San Diego International Jewish Film Festival opens Jan. 24 with short films and French-Canadian feature screening

A long-running La Jolla festival returns with in-person screenings, a shorts showcase and a French-Canadian opening feature

The 36th annual San Diego International Jewish Film Festival begins Saturday, January 24, 2026 at the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla. The opening-night program pairs the Joyce Short Film Series (Program 1) with the French-Canadian comedy-drama Once Upon My Mother, a feature adapted from Roland Perez’s autobiographical story of growing up with a disability and a determined Sephardic Jewish mother.

The festival is scheduled to run from January 24 through February 4, with a virtual on-demand component available February 5–9 for viewers in authorized regions of Greater San Diego County. Organizers describe the lineup as a mix of features, documentaries and shorts, continuing the festival’s multi-decade focus on Jewish life, history and culture as reflected on screen.

Short films open the program, continuing an annual showcase format

The Joyce Short Film Series has become a consistent entry point for audiences who want a cross-section of styles and subjects in a single sitting. Shorts programs typically provide a rapid survey of voices and filmmaking approaches—from documentary to narrative and animation—while keeping individual selections concise and varied in tone.

• Opening night includes Joyce Short Film Series Program 1 before the feature presentation.
• The shorts series is structured in multiple programs, designed for viewers who may attend only one event or want broader sampling.

Festival programming highlights historical subjects, activism and personal narratives

Among the films receiving prominent attention this year is Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Szold (2025), a documentary about the American Jewish leader who founded Hadassah in 1912 and later played major roles in health care and social service development in early 20th-century Palestine, as well as Youth Aliyah rescue efforts during the 1930s. The film’s portrayal of Szold also examines her advocacy for coexistence as political realities hardened in the pre-state period.

Across its slate, the festival emphasizes stories grounded in lived experience—family histories, political turning points and cultural memory—often framed through biography and investigative documentary.

Keynote event and access options

A festival keynote is scheduled for Sunday, February 1, 2026, featuring film critic and historian Leonard Maltin in person at the Garfield Theatre. In addition to in-person screenings, the festival’s virtual offering extends viewing beyond the theater window, with titles available on demand for a limited period after the in-person run.

The opening weekend marks the start of a program intended to serve both dedicated film audiences and community members interested in contemporary storytelling about Jewish identity, diaspora experiences and the ethical questions raised by history.