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The 20th Annual Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival
The 20th Annual Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival (LAJFF) returns May 12–19 with major premieres, Hollywood guests, and powerful stories May 8, 2026
By Bessy ADUT
Official LAJFF 2026 Film Selections
BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival returns for its 20th anniversary celebration during Jewish American Heritage Month with an exciting international lineup of films, filmmakers, celebrities, and special events taking place throughout Los Angeles from May 12–19, 2026.
Every year, I am excited for this festival because it continues to bring together cinema, history, education and community in one of the most meaningful cultural events in Los Angeles. In a city built on storytelling, the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival creates an important platform where audiences can experience films that explore identity, memory, resilience, culture and shared humanity through the powerful medium of cinema.
I have been attending the festival over the last couple of years and always appreciate the welcoming and inspiring atmosphere they create for filmmakers, journalists and audiences alike. I also want to send my love and regards to Roz Wolf and Hilary Helstein, who have always been very kind to me. I truly hope this year’s festival will be another great success.
The festival opens Tuesday, May 12 in Beverly Hills with a star-studded Opening Night Gala featuring the Los Angeles premiere of The Hollywood Rabbi, an inspiring documentary honoring Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Museum of Tolerance and Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Legendary actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will introduce the opening night film in person as Rabbi Hier is honored for his contributions to Los Angeles, the global Jewish community and Holocaust education through film and activism. Rabbi Hier is also a two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker whose work has helped bring important historical stories to international audiences.
Directed by Jon Kean and produced by Brad Krevoy and Susie Krevoy, The Hollywood Rabbi features appearances by major figures including Bill Clinton, Billy Crystal, Steven Spielberg, Gavin Newsom, Ted Sarandos, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Montana Tucker.
Additional festival highlights include appearances by Jon Voight, who will introduce the dramatic feature Monument and be recognized during the festival, as well as actress and social influencer Jill Kargman with her comedy film Influenced.
Among the films audiences are especially anticipating is Laemmle's List, directed by Deborah Fletcher Blum and Warren I. Blum. The documentary explores the legacy of Carl Laemmle, one of the founders of Universal Studios, and his efforts helping Jews escape Nazi Germany. The deeply personal documentary connects Hollywood history, Jewish history, immigration, moral courage, memory and family legacy through Deborah’s journey tracing her roots from California to Germany.
Other anticipated screenings include The Floaters and For the Love of a Woman, alongside documentaries, narratives, and international stories exploring Jewish identity, culture, and contemporary issues.
Founded in 2006, the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival was created to fill an important cultural space within Los Angeles by connecting affiliated Jews, unaffiliated Jews and non-Jewish audiences through film, conversation and education. Over the past two decades, the festival has expanded throughout Los Angeles and the Valley, offering opportunities to engage with filmmakers, scholars, artists and community leaders while celebrating the universality of Jewish values and experiences through cinema.
The festival’s mission continues to focus on building community through films that educate, create awareness around important societal issues and celebrate the diversity of Jewish life and culture.
The festival is led by acclaimed filmmaker and Executive Director Hilary Helstein, whose humanitarian and documentary work began with USC Shoah Foundation, where she directed and produced more than 250 interviews with Holocaust survivors, liberators and rescuers. Her award-winning documentary As Seen Through These Eyes, narrated by Maya Angelou, further established her commitment to storytelling that bridges history and humanity.
As both a filmmaker and film lover in Los Angeles, I deeply appreciate how the festival champions meaningful cinema while creating conversations across generations and communities. In a time when empathy and understanding often feel increasingly important, the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival reminds audiences how film can preserve memory, inspire dialogue and bring people together.
Many screenings are already close to selling out. Audiences are encouraged to reserve tickets early and explore the full festival lineup online.
Tickets and festival information:
