Jewish International Film Festival 2026
October 18 – November 26, 2026
Full programme here.
The Jewish International Film Festival is back, with 52 of the very best Jewish-themed films from around the world screening in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth from 18 October to 26 November.
We kick off JIFF with our opening night selection, the heart-warming French family comedy Just an Illusion, a local box office hit starring Louis Garrel and Camille Cottin and from the directing duo behind The Intouchables.
The Queer Sessions
Tell Me Everything
“A father-son drama that aches with unspoken tenderness.” – Silver Screen Riot
Australian Premiere
This deeply moving family drama set amid the ‘80s pop frenzy follows a young boy’s journey to rekindle his relationship with the father he reveres after discovering that he is gay, and received a record 16 nominations at the Ophir Awards.
Boaz is a 12-year-old boy nearing his bar mitzvah and manhood, and who idolises his father Meir. During an idyllic ‘80s summer, Boaz uncovers a startling revelation about Meir that threatens to tear their relationship apart, and causes him to question his preconceptions about masculinity, family and the man he has shaped himself after. Over several years, Boaz seeks to heal the rift between them and heal the bond that he never stopped yearning for.
With his second feature, director Moshe Rosenthal perfectly captures the experience of adolescence, blurred by confusion and fear and heightened by the paranoia of the AIDS era. Propelled by incredible performances, Tell Me Everything is an intimate and richly detailed film about familial love, and the difficult act of seeing people as they truly are.
Festival Appearances/Awards
Ophir Awards 2026 – Winner, Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay
Sundance Film Festival 2026 – World Dramatic Cinema Competition
Where To?
“convey[s] deep, complex personal and political tensions with simple words, gestures or glances.” – Screen International
Australian Premiere
A brilliant and astutely observed gem about unlikely friendship which won Best Film at the 2026 Jerusalem Film Festival, Where To? follows Hassan, a Palestinian Uber driver, and Amir, a young Israeli living in Berlin, as they chance upon each other over the course of two years.
Hassan ferries people across Berlin’s labyrinthine streets as Amir, far from home and on a personal journey of discovery, keeps reappearing in his back seat. Their late-night encounters give the two men an opportunity to learn about each other’s pasts and circumstances, and they develop an unlikely friendship and a gentle rapport that transcends language and cultural barriers.
Soundtracked by delicate melodies by musician Habib Hanna Shehadeh, Where To? is a story about communication beyond language, the importance of listening to one another in times of deep division, and finding new ways to move forward.
Festival Appearances/Awards
Ophir Awards 2026 – Winner, Best Actor (Ehab Salami), Best Supporting Actor (Ido Tako)
Berlin Film Festival 2026 – Official Selection, Perspectives competition
Jerusalem Film Festival 2026 – Winner: Best Feature, Best Script, Best Performance (Ihab Salami)
From: antilgbtqiahatecrimes <antilgbtqiahatecrimes@parliament.vic.gov.au>
Date: Tue, 8 Sept 2026 at 15:54
Subject: Final report tabled – Inquiry into anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crimes in Victoria
To: antilgbtqiahatecrimes <antilgbtqiahatecrimes@parliament.vic.gov.au>
Good afternoon,
Thank you for your contribution to the Inquiry into anti-LGBTQIA hate crimes in Victoria.
The final report was tabled in Parliament on 8 September 2026 and is available to read on the Committee’s website.
Kind Regards
The Secretariat
Legal and Social Issues Committee’s Inquiry into anti-LGBTQIA hate crimes in Victoria
Legislative Council Committees | antilgbtqiahatecrimes@
Submission # 6: Aleph Melbourne
Final Report: Inquiry into anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes in Victoria [PDF]
]]>Gen26 captures a broad range of data about Jews in Australia, and to the delight of Aleph Melbourne it sensitively asks a range of questions that will include information around LGBTQA+ diversity.
Noting a number of significant local and international events have impacted the Jewish community since Gen17 was undertaken, Gen26 is the first survey of the Jewish community since Australia passed marriage equality legislation in November 2107.
