Welcome to the 12th year of The Morris and Mollye Fogelman International Jewish Film Festival! We are thrilled that once again this year's film festival will be completely in-person and in our state-of-the-art Belz Theater at the Orgel Family Performing Arts Center! Happy watching!
January 22-February 19, 2026
Series Pass (for all 8 movies): $56 community/ $45 members
Regina and her granddaughter Mika embark on a journey to Poland to reclaim their family property seized during World War II. But their quest quickly unravels. Regina unexpectedly decides to abandon the mission entirely, leaving Mika lost and confused. To complicate matters further, an irritating distant relative keeps appearing at every turn. Just as Mika finds herself falling for a charming tour guide, Regina seizes the opportunity to pursue her own hidden agenda: finding her long-lost love, from whom she was separated seventy years ago.
Running Time 108 minutes Country Israel Language Hebrew with English subtitles Year 2024
In partnership with Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission
About the Festival The MJCC’s International Jewish Film Festival is named in memory of Morris and Mollye Fogelman, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Wendy and Avron Fogelman. “The MJCC is thrilled that the Fogelmans are sponsoring the annual International Jewish Film Festival and honoring the memory of Avron’s parents in this way. Morris Fogelman was the 6th president of our MJCC from 1959–1961 and was instrumental in the purchase of the land and subsequent development of our current MJCC campus.” —Larry Skolnick, Former MJCC President/CEO
Film Festival Committee Jeri Moskovitz and Janice Ringel, Co Chairs
Community Partners Facing History & Ourselves Jewish Historical Society of Memphis and the Midsouth Memphis Jewish Federation Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission
Past Films
The Ring Thursday, January 22 • 7pm
Israeli Academy Awards winner for best actor & International Emmy Awards winner, The Ring is a heart-warming dramady about three generations and the family history that reconnects them. Arnon Noble is a religious man with a strong bond to his mother, a Holocaust survivor. He usually drives her to school lectures where she tells the students how she saved the lives of her baby boy and herself with the help of a thin gold ring. When the mother’s health deteriorates, he travels to her old hometown, Budapest, to search for the mythological ring that saved her life in the past. He turns for help to his estranged daughter who is a TV researcher and offers her to go on this journey together. Will the search for the ring be successful? Will the ring save the mother’s life again and will the same ring that saved his mother also succeed in saving Arnon’s relationship with his own daughter?
Running Time 110 minutes Country Israel Language Hebrew and Hungarian with English subtitles Year 2024
Pink Lady Thursday, February 5 • 7pm
In an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem, Bati appears to have the perfect life—happily married to Lazer with three beautiful children. But when Lazer is blackmailed by a gang and she discovers his secret affair, her world begins to unravel. Determined to protect her family and save the man she loves, Bati will stop at nothing to free him from the gang’s grip, all while confronting her own hidden desires. Directed by one of Israel’s most acclaimed filmmakers, Nir Bergman (Cannes Official Selection Here We Are and writer of In Treatment), this touching, provocative, and uplifting film follows one woman’s courageous journey of self-discovery, faith, and liberation.
Running Time 104 minutes Country Israel-Italy Language Hebrew with English Subtitles Year 2024
Tatami Saturday, February 7 • 7pm
The first feature co-directed by Iranian & Israeli Filmmakers, Academy Award Winner Guy Nattiv & Cannes Best Actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi and winner of 4 Ophir Awards. Based on true events, Tatami follows Iranian female judoka Leila and her coach Maryam, travel to the Judo World Championship, intent on bringing home Iran’s first gold medal. Midway through the competition, they receive an ultimatum from the Islamic Republic ordering Leila to fake an injury and lose. With her own and her family’s freedom at stake, Leila is faced with an impossible choice: feign injury and comply with the Iranian regime as Maryam implores her to do, or defy them both and fight on, for the gold.
Running Time 105 minutes
Country Georgia, USA Language Farsi and English with English subtitles Year 2023
No Name Restaurant Tuesday, February 10 • 7pm
This heartwarming, culture-clash odyssey unfolds an improbable friendship between a stranded Brooklyn Jew and an Arab nomad in the vast desert, bringing humor and camaraderie. Ultra-Orthodox Ben sets out to rescue Alexandria, Egypt’s dwindling Jewish community, but finds himself marooned in the Sinai Desert. His last glimmer of hope rests with Adel, a gruff Bedouin in search of his lost camel. At first, they clash over cultural misunderstandings, until their broken-down SUV unites them in a fight for survival. Starring charismatic leads Luzer Twersky and Hitham Omari, this tender, whimsical road trip, set in breathtaking desertscapes, offers a parable of religious tolerance.
Running Time 122 minutes
Country Germany Language Arabic, English, and Hebrew with English Subtitles Year 2022 For The Living (CANCELED) Thursday, February 12 • 7pm • FREE
The Stamp Thief Sunday, February 15 • 2pm
Part detective story, part heist film, part untold history, The Stamp Thief investigates a tale dating back to the Holocaust: that a mysterious Nazi stole priceless stamp collections from concentration camp victims and buried the stolen stamps in a small town in Poland. Embarking on a real-life “Argo”-like adventure, one-time Seinfeld producer Gary Gilbert sets out to confirm the story and recover the stamps. His tactic: a fake movie shoot. His goal: to return the stamps to their rightful owners, hopefully delivering a small measure of justice more than 70 years after the Holocaust. Gary is an improbable hero, a mensch who won’t take no for an answer. As he begins to peel back layers of Nazi family secrets, he discovers that the assumptions American Jews make about present-day Poland – and those that some Poles make about American Jews – complicate his plan in ways he never imagined.
Running Time 100 minutes Country USA, Poland, Germany Language English and Polish with English subtitles Year 2025
In partnership with Jewish Historical Society of Memphis and the Mid-South
Diane Warren: Relentless Tuesday, February 17 • 7pm
A captivating, surprising and inspiring underdog story, providing audiences with a rarely seen glimpse behind one of the most successful and prolific songwriters of all time: Diane Warren. One of the most prolific songwriters of all time, with a four decade track record of writing mega-hits for industry giants, emerges as a force to be reckoned within Diane Warren: Relentless. Boasting 15 Academy Award nominations, an Honorary Oscar along with Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards, Diane has etched her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is responsible for some of the most iconic songs of our time. In this intimate documentary, filled with Diane’s signature humor, audiences get a rarely seen glimpse into Diane’s life and underdog journey to where she is today. Marked by a distinctive songwriting approach, exceptional work ethic and irreverence, the narrative delves into her most remarkable collaborations with first-hand commentary from Cher, Gloria Estefan, Common, David Foster, Jennifer Hudson, Kesha, and many more to showcase the creative genius that is Diane Warren.
Running Time 91 minutes Country USA Language English Year 2024
Questions? Contact Jonathan McCarter, Program Director for Cultural Arts, at jmccarter@jccmemphis.org or (901) 259-9248.
