{"id":151229,"date":"2026-02-11T05:37:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T05:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/151229\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T05:37:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T05:37:06","slug":"tampa-st-pete-host-the-30th-annual-jewish-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/151229\/","title":{"rendered":"Tampa, St. Pete host the 30th annual Jewish Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival begins its 30th season Thursday with an opening night gala, including food and drink, live music \u2026 and a movie, the acclaimed French-Canadian comedy-slash-drama Once Upon My Mother.<\/p>\n

Isaac Zablocki, Director of Film Programs at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, is the evening\u2019s guest speaker.<\/p>\n

This opening event takes place at the Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC in Tampa. Between Thursday and Feb. 22, screenings will take place in both Tampa and St. Petersburg, and once in Oldsmar, at a variety of venues.<\/p>\n

According to the organization\u2019s mission statement, the festival is \u201cdedicated to using film for its contemporary and popular value to celebrate Jewish culture and reflect the diversity and richness of the Jewish experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s produced by the Tampa Jewish Community Centers & Federation, and the Jewish Federation of Florida\u2019s Gulf Coast.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce Upon My Mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

The films<\/p>\n

Feb. 12, 6 p.m. (opening night event). Once Upon My Mother, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa. Synopsis: A mother\u2019s unwavering devotion helps her son, born with a clubfoot in 1963, overcome physical challenges and social barriers. Her powerful promise drives their remarkable journey through life\u2019s ups and downs.<\/p>\n

Feb. 13, 11 a.m. Labors of Love, James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, St. Petersburg. Synopsis (documentary): When Henrietta Szold found herself heartbroken and childless at the age of 50, she channeled her heartbreak into service\u2014founding Hadassah, the largest Jewish women\u2019s service organization<\/p>\n

Feb. 13, 2 p.m. Matchmaking 2, James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, St. Petersburg. Synopsis: Romantic drama returns to the charming world of Orthodox Jewish dating, telling a heartfelt and humorous tale of tradition, family, and finding love in the most unexpected places.<\/p>\n

Feb. 14, 7 p.m. Matchmaking 2, AMC Veterans 24, Tampa.<\/p>\n

Feb. 14, 9 p.m. Influenced, AMC Veterans 24, Tampa. Synopsis: Renowned influencer Dzanielle navigates fake friends among the black card-swiping, Ozempic-sharting, workout-addicted Upper East Siders. In her comedic quest for a million followers, she finds her first real new friend and her true self.<\/p>\n

Feb. 15, 12 p.m. The Property, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa. Synopsis: Regina and her granddaughter Mika embark on a journey to Poland to reclaim their family property seized during World War II. But their quest quickly unravels. Regina unexpectedly decides to abandon the mission entirely, leaving Mika lost and confused. To complicate matters further, an irritating distant relative keeps appearing at every turn.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Feb. 15, 2 p.m. The Last Twins, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa. Synopsis (documentary): The never-before-told story of an unsung hero of the Holocaust, Erno \u201cZvi\u201d Spiegel, who risked everything to save dozens of young twins from almost certain death at Auschwitz.<\/p>\n

Feb. 15, 4 p.m. Short Film Program 1, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa.<\/p>\n

Feb. 15, 6 p.m. Jaffa Stories, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa. Synopsis: A vibrant comic feature about a group of street characters in Jaffa, known for its humorous slang and dialect.<\/p>\n

Feb. 18, 5 p.m., The Road Between Us, AMC Veterans 24, Tampa. Synopsis (documentary): The film depicts Noam Tibon, a former Israeli general, rescuing his family and others from Hamas during the October 7 attacks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cSoda.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Soda, AMC Veterans 24, Tampa. Synopsis: Historical drama about a Holocaust survivor community in 1950s Israel, where a former partisan leader falls for a mysterious seamstress, sparking conflict as rumors of her past as a\u00a0Kapo\u00a0(Nazi collaborator) surface, exploring themes of trauma, love, and redemption,<\/p>\n

Feb. 19, 5 p.m. The Road Between Us, AMC Woodlands Square 20, Oldsmar.<\/p>\n

Feb. 19, 7 p.m. The Blond Boy from the Casbah, AMC Woodlands Square 20, Oldsmar. Synopsis: A filmmaker travels to his birthplace, Algiers, with his young son to present his new film: an account of his childhood in mid-20th-century Algeria during the country\u2019s civil war.<\/p>\n

Feb. 20, 11:30 a.m. Mazel Tov, Tampa Theatre. Synopsis: Dar\u00edo Roitman has to reunite with his family for his sister\u2019s wedding and his niece\u2019s bat mitzvah. When tragedy strikes, he will be forced to confront the estranged relationship with his siblings.<\/p>\n

Feb. 20, 1:30 p.m. Labors of Love, Tampa Theatre.<\/p>\n

Feb. 20, 3 p.m. Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm, Tampa Theatre. Synopsis: Self-proclaimed international Yiddish-ish icons YidLife Crisis\u2014comedy duo Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman\u2014bravely step onto Swedish soil to unearth a hidden treasure trove of Jewish culture.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cInfluenced.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feb. 21, 7 p.m. Influenced, includes a conversation with star and co-writer Jill Kargman, Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n

Feb. 21, 9:30 p.m. Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm, Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n

Feb. 22, 11 a.m. The Florida Wind Band in concert, champagne brunch. 12 p.m., The Pianist\u2019s Choice, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa. Synopsis: A talented French pianist faces an impossible choice during wartime: perform for Nazi officers or lose the woman he loves.<\/p>\n

Feb. 22, 2 p.m. The Floaters, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa. Synopsis: Struggling musician Nomi accepts a last-resort job from her overachiever best friend Mara: mentoring misfit campers, the \u201cFloaters,\u201d at their childhood Jewish summer camp.<\/p>\n

Feb. 22, 4 p.m. Short film program #2, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa.<\/p>\n

Feb. 22, 8:15 p.m. The Ring, Shanna and Bryan Glazer JCC, Tampa. Champagne toast and dessert. Synopsis: Arnon Noble is a religious man with a strong bond to his mother, a Holocaust survivor. When the mother\u2019s health deteriorates, he travels to her old hometown, Budapest to search for the mythological ring that saved her life in the past.<\/p>\n

For additional information, and to purchase tickets, click this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cMatchmaking 2.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival begins its 30th season Thursday with an opening night gala, including food…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151230,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":{"0":"post-151229","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-st-petersburg","8":"tag-st-pete","9":"tag-st-pete-headlines","10":"tag-st-pete-news","11":"tag-st-petersburg","12":"tag-st-petersburg-headlines","13":"tag-st-petersburg-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}