Colin Krycer said he has completed the Gen26 survey and urges all Aleph members to participate in what he calls “the Australian Jewish Census form”. Colin noted there are so many questions to answer but they are all essential to help plan and prepare the community in all aspects of Jewish life for the decades ahead.
Michael Barnett congratulates the Gen26 team for designing a magnificent instrument to capture who the Jewish community is, in all its amazing diversity. He says the depth of questions is powerful and will no doubt paint a meaningful picture when the data is collated and interpreted. He thanks the Gen26 team for being so inclusive and respectful.
Gen26 – the Australian Jewish Community Survey – is now OPEN.
This national survey is being carried out by Monash University’s Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation (ACJC) in partnership with the NSW’s Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA), with the JCCV leading the rollout in Victoria. Gen26 will help guide future planning across Jewish education, welfare, security, religious and communal life in Australia and is vital for the long-term strength and longevity of our community.
The survey is for Jews living in Australia aged 18 and over, is online only and takes approximately 30–40 minutes to complete.
We encourage you to set aside time to participate as soon as possible and to assist others who may need help accessing or completing the survey.
Strong participation across Australia is essential to ensure our community is accurately represented now and in the future.
Speaking on ABC Radio, ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim expressed concern that proposed hate speech legislation doesn’t cover gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability.
LGBTIQA+ Jewish group calls for broader protections in bill
Aleph Melbourne spokesperson Michael Barnett said it made no sense that half of the group’s identity was protected from hate and the other half wasn’t
By AJN STAFF
January 14, 2026, 2:36 pm
An Australian Jewish LGBTIQA+ group has called on the federal government to prohibit hate speech against LGBTIQA+ people as well as the Jewish community in its proposed anti-hate legislation.
Aleph Melbourne spokesperson Michael Barnett said it made no sense that half of the group’s identity was protected from hate and the other half wasn’t.
“The same ideology is being used to drive attacks on both the LGBTIQA+ and Jewish communities. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists want to eradicate gay and trans people as much as they want to eradicate Jews,” Barnett said.
“This is one reason why the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has in recent years backed greater protections for LGBTIQA+ people. We call on the government to treat anti-LGBTIQA+ hate as seriously as antisemitic hate. There is no room for either in Australia.”
The government on Monday released the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, which prohibits vilification and hate-motivated crime on the basis of race, but no other attributes.
Just.Equal Australia spokesperson Rodney Croome said passing laws against only one kind of hate meant other forms were seen as legitimate and less deserving of a response.
“One important lesson from the Bondi tragedy is that the Government shouldn’t wait until attacks escalate before taking tough action against hate,” Croome said.
“National hate speech and hate crime laws should cover LGBTIQA+ people as well as all other Australians vulnerable to hate. The Prime Minister has said ‘more could have been done’ to prevent the Bondi attack, so let’s now do more, not less.”
The statement from Aleph Melbourne and Just.Equal Australia documented an alarming increase in anti-LGBTIQA+ attacks in recent years, often overlapping with antisemitism.
In 2025, Melbourne gay venues Laird Hotel and Eagle Leather were defaced with white supremacist slogans on the same night Jewish venues were targeted.
In 2023, neo-Nazis endorsed and gave the Nazi salute at a Melbourne protest and rally against people who are transgender, drawing an association between racial purity and gender purity. In the same year, neo-Nazis targeted a Jewish drag queen in Melbourne.
In 2020, a Melbourne golf course was defaced by homophobic and antisemitic graffiti, and in 2021 a fresh concrete path in Melbourne was defaced with “Kill Gays” and swastikas.
The Private Lives 3 study conducted by La Trobe University in 2020-21, which surveyed almost 7000 LGBTIQA+ Australians, found 35 per cent had experienced verbal abuse including hateful phone calls, 24 per cent had experienced being spat at and offensive gestures, 22 per cent had experienced written threats of abuse via emails and social media, and 15 per cent had experienced threats of physical violence, physical attack or assault without a weapon.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim identified the lack of protection for other attributes as one of four shortcomings in the proposed legislation.
