EXCLUSIVE: The Jewish Film Institute has revealed the recipients for its 2025 grants.
In total, JFI is honoring six narrative and documentary films this year, chosen from a record 136 applicants. Each winner will receive $75,000 to complete their stories.
The projects were chosen by an independent panel of filmmakers and industry professionals. Since its inception in 2020, JFI has funded nearly $500,000 for 38 projects.
This year’s grant recipients are:
Double Happiness by Shari Albert (United States, Narrative): After the death of her husband of fifty years, a life-affirming Jewish widow and the tightly-wound Chinese-American restaurateur who serves her family every Christmas find themselves drawn into an unexpected late-in-life romance.
Earth Camp One by Jennie Livingston (United States, Documentary): Earth Camp One tells the story of how the filmmaker lost five family members in a decade. We often want to break away from our families: what happens when they leave us? Recipient of a JFI Discretionary Grant.
Looking for Yadida by Itay Morag (Israel, Documentary): For decades, the fate of Yedida, the director’s lost aunt, remained a mystery. Now, for the first time, nurses from 1950’s children homes break their silence, revealing new details about one of Israel’s most painful and unresolved cases.
Maintenance Artist by Toby Perl Freilich (United States, Documentary): “After the Revolution, who’s going to pick up the garbage?” wondered Mierle Laderman Ukeles. In 1977, she became the first artist-in-residence at New York City’s Sanitation Department. Maintenance Artist tells the story of a public artist who became a radical force in contemporary art. The film had its World Premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, its West Coast Premiere at SFJFF45, and is still raising funds for final mixes and distribution efforts. Winner of the Albert & Judith Goldberg Memorial Award for Jewish Arts and Culture.
Steal This Story, Please! By Carla Deal and Tia Lessin (United States, Documentary): Amy Goodman’s personal story, her warm and radical spirit, and her utterly fearless reporting are interwoven with the monumental events she has covered over decades, spotlighting the critical role of journalism in a democracy. Winner of the Harvey Goldberg Memorial Award.
Untitled Alex Odeh Documentary by Jason Osder (United States, Documentary): The assassination of a beloved Palestinian-American activist in Southern California ignites a 40-year quest for justice, revealing the insidious roots of a dangerous political movement that thrives today. Winner of the Envision Award for the film’s singular ability to envision a world free of prejudice and hate.
“Less than 1% of Jewish philanthropy in North America supports Jewish arts and culture — yet film and storytelling are among the most powerful ways people make sense of the world. At a time of rising global antisemitism, deepening political polarization, and disappearing federal support for the arts, JFI is doubling down on its mission,” Lexi Leban, Executive Director, Jewish Film Institute, said in a statement. “We’re proud to champion bold, visionary filmmakers who dare to ask difficult questions and invite audiences to see and hear one another with empathy and openness.”
In addition to its grant recipients, the JFI also announced the winners of the Festival’s Best Documentary Short and Best Narrative Short Awards.
The winner of the SFJFF45 Best Documentary Short Award is The Sacred Society by Benny Zelkowicz. It is now eligible to compete at the 98th Academy Awards, as SFJFF is an Oscar-qualifying film festival in the Documentary (Short Subject) category.
The winner of the SFJFF45 Best Narrative Short Award is Tongue Behind Teeth by Ira Eduardovna, which was a finalist for the 2025 grants cycle as well. A special mention was given to Tears Tears Only Tears by Yuval Shapira.
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