The Jewish Film Institute (JFI) has officially announced the recipients of its 2025 film grants, celebrating bold narratives and documentaries that explore identity, justice, and cultural memory. Out of a record-breaking 136 applicants, six exceptional projects have been selected, each receiving $75,000 to support their completion. These awards reflect JFI’s ongoing commitment to empowering storytellers who tackle complex and timely themes.
2025 JFI Grant Recipients: Spotlight on Visionary Films
Double Happiness (Narrative – USA)
By Shari Albert
A late-in-life romance blossoms between a spirited Jewish widow and a reserved Chinese-American restaurateur, exploring intergenerational grief, love, and cultural intersections.
Earth Camp One (Documentary – USA)
By Jennie Livingston
A deeply personal film chronicling the filmmaker’s loss of five family members within a decade. This meditation on grief and legacy won a JFI Discretionary Grant.
Looking for Yadida (Documentary – Israel)
By Itay Morag
The search for a missing aunt unravels decades-old secrets in one of Israel’s most painful historical mysteries, as former caregivers finally break their silence.
Maintenance Artist (Documentary – USA)
By Toby Perl Freilich
Telling the remarkable story of Mierle Laderman Ukeles, the first artist-in-residence at NYC’s Sanitation Department, this film celebrates radical public art and its feminist roots.
🟊 Winner of the Albert & Judith Goldberg Memorial Award for Jewish Arts and Culture.
Steal This Story, Please! (Documentary – USA)
By Carla Deal and Tia Lessin
This documentary traces journalist Amy Goodman’s fearless reporting and her impact on modern democracy and media accountability.
🟊 Winner of the Harvey Goldberg Memorial Award.
Untitled Alex Odeh Documentary (Documentary – USA)
By Jason Osder
This investigation into the assassination of a Palestinian-American activist exposes deep political fractures and a legacy of injustice.
🟊 Winner of the Envision Award for imagining a world beyond hate and prejudice.
JFI’s Cultural Mission
JFI Executive Director Lexi Leban emphasized the urgency of their work:
“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.”
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At a time of global antisemitism, shrinking arts funding, and deepening divides, JFI continues to stand behind artists who provoke, question, and humanize.
SFJFF45 Short Film Winners
Alongside the grant recipients, JFI also revealed the winners of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival’s short film awards:
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Best Documentary Short: The Sacred Society by Benny Zelkowicz
🟊 Now eligible for the 98th Academy Awards. -
Best Narrative Short: Tongue Behind Teeth by Ira Eduardovna
🟊 Finalist in the 2025 grants cycle. -
Special Mention: Tears Tears Only Tears by Yuval Shapira
These selected works reflect a diverse array of voices and themes — from personal grief to political reckoning — and solidify JFI’s role as a beacon for bold Jewish storytelling in the arts.