“The offence is limited to the promotion of hatred of others on the basis of their race. Promoting hatred on the basis of other inherent attributes such as gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability will not be proscribed. People who are targeted for hatred on the basis of these other attributes are equally entitled to protection,” Wertheim said.
Federal parliament will be recalled next Monday and Tuesday to pass the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026, which could see hardline Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir finally proscribed.
The Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14 killed 15 people during a Chanukah celebration.
]]>Tuesday January 13th 2025
LGBTIQA+ Jewish group call for broader protections in proposed anti-hate bill
Attacks on LGBTIQA+ Community Parallel Antisemitic Attacks
An Australian Jewish LGBTIQA+ group wants the Federal Government to prohibit hate speech against LGBTIQA+ people as well as the Jewish community.
Aleph Melbourne spokesperson, Michael Barnett, said
“It makes no sense to us that half our identity is protected from hate and the other half isn’t.”
“The same ideology is being used to drive attacks on both the LGBTIQA+ and Jewish communities. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists want to eradicate gay and trans people as much as they want to eradicate Jews.”
“This is one reason why the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has in recent years backed greater protections for LGBTIQA+ people.”
“We call on the government to treat anti-LGBTIQA+ hate as seriously as antisemitic hate. There is no room for either in Australia.”
The Government today released a bill responding to the Bondi tragedy by prohibiting vilification and hate-motivated crime on the basis of race, but no other attributes.
Spokesperson for Just.Equal Australia, Rodney Croome, said,
“Passing laws against only one kind of hate means other forms are seen as legitimate and less deserving of a response.”
“One important lesson from the Bondi tragedy is that the Government shouldn’t wait until attacks escalate before taking tough action against hate.”
“National hate speech and hate crime laws should cover LGBTIQA+ people as well as all other Australians vulnerable to hate.”
“The Prime Minister has said ‘more could have been done’ to prevent the Bondi attack, so let’s now do more, not less.”
There has been an alarming increase in the number of anti-LGBTIQA+ attacks in recent years, often overlapping with antisemitism:
2020: Melbourne golf course defaced by homophobic and antisemitic graffiti
2021: Fresh concrete path in Melbourne defaced with “Kill Gays” and swastikas
http://www.outinperth.com/alarm-as-anti-gay-messages-and-nazi-graffiti-found-in-melbourne/
2021: Transgender flags outside Hobart Town Hall vandalised
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-23/transgender-flags-vandalised-at-hobart-town-hall/100643254
2023: A right wing mob violently attacked a group of LGBTIQA+ protesters holding a peaceful vigil in Belfield (NSW). Riot Squad responded.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-22/two-charged-after-protest-outside-mark-latham-speech/102127830
2023: A group of men shut down a “Wear It Purple” LGBTIQA+ information stall at Bankstown Central Shopping Centre (NSW), ripping down rainbow flags, spitting and hurling abuse.
2023: Neo-Nazis endorsed, and gave the Nazi salute at, a Melbourne protest and rally against people who are transgender, drawing an association between racial purity and gender purity.
2023: Anti-LGBTIQA+ hardliners threaten violence against Monash library and force closure of drag storytime event
http://www.outinperth.com/monash-council-cancels-drag-storytime-event-following-violent-threats
2023: Neo-Nazis target Jewish drag queen in Melbourne
2024: Cumberland City Council (NSW) banned books on same-sex parenting from its municipal library citing the “religious views” of the community. The ban was overturned 15 days later, but not until a significant venting of anti-LGBTIQA+ hate speech.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Cumberland_book_ban
2024: anti-LGBTIQA+ groups in Albany (WA) tore down Pride Festival posters and flags, called for LGBTIQA+ books to be banned from the library, harassed librarians and claimed an association between the LGBTIQA+ community and paedophiles.
