The world’s largest Jewish and Israeli film festival returns January 14–29 with 139 films, multiple premieres, major guests, and its most ambitious program yet.
The Miami Jewish Film Festival (MJFF), the world’s largest Jewish and Israeli film festival, is returning January 14–29, 2026, with its most ambitious program in history. Now in its 29th year, the Festival will present 139 films from 20 countries, including 105 features and 34 shorts, alongside 15 world premieres, 19 international premieres, 13 North American premieres, and three U.S. premieres. More than 90 in-person screenings will be held across eight venues throughout Greater Miami, drawing an anticipated 50,000 attendees, while over 80 films will also be available virtually to viewers across Florida and the United States.
The Festival opens with the French box-office hit Once Upon My Mother, a heartfelt celebration of maternal love directed by Ken Scott, who will appear at the Miami Beach Bandshell premiere. Closing night will feature The Ring, the International Emmy–winning Israeli drama following a father-daughter quest across Europe to recover a ring that saved their family during the Holocaust.
Headlining the slate is the world premiere of From Cuba to America, a Miami-made documentary chronicling entrepreneur George Feldenkreis’ journey from Havana to building the Perry Ellis empire. Featuring original music from Grammy winner Emilio Estefan, the film embodies the Festival’s dedication to local storytelling. Also debuting is Influenced, a star-studded comedy with Jill Kargman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore, Matt Damon, and David Krumholtz; both Kargman and director Rachel Israel will attend the world premiere.
MJFF will welcome more than 75 filmmakers and special guests, including Amanda Peet and Matthew Shear, presenting the romantic comedy Fantasy Life, with Peet also introducing a special screening of Igby Goes Down. Producer Nancy Spielberg and filmmaker Tom Shoval will attend the debut of their documentary A Letter to David, examining the abduction of David Cunio from an Israeli kibbutz on October 7. Additional notable guests include Carol Connors for Elvis, Rocky, and Me; Israeli comedic duo Guy Amir and Hanan Savyon for Pure Luck; documentarian Alan Berliner presenting Benita; and Paula Eiselt premiering We Met at Grossinger’s.
This year’s robust lineup of world premieres includes Jerusalem ’67, a gripping wartime thriller; Mahler in New York, a musical portrait by Hilan Warshaw; Tropical Paradise, an intense Panamanian docu-thriller; They Called Us Trujillo’s Jews; Vindicta; and the investigative exposé Sapiro v. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford.
Expanding its interdisciplinary programming, MJFF will host the North American premiere of Hold On to Your Music, accompanied by a live classical performance from pianist Mona Golabek and a discussion with filmmakers Josh Aranson and Adam R. Wood.
Among standout special presentations is The New Yorker Theater: A Talbot Legacy, paired with Robert Bresson’s A Man Escaped and introduced by Miami Film Festival founder Nat Chediak.
The 2026 lineup includes several official Academy Award entries: Israel’s provocative The Sea; Hungary’s Orphan from Oscar-winning director László Nemes; and Poland’s Franz from renowned filmmaker Agnieszka Holland. Other highlighted selections include Dead Language, nominated for 12 Israeli Academy Awards, and Holding Liat, winner of the Berlin Film Festival’s Best Documentary Award.
Internationally acclaimed filmmakers will appear throughout the festival, including Oscar winner Juan José Campanella (Bibas: Murdered for Being Jewish), Fatih Akin (Amrum), and French auteur Arnaud Desplechin (Two Pianos).
MJFF’s “Made in Florida” showcase remains central to its mission of uplifting local creators. This year’s highlights include Sheitel: The Beauty in the Hidden; Parting the Waters; Baseball Mensch: The Marty Lurie Story; and Justin Schein’s Death & Taxes, which examines tax policy and inequality through voices such as Robert Reich and Paul Krugman.
The Next Wave Competition returns with buzzy entries such as Bella, produced by the Dardenne Brothers; The Floaters with Seth Green and Steve Guttenberg; the 1980s-set coming-of-age drama The Legend of Juan Jose Mundo; and the visually stunning Georgian epic Nandauri.
A “Focus on France” showcase will highlight 14 acclaimed new French films, including All I Had Was Nothingness, The Future Awaits, Lucky Star, The Pianist’s Choice, The Safe House, and Splendours and Miseries of the Camondo Family.
In partnership with the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, the Festival will present free community screenings including Disposable Humanity and This Ordinary Thing, the latter featuring performances by Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, F. Murray Abraham, Ellen Burstyn, Stephen Fry, John Leguizamo, Lily Tomlin, and more. Panels with filmmakers will follow each screening.
With 139 films, dozens of premieres, and more than 50 filmmaker discussions, MJFF 2026 promises its most dynamic edition yet. Tickets for in-theater and virtual events go on sale December 11. Individual tickets range from $11 to $54, with All-Access Theater Badges ($350) and Virtual Passes ($249) also available. Virtual screenings run January 15–28.
Full program details are available at miamijewishfilmfestival.org.
Tags: film festival, miami jewish film festival, world cinema, movie premieres, indie film
