed his home, and he, his wife, and their two young daughters feared for their lives. With no time to spare, Noam and his wife, Gali, embarked on a 10-hour mission across a country under siege to save their family. This is both a gripping cinematic retelling of an extraordinary rescue and an unflinching look at the failures and resilience revealed on October 7. At its core, it is a profoundly human story about courage, family, and the power of love in the face of unimaginable terror.
Sunday, March 22
The Other
10 AM – Nugget Theaters, Hanover
Documentary, Israel/Palestine/USA (2024)
A documentary, filmed between 2017 and 2024, explores the complex relationship of shared humanity, culture, and connection between Israelis and Palestinians, and the transformative journey that follows when they are faced with meeting “the other” amid the reality of conflict and occupation. The film provides an extraordinary example of what we are all capable of as humans.
Among Neighbors
1 PM – Novocure, Portsmouth
Documentary, USA/Poland (2025)
Combining magical realism and evocative hand-drawn animation, this film focuses on one of the last living Holocaust survivors from a small Polish town, where Jews and Polish Catholics lived side by side for centuries, and an aging eyewitness who saw Jews murdered there – not by Nazis, but by their Polish neighbors. Their heartfelt accounts lay bare how ordinary Poles made life and death choices about their Jewish neighbors, demonstrating the best and worst of human nature.
Soul of a Nation
3:30 PM – Novocure, Portsmouth
Documentary, USA/Israel (2025)
An unfiltered look at Israel’s most perilous chapter in recent history, a period defined by internal divisions and political extremism. Drawing on insights from Nobel laureates, Muslim leaders, peace activists, and other prominent figures, the film dismantles preconceived notions about one of the world’s most scrutinized countries.
Tuesday, March 24
Ethan Bloom
7 PM – O’Neil Cinemas, Londonderry
Comedy, USA (2025)
After losing his mother, 13-year-old Ethan finds solace in the Catholic church—a refuge that feels like home, even though he was born into a Jewish family. When his father insists on a bar mitzvah and Ethan’s secret unravels at his girlfriend’s confirmation party, Ethan must confront the lies he’s told and the grief he’s been running from. Through the wisdom of an unconventional rabbi, the love of his complicated family, and his first romance, Ethan discovers that faith isn’t about choosing sides—it’s about honoring all the messy, beautiful pieces of who we are.
Wednesday, March 25
Once Upon My Mother
7 PM – Nugget Theaters, Hanover
Drama, France (2025)
In 1963, Esther gives birth to Roland, the youngest in a large family. Roland’s club foot prevents him from standing, but against everyone’s advice, Esther promises her son that he will walk like everyone else and will have an extraordinary life. From then on, Esther stops at nothing to keep that promise. Spanning decades of trials and life’s miracles, this film tells a true story, funny and moving, about an incredible destiny, built on a mother’s love for her child.
Thursday, March 26
The Stronghold
7 PM – Red River Theatres, Concord
Drama, Israel (2024)
Yom Kippur War, 1973. In a remote outpost in the Sinai desert, a company of Israeli soldiers are overwhelmed by a sudden Egyptian onslaught. After a week of ceaseless assaults, the survivors face imminent doom. With lives hanging by a thread, a young lieutenant and an army doctor confront a soul-shattering choice: a desperate last stand or a perilous gamble that could betray everything they stand for. Starring Michael Aloni (“Shtisel”), Daniel Gad (“The New Black”), and Uri Blufarb (“Pink Lady”), this riveting story of grace under fire will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Sunday, March 29
Hidden: The Kati Preston Story
1 PM – Red River Theatres, Concord
Drama, Israel/Canada (2025)
Kati Preston recounts the shattering of her childhood during the 1944 Hungarian Holocaust and the brutal Stalinist years that followed. This is also an intimate family story—a poignant look at the bond between mother and daughter under the unimaginable strain of war. As a five-year-old, Kati hides in a barn as a courageous peasant woman risks everything to protect her. Her story exposes how a society, paralyzed by fear, poisoned by hatred, and complicit in silence, can descend into tyranny—a chilling reflection of the threats we face today.