2025: Melbourne gay venues Laird Hotel and Eagle Leather defaced with the same white supremacist slogans on the same night Jewish venues were targeted.
https://qnews.com.au/gay-bar-laird-hotel-graffitied-with-homophobic-vandalism
2025: Five teenage boys were gaoled in Western Australia for “planned and premediated” attacks on gay men, with one man punched, tasered and threatened with drowning.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-23/teenagers-detention-grindr-attacks-men-perth/105807670
2025: Pride flags torn down in Launceston
2025: Gay men targeted by violent gangs in Melbourne and other cities
2025: Transgender memorial in Hobart repeatedly vandalised and painted with Nazi symbol
The ‘Private Lives 3’ study conducted by La Trobe University in 2020/21, which surveyed almost 7,000 LGBTIQA+ Australians found:
Click to access Private-Lives-3.pdf
35% had experienced verbal abuse, including hateful phone calls
24% had experienced being spat at and offensive gestures
22% had experienced written threats of abuse via emails, social media
15% had experienced threats of physical violence, physical attack or assault without a weapon
11% had received written threats of abuse
4% had deliberate damage to property or vandalism of a house
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Michael Barnett, co-convenor, Aleph Melbourne, 0417 595 541, or Rodney Croome, Just.Equal Australia, 0409 010 668
[PDF]
https://qnews.com.au/a-hierarchy-of-harm-labors-hate-speech-laws-exclude-lgbtqia-australians
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Jewish International Film Festival 2025
October 19 – November 26, 2025
Full programme here.
The Jewish International Film Festival returns to cinema screens from October 19 – November 26, highlighting a selection of the best new Jewish-themed films to Australian audiences.
JIFF kicks off with the hilarious and fast-paced comedy, Bad Shabbos, about a Shabbat dinner between future in-laws, meeting for the first time, where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Celebrate the opening of JIFF on Sunday October 19 at Classic Cinemas, Elsternwick, with live music, drinks and falafels from 3:00pm before the Australian Premiere of Bad Shabbos.
Tickets now on sale: https://www.jiff.com.au/events/opening-night-bad-shabbos
The Queer Sessions
The Ring
“It’s the relationships among the three leads that carry the movie forward.” – The Jerusalem Post
“A highly emotional film. Exciting, funny and above all, a fascinating life story.” – Letterboxd user
Australian Premiere
Arnon is a devoutly religious man who has a close bond with his mother, Violetta, but a fraught relationship with his daughter, Alma, since he doesn’t approve that she’s a lesbian. When Violetta’s health deteriorates, Arnon sets out to her old hometown of Budapest to try and find a gold ring that saved her life during World War II.
Despite the tension between father and daughter, Arnon asks Alma to join him and help with the search. Alma is initially resistant, but her closeness with her grandmother convinces her to concede. Can father and daughter find the ring in the bustling city of Budapest? And will they be able to repair their relationship along the way?
The Ring is based on co-director and lead actor Adir Miller’s own family story. A well-known stand-up comedian in Israel, Miller brings a delicate balance of comedy and tragedy to this role.
Pink Lady
“An excellent movie that tells a complex, moving story… The cast is wonderful.” – The Jerusalem Post
“A very urgent film.” – Cineuropa
“A story of female self-discovery and emancipation.” – Eye for Film
Australian Premiere
To others in her ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem, Bati’s life looks ideal. She’s married to Lazer and together, they have three beautiful children. Behind closed doors, however, the young couple’s marriage is strained, and their lives are rocked when Lazer is blackmailed with photos capturing his secret affair with another man. Desperate to protect her family from scandal, Bati tries everything to seduce her husband back to their marital bed. But in her struggles with this crisis, Bati makes some surprising discoveries about her own sexuality and desires.
Nir Bergman (co-creator of the series In Treatment) won the Best Directing prize for Pink Lady at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival where it had its world premiere. Screenwriter Mindi Ehrlich brings lived experience from her upbringing in a Haredi community, telling this nuanced and compassionate story from a woman’s perspective with moments of lightness softening the drama.
