Long Island Jewish Film Festival Returns to Huntington 2026

Every spring, Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington transforms into something a little different. For six days this April, it becomes a gathering place for stories that span generations, continents, and the full range of human experience. The fourth Annual Long Island Jewish Film Festival runs Thursday, April 16, through Tuesday, April 21, and this year’s lineup is the kind that makes you want to clear your calendar.

Curated by writer and programmer David Schwartz, the festival brings together documentaries, dramas, comedies, and restored classics, all exploring Jewish history, culture, and identity. Screenings come with filmmaker Q&As, informative introductions, and at least one genuinely rare treat: a silent film accompanied by a live piano score. The festival also offers encore screenings for many Friday and Saturday films, so those observing Shabbat don’t have to miss a thing.

The opening night film on April 16 sets a bold tone. “Sapiro v. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford,” directed by Gaylen Ross, tells the story of Aaron Sapiro, a young Jewish lawyer who took on one of the most powerful men in America in what is widely considered the country’s first hate speech trial. It’s a story about courage and legal history that feels entirely relevant to watch right now.

Thursday gives way to a full and varied week. Ken Scott’s “Once Upon My Mother” screens April 17, an adaptation of a memoir about a Sephardic family in Paris and a mother’s extraordinary devotion to her child. The film has drawn praise for its warmth and vibrance, and it offers a window into a corner of Jewish life that doesn’t always get its due on screen.

April 18 packs in three films. Richard Dreyfuss’s breakout role in “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” returns in a restored print, sharp and energetic as ever. Alongside it, “My Underground Mother” follows filmmaker Marisa Fox through 15 years of investigating her mother’s hidden past in the Jewish underground. And “A Letter to David,” directed by Tom Shoval, examines how a terrorist act reshapes one family’s world.

Sunday, April 19, offers one of the festival’s most distinctive events. “Hungry Hearts,” a silent film classic, screens with a live score performed by pianist Makia Matsumura, described as world-renowned for her work with silent cinema. It’s the kind of experience that reminds you how powerful film can be when stripped down to image and music. The day also includes “Mazel Tov,” an Argentine comedy-drama about love, loss, and the messiness of family.

Monday brings encore screenings of “A Letter to David” and “My Underground Mother” for anyone who missed them earlier. And the festival closes on April 21 with “The Last Spy,” Katharina Otto-Bernstein’s documentary portrait of Peter Sichel, a legendary intelligence officer whose story reads like something invented for the screen.

What makes this festival worth the trip to Huntington is the way it refuses to flatten Jewish storytelling into a single register. There’s grief here, yes, and history that demands attention. But there’s also comedy, family absurdity, a coming-of-age hustle story, and a Paris memoir full of color. The range reflects something true: that culture doesn’t live only in its tragedies.

Cinema Arts Centre has been one of Long Island’s best arguments for the independent film experience for decades. The Jewish Film Festival fits naturally into that tradition, adding the kind of curatorial depth and community conversation that multiplexes simply can’t offer.

Tickets are $20 for the general public and $13 for Cinema Arts Centre members. The full schedule and ticketing are available at www.cinemaartscentre.org. If you’ve been looking for a reason to spend a spring evening in Huntington, this is a good one. Six days of films worth talking about, with people who actually want to talk about them.