Reflecting on the selections for the 12th annual JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival, Ilene Uhlmann realized that all of its 19 films were tied together by a common theme: resilience. This is a hallmark of the Jewish people, demonstrated again in the aftermath of the devastating and tragic October 7 attacks.
"We've brought in a lot of Israeli programming in a year that people weren't going to Israel," said Uhlmann, JCC Chicago's Director of Community Engagement. "Following October 7, we really wanted Israel to be present."
The festival--running March 1 to 23--strives to foster Jews' sense of connection with their community, as well as share Jewish culture with a wider audience.
Uhlmann visited Israel in December and was touched by the Israelis' "amazing" response to the horrific situation. She was also impressed by the amount of volunteerism not just by native Israelis, but by visitors from the United States and around the world.
"People whose spouses and children were fighting volunteered," she said. "Volunteers made sure that parents raising children were taken care of, or they helped find temporary homes for those who were displaced to give them a sense of dignity and security."
Among the highlights of this year's festival is the emotionally raw 06:30, produced just a week after October 7. It features interviews with 10 survivors of the October 7 attacks. Another documentary focuses on the attack's aftermath and its long shadow.
October H8te
, produced by actress Debra Messing, probes the rise of antisemitism on American college campuses following the attack. Among those interviewed are actor Michael Rapaport and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Charles Grodin:
Rebel with a Cause
profiles the late Jewish actor best known for his comedic roles in such classics as
The Heartbreak Kid
and
Midnight Run
. Offscreen, he was an advocate for wrongly incarcerated mothers--primarily of color--who were raising young children. Robert De Niro, Steve Martin, and Elaine May are among those interviewed.
Told through his powerful voice, Elie Wiesel:
Soul on Fire
is an indelibly etched portrait of Wiesel, who changed the way the Holocaust was perceived. The film benefits from its access to Wiesel's archives, original interviews, and hand-painted animation.
Midas Man
is a biopic about Brian Epstein, who, before he died at the young age of 32, forever changed pop culture as the manager of the Beatles.
While Jews are often known for their ability to laugh in the darkest of circumstances, Uhlmann believes this fuels their resiliency. Winner of the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival,
Bad Shabbos
, stars Kyra Sedgwick in a black comedy about a Shabbat dinner that goes all kinds of wrong, complete with a dead body.
Unlike in recent years, 2025's festival is entirely in-person with no virtual screenings. Seventeen of the 19 films will be shown at the Wayfarer Theater in Highland Park, and the other two will receive special presentations at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie.
"Having it all in person is also really important for the community," said Abigail Schreer, Director of Program Marketing at JCC Chicago. "You're sharing the same space and witnessing a piece of art together that sparks conversations. It's community building."
Tickets to the JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival are $15 per film in advance, $18 at the door if available. Special festival pass pricing is available for a limited time. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit
jccfilmfest.org
.
Donald Liebenson is a Chicago writer who writes for
VanityFair.com, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, and other outlets.
