When programming the forthcoming DC Jewish Film and Music Festival at the Edlavitch DCJCC, Yael Luttwak, JxJ artistic director, found inspiration and validation from a teaching by the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
It’s been an undeniably challenging time for Jewish people. “It is commanded even in darker times that Jews are supposed to experience joy,” Luttwak said at JxJ’s preview event on March 25. “Unlike happiness,” she continued, “joy is something we can only experience with other people, while we can feel happy by ourselves.”
There’s no better time, Luttwak noted, to lean into joy. “This concept came from always trying to be responsive and responsible to the needs of our community,” she added, noting that the 18 months has been especially tough for so many in the community, from federal government employee and contractor layoffs and work environments made chaotic by the current presidential administration to community members who feel deeply connected to and invested in the Israeli hostage crisis and Israel’s ongoing wars across multiple fronts.
While the forthcoming JxJ Jewish Film x Music Festival won’t solve these and other national and global problems, Luttwak hopes that programming a lineup of films and musical artists showcasing joyful stories and soulful sounds of love, resilience and growth will help refortify frayed spirits.
The once-modest D.C. Jewish Film Festival has grown dramatically as it enters its 35th year. And as moviegoing attendance has shrunk precipitously, both throughout the country and in the district, Luttwak pointed out that the Edlavitch DCJCC’s two state-of-the-art movie houses are among the last remaining independent movie theaters in Washington, D.C.
The festival’s opening and closing nights are always big draws for cinephiles and occasional moviegoers alike. The chosen opener, “Bad Shabbos,” is a comedy directed by Daniel Robbins, who directed the 2018 horror film “Pledge.” David, a nice Jewish Upper West Side boy, is engaged to Catholic school-raised Meg, and it’s time to get both sets of parents together. With a premise that dates back to 1928’s “Abie’s Irish Rose,” “Bad Shabbos” records the high emotions and hijinks at a Friday night Shabbat dinner.
Prolific Israeli writer and director Erez Tadmor peels back the curtain on the stringent matchmaking practices in the tightly knit yeshiva world for the closing night screening on May 18. “Matchmaking 2” follows last year’s runaway JxJ hit, just plain old “Matchmaking.” In the sequel, Baruch, well past his prime for marrying age in his community, falls for a woman out of his league in a sweet and romantic tale of love and desire. Luttwak assured filmgoers that they need not have seen “Matchmaking” to enjoy “Matchmaking 2.”
During her tenure at JxJ, Luttwak, a filmmaker and documentarian herself, has committed to developing and supporting the next generation of Jewish filmmakers. The newly announced Matthew Harris Ornstein JxJ Short Film Fund intends to offer opportunities to filmmakers who tell stories that showcase Jewish life, history and culture in unique ways. The two supported short films for 2025, Sam Roebling’s “Elijah” and Lauren Greenhall’s “How You Make a Torah,” will feature discussions with the directors on the May 8 opening night.
Luttwak began screening films with input from 27 volunteer members of the JxJ Film Festival Council, which provides suggestions and support to Luttwak and her small staff. Together and individually the council and staff screened hundreds of films, according to JxJ’s director, to hone down the choices into this year’s 10-day festival featuring 27 short or feature-length movies and four concerts.
Like the Jewish people, these Jewish films come from around the world and feature a Babel of languages from English and Hebrew, to Polish, German, Russian, Spanish and French — all with subtitles. Genres from romantic comedy to family and interpersonal dramas, historical narrative and documentaries, not only find joyful expression but also other thematic threads. This year’s programming includes films reflecting the LGBTQ+ experience, women in film and 21%, which refers to the lives of Arab citizens of Israel, this year represented by “Eid,” director Yousef Abdo Madegem’s portrait of a young Arab Israeli who feels trapped between tradition and his desires.
The much-loved Orthodox a cappella group the Maccabeats features fun arrangements sung by a sextet of yeshiva bochrim who are now all grown up. Renowned jazz clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen, a native of Tel Aviv, returns to the district to share her virtuoso musical dexterity. A star in Israel’s music scene, Gili Yalo blends his Ethiopian musical roots with soul, funk, psychedelic and jazz, while local favorite multiinstrumentalist Seth Kibel and his band pay tribute to the incomparable contributions Jewish songwriters have made to the Great American Songbook, from Gershwin to Lorenz Hart to Irving Berlin, among others.
And the JxJ Fest has expanded its footprint beyond the EDCJCC on 16th Street, NW, screening select movies at Bethesda Row Cinema in Maryland and Cinema Arts Theatre in Fairfax, Virginia. Additionally, with the goal of expanding community connections beyond the JCC, the festival has instituted congregation nights, partnering with Washington Hebrew Congregation and Beth El. There are still opportunities, Luttwak said, for additional congregational or community groups to participate at press time.
JxJ Film Fest Chair Mimi Tygier said, “I’m delighted to represent the dedicated members of the JxJ council. Our chief aim is to showcase contributions of Jewish filmmakers and actively support and foster Jewish culture.”
“The JxJ Festival is one of the highlights of my year here,” added EDCJCC CEO Jennifer Zwilling. “I look forward to it every year.” While Luttwak pointed out that after the festival goes dark on May 18, the films continue with year-round screenings, meet-the-director panels and other musical and cultural events throughout the year.
JxJ DC Jewish Film and Music Festival, May 8-18, 2025, at the Edlavitch DCJCC, 1529 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C., and satellite sites at Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, and Cinema Arts Theatre, 9650 Main Street, Fairfax, Virginia. Tickets $16-$36. For further information or to purchase tickets, visit edcjcc.org/jxj.
Lisa Traiger is Washington Jewish Week’s arts correspondent.