Come Closer
“A sexy, modern and uncommonly introspective debut.” – Variety
“One of the most beautiful and visceral portrayals of grief and the ways we try to make peace with loss.” – Loud and Clear
Australian Premiere*
When Eden’s beloved younger brother Nati dies suddenly, she’s completely shattered by grief. Although she tries to numb the pain with hard partying and a dead-end affair with her married boss, nothing helps. Until she discovers a love note to Nati from Maya, a girlfriend he’d kept secret from her.
Eden strikes up a friendship with Maya. As the two young women lean on each other in their heartache, their relationship morphs into something altogether new and unexpected, even romantic. Eden and Maya must navigate their complex connection – is this a healthy way of coping, or simply a convenient replacement for Nati?
Writer/director Tom Nesher, daughter of multi award-winning Israeli director Avi Nesher, based the story on her own experience of her brother’s tragic death. An exuberant, sensitive exploration of love, loss and obsession, Come Closer swept the Israeli Oscars in 2024, winning Best Film, Director, Lead Actress and Editing.
*Excluding Sydney
The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival
“Groundbreaking… Visually stunning.” – The Bay Area Reporter
“Essential viewing for anyone who cares about art.” – The Contending
Australian Premiere
This sweeping documentary tells the remarkable story of Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka, best known for her Art Deco paintings of sensual nudes and elegant portraits of high society in 1920s Paris. A Jewish refugee and a bisexual woman, she was marginalised in more ways than one and gained notoriety for having romantic liaisons with her models – both men and women. Still, her work endures and some of her most notable collectors today include Madonna (who featured her paintings in several music videos) and Barbra Streisand.
Using groundbreaking newly discovered birth and baptism certificates, and never-before-seen 8mm home movies, this fascinating documentary reveals previously hidden parts of Tamara de Lempicka’s history, considering her work through the lens of her Jewish heritage. Narrated by Anjelica Huston, this is an enthralling celebration of a singular artist, who demonstrated fierce resilience in the face of antisemitism and other prejudices.
By Jarod Rhine-Davis
A powerful and deeply moving Queer Shabbat dinner was held at Temple Beth Israel (TBI) last Friday night, drawing over 70 people for an evening of ritual, reflection, and heartfelt connection. The event, hosted by Melbourne-based LGBTQIA+ Jewish group Jewmos in collaboration with TBI, combined traditional Shabbat observance with a strong message of inclusion, creating what organisers described as “a sanctuary of wholeness and peace.”
Against a backdrop of candlelight, song and sacred words, the evening honoured both the ancient rhythms of Jewish tradition and the full diversity of those who live it.
“We wanted this Shabbat to feel like coming home—for every person who has ever wondered if there’s space for them in Jewish life,” said Jarod Rhine-Davis, founder of Jewmos. “It was Shabbat in its fullest form: communal, joyful, meaningful, and open-hearted.”
The service included blessings over candles, wine and challah, followed by a communal meal rich with warmth—both in food and conversation. Tables were set with reflection prompts and affirmations, inviting guests into conversations about identity, rest, spirituality and belonging. A guided meditation and closing circle gave space for introspection and collective stillness.
Two guest speakers brought meaningful insight to the evening. Joe Ball, Victoria’s Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities, opened the night with words of welcome and affirmation. Later, Israeli educator and advocate Dekel Nevo Eizenberg, former board member of LGBTQ+ organisation Hoshen, offered thoughtful reflections on her work building inclusive Jewish education and community in Israel. Her talk was followed by a Q&A session full of curiosity and warmth, as guests shared questions, stories, and deep engagement.
“The energy in the room was extraordinary,” reflected Hannah Christensen, Executive Manager of TBI. “It was Jewish joy—rooted in the belief that everyone belongs around the table.”
At a time when many are seeking new and authentic ways to connect to Jewish life, Queer Shabbat offered something timeless and hopeful: a vision of community that is proud, pluralistic, and grounded in tradition.
“Queer Jews have always been part of our people’s story,” Jarod said. “This Shabbat made that truth visible—not just for us, but for the whole community.”
Jewmos continues to host events across Melbourne that celebrate inclusion, creativity and deep Jewish connection.
To learn more or join future gatherings, visit: facebook.com/jewmos
