Spokane Area Jewish Family Services (SAJFS)
is thrilled to present the 22nd annual
Spokane Jewish Film Festival (SJFF), returning to the Magic Lantern Theatre
from Thurs, January 22nd - Sun, February 1st, 2026.​​

TICKETS & PASSES​

• Film Tickets: $15 General Admission | $12 Students & Seniors

• Festival Passes: $75 General Admission | $60 Students & Seniors

TICKETS & PASSES may be purchased online at SpokaneJewishFilm.org or in person at Magic Lantern Theatre prior to each screening.

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Playing on Thursday, January 29th, at 7pm is

COEXISTENCE, MY ASS!

Noam Shuster Eliassi grew up the literal poster child for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process before making a hard pivot to stand-up comedy and political satire. But as the region sinks deeper into devastating violence, she must meet the moment by challenging her audiences with hard truths that are no laughing matter.

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95 min | In English, Hebrew, and Arabic (with English subtitles)

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Screening preceded by short film 

FIDDLER ON THE MOON: JUDAISM IN SPACE

Investigating the mystery that has plagued scientists, theologians, and comedians for millennia: Will Judaism survive in space? The film provides answers from Neil deGrasse Tyson, astronauts Jeffrey Hoffman and Jessica Meir, and a quorum of rabbis and researchers.

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30 min | In English

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Screening followed by a discussion with activist, writer Wahat-al-Salam/Neve Shalom and co-director Samah Salaime, who will join via Zoom, moderated in person by Michael DeLand, PhD.

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Playing on Saturday, Jan 31st at 7pm are a duo of films confronting the weight of survival, judgment, and belonging within families and communities shaped by trauma.

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Short film UNHOLY

Unholy follows Noa, a young adult with a complex gastrointestinal disorder, as she attends her family’s Passover Seder for the first time since being put on a feeding tube. There she is confronted by pushy family members, malfunctioning medical devices, and a room full of food she cannot eat.

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14 min | In English

SODA

Eva, a beautiful seamstress, arrives with her daughter in an Israeli working-class neighborhood in 1954. Shalom Gottlieb, a former partisan leader and current factory foreman, falls for Eva, who offers him a chance at happiness and a life filled with beauty and laughter. But rumors of Eva’s past as a kapo during the Holocaust shake the community. Shalom’s choice to be with Eva now means not only betraying his family but also his fellow partisans – and his duty to uncover her secret. 

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99 min | In Hebrew with English subtitles

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Prof. Mark Drumbl, the Class of 1975 Alumni Professor at Washington and Lee University’s School of Law and author of the 2018 article “The Kapo on Film: Tragic Perpetrators and Imperfect Victims,” will provide a brief, prerecorded commentary on Soda after the screening.

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Playing on Sunday, Feb 1st at 2pm are a duo of films that explore the ways personal identity is shaped by memory, inheritance, and the stories we carry forward. 

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Short film HERITAGE DAY

After Evie dresses up like her estranged grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, on “Heritage Day” at school, she becomes increasingly obsessed with this dark part of her family history.

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20 min | In English

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31 CANDLES

Leo Kadner, a filmmaker living in New York City, is a bit of a romantic – actually, he’s a full-blown romantic. He’s falling for his uninterested situationship, going on endless, aimless dates, and romanticizing every detail along the way. So when his former camp crush, Eva Shapiro – now a Torah tutor – reenters his life, he decides, at the age of 31, to finally have a bar mitzvah. But as the reality of his choices sets in, Leo may at last be forced to become a man.

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90 min | In English

Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session (via Zoom) with 31 CANDLES writer/director Jonah Feingold. Jonah is a New York-based filmmaker known for modern romantic comedies and digital storytelling under the umbrella of his media company, Romantical. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he wrote, directed, and stars in 31 CANDLES. 

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​Since 2004, the Spokane Jewish Film Festival has showcased international films that explore Jewish life, history, and culture. While SJFF enriches the cultural life of the Jewish community and the region as a whole, it is also a vital fundraiser.

Festival proceeds directly support the human services work of Spokane Area Jewish Family Services, which uplifts seniors, low-income households, and people with disabilities through advocacy, consultations, resource referrals, home visits, rent and utility assistance, transportation services, a caregiver support group, a food bank, a medical lending closet, and more.