Events: Film

The program spans narrative features, documentaries, shorts and interdisciplinary presentations, with highlights including world, international, North American and U.S. premieres. Opening night unfolds at the Miami Beach Bandshell with a French box-office hit celebrating maternal resilience, while the festival closes with an International Emmy Award–winning Israeli drama tracing a multigenerational journey shaped by Holocaust memory. Additional headline selections spotlight Miami-rooted stories, acclaimed international auteurs and films featuring notable actors, musicians and cultural figures.

Beyond traditional screenings, the festival integrates live performances, curated conversations and themed showcases such as a dedicated focus on contemporary French cinema and a Next Wave competition highlighting emerging voices. Community-centered programming includes free educational screenings in partnership with the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, reinforcing the festival’s long-standing commitment to access, history and dialogue.

Recognized as the world’s largest Jewish and Israeli film festival, the event draws tens of thousands of attendees annually and continues to position Miami as a global hub for film, culture and exchange.

Official Film Selections

• Awakening - Jenny Pomares - After the death of her lover, a grieving botanist turns to forbidden science and an ayahuasca ritual to reclaim her past, only to uncover a deeper truth about identity, forgiveness, and self-acceptance.
• Thug-Fu - Kris Sardi - When a cash-strapped kid attempts a robbery, he unknowingly targets a retired sensei who throws him headfirst into the world of kung fu.Delusionally, Ari - Henry Severe - An anxious teen seeks her friends' advice on how to confess her true feelings to her classmate-turned-best friend.
• Late Night Call - Tristan Wauchope - A single, fateful phone call redefines the bond between two women forever.
• Sunshower's "Unchanging" - Ryan Reyes - A cinematic music video capturing a fleeting romance, the weight of shared memories, and the lingering ache of love lost.
• Athena's Wisdom - Laurie E. Tanner - As social anxiety threatens to derail Mimi's first date, her therapist searches for a way to help her find the courage to connect.
• Sugar Slate - Lorenzo Patane (The Coach MC) & Alessandra Rucco - In 2025 Miami, a single mother and aspiring actress hustles through surreal gig work and auditions in a darkly comic portrait of ambition, survival, and performance.
• RANGOON - Jake Locrotondo - A casual Chinese Tuesday dinner takes a sinister turn as friends realize the night may never end the same way it began.
• A Dove in the Rain - Manuel Zambrano - Two people sit in a cafe and talk but what unfolds challenges everything we expect from a simple conversation.
• Rich Spirit - Larry Flores II - A mother struggles to shield her daughter from the harsh realities of their world while holding onto hope, resilience, and love.