13: The Musical
1:30 PM – Red River Theatres, Concord
Musical, USA (2022)
After his parents’ divorce, Evan Goldman moves from NYC to small-town Indiana with his mother (Debra Messing). As his 13th birthday nears, he must master the complex social circles of his new school and win friends by turning his Bar Mitzvah into the coolest party ever. Based on the hit Broadway musical, this is a coming-of-age journey through the unforgettable ups and downs of preteen life.
The Ring
3:30 PM – Red River Theatres, Concord
Dramedy, Israel (2024)
Arnon Noble is a religious man with a strong bond to his mother, a Holocaust survivor who has lectured for years about how she saved the lives of her baby boy and herself with the help of a thin gold ring. When his mother’s health deteriorates, Arnon travels to her old hometown, Budapest, to search for the mythological ring that saved her life in the past, enlisting the help of his estranged daughter, a TV researcher. Will the search for the ring be successful? Will the ring save his mother’s life again, and will the same ring also save Arnon’s relationship with his own daughter?
(Virtual Screenings)
March 15-29
Two additional films will be available in virtual format only during this entire two week duration. Additionally, there will be a short film program available during that same time. (See below for descriptions).
Additional Films
Rosenthal
Drama, Germany (2025)
Germany, 1978. Hans Rosenthal is the country’s most popular TV presenter, but few people know that he is Jewish and a Holocaust survivor. The 75th edition of his beloved live game show is about to be broadcast, but the celebratory mood is dampened by the air date: November 9. Exactly 40 years after the Nazi pogrom against the Jewish population, Hans is expected to entertain and distract an audience of millions with his harmless TV show, rather than attend the first official German memorial for the victims. Hans finds himself in a dilemma: Has the Jewish showman become a henchman of repression? Or will he find the strength to address his family trauma? Based on a true story
The Sea
Drama, Israel (2025)
Khaled, a Palestinian boy, embarks on a dangerous journey to the sea for the first time in his life, despite Israeli authorities who deny his entry. His father, an undocumented laborer working in Israel, is trying to trace his whereabouts, risking arrest and job loss. (Official Israeli entry for 2026 Academy Awards; Winner of 5 Ophir Awards including Best Picture.)
Short Films
The Father, The Son and Rav Kalmenson
Comedy, France (2023)
Every Saturday, Yoel, a 30-year-old Orthodox Jew, goes to honor Shabbat with his 6-year-old son in his synagogue, a primary school set up for the occasion. On that day, the rabbi of the community, Rav Kalmenson, shocks Yoel by announcing that his son is exhibiting signs of enlightenment.
I’m Alright
Drama, Israel (2025)
A professional dancer falls from grace, losing both her solo debut and her boyfriend on the same day. A chance encounter with the grim reality outside the rehearsal studio gives her a fresh perspective and teaches her how to let go. Conceived and filmed during the October 7th war, I’m Alright reflects the tension between art and survival— onscreen and behind the scenes.
No Harm Done
Comedy, France (2023)
A week after giving birth, Mila and her partner Joaquim prepare for a fateful moment: their son’s circumcision. Although she had never questioned the practice, the arrival of her baby and the imminence of the ceremony shatter Mila’s certainties.
Tattooed4Life
Documentary, Israel (2024)
Liraz, a survivor of the NOVA Music Festival massacre in Israel, wields her tattoo needle as a weapon against pain. Each inked line becomes a thread of healing, stitching together the wounds left by that fateful October 7th. Through her art, she finds solace and helps others find theirs.
March 23-29
All of these films that initially screened in New Hampshire theaters will be available for virtual streaming. (See film descriptions above for more information.)
- Among Neighbors
- Once Upon My Mother
- The Other
- Soul of a Nation