The Jewish International Film Festival coming to Australian cinemas from October
Chock full of 52 films from all across the world, JIFF 2022 presents must-see headliners, literary deep-dives, extraordinary true stories, laugh-out-loud comedies, and films of great joy, levity and jubilance.
Long a bastion of some of the best and buzziest films of the season, the Jewish International Film Festival consistently delivers an incredible, engaging and thoughtful program year after year. 2022 is no different.
The 2022 program features no less than 52 premiere films in Australia. Perhaps most impressively, the Festival is opening with Armageddon Time - James Gray’s much talked about and highly anticipated feature, starring Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong. It’s a deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American Dream.
Set in 1980 Queens, the film follows Paul, a sixth grader who dreams of becoming an artist. At the same time that Paul builds a friendship with classmate Johnny, who’s mercilessly targeted by their racist teacher, he finds himself increasingly at odds with his parents (Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway), for whom financial success and assimilation are key to the family’s Jewish/American identity. Paul feels on firmest ground with his kind grandfather (Anthony Hopkins), whose life experiences have granted him a weathered compassion.
Completing the starry bookends of this festival is the closing night film, As They Made Us. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Candice Bergen and Dianna Agron, this quirky and warm directorial debut from actress Mayim Bialik offers an authentic and non-judgmental portrait of a dysfunctional Jewish family.
Throughout the festival, there is much to love for all lovers of film. As the festival notes “the Jewish beat endures: we are constantly creating, challenging, surviving, mourning, moving on, laughing, and adapting to changing times”, and the Program’s diversity is highly reflective of that perception.
There’s incredibly and fresh documentaries told about literary giants A.B. Yehoshua, David Grossman and Joyce Carol Oates, and also a documentary on Melbourne partisan hero Maurie Hoffman. There are dramatic love stories like March 1968, wicked ensemble pieces like Perfect Strangers, historical retrospectives like 1618, and melodrama’s like America.
Ultimately, JIFF 2022 is a festival with a unique lens that has movies for all tastes - from arthouse to broad appeal features - and is certainly worth your time if you’re a lover of quality film. Check out the full program for the festival by clicking through to their website below, and get your tickets now.
The Jewish International Film Festival 2022 plays in:
Melbourne / 24 Oct — 27 Nov
Sydney / 25 Oct — 28 Nov
Brisbane / 10 — 20 Nov
Canberra / 27 Oct — 6 Nov