Everything to see at JIFF 2024

There’s perhaps never been a more important time to capture Judaism's richness, complexity and diversity – and this year’s Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) promises to do just that.

Artistic director Eddie Tamir says JIFF 2024 offers "films that span thousands of years of history and culture, reflecting on both the ancient traditions that have shaped our world and the contemporary challenges we face today".

The program includes several Australian premieres and entries from 17 countries across Israel and the diaspora, including France, New Zealand, Germany, Portugal and Hungary, as well as a series of Q&A sessions with filmmakers.

With a program comprising over 40 feature-length films, two TV series and a short film showcase, the choice can feel overwhelming. Here’s our breakdown.

Commanding headliners

The festival kicks off with Sundance award-winner, A Real Pain, which sees Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and Kieran Culkin (Succession) play mismatched cousins honouring their grandmother by touring Poland – confronting family tension and intergenerational trauma along the way.

Festival closer The Performance, follows Jeremy Piven (Entourage) as a Jewish-American tap dancer lured into performing for Adolf Hitler in Berlin, in this period drama adapted from an Arthur Miller short story.

The big names continue in Between the Temples, starring Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City) as a cantor navigating loss with the surprising help of his former music teacher, played by Carol Kane (Hester Street); the coming-of-age sequel to the acclaimed hit Wonder, White Bird, with Helen Mirren (The Queen) and Gillian Anderson (The Crown); and The Brutalist – the powerful story of Hungarian-Jewish architect László Toth – featuring Adrien Brody (The Pianist), Felicity Jones (On the Basis of Sex) and Australian Guy Pearce (Memento).