2023 Teaneck International Film Festival Preview



(TEANECK, NJ) — The 18th annual Teaneck International Film Festival will be held in partnership with the Puffin Foundation, Ltd., November 5-12, 2023.  This year “the film festival with a social conscience” will be dedicated to the late Bob McGrath, beloved resident of Teaneck and Sesame Street. The festival will be hybrid with both in-person (live) screenings and virtual screenings.

The virtual part of the festival will begin Sunday, November 5th, and those who buy tickets will be able to watch three films at any time between November 5-12 and enjoy a pre-recorded talkback following each screening.  The virtual films this year are the Pakistani feature, Joyland, and two documentaries: Las Abogadas, about immigration, and Jews of the Wild West.

For November 9-12, buy tickets for the “live” films which will be shown at Teaneck Cinemas, Temple Emeth, and the Puffin Cultural Forum.  There will be features, documentaries, and shorts from around the world that address important issues of the day and encourage discussion and involvement.  Highlights include talkbacks with filmmakers, actors, and activists; a Saturday night centerpiece event with food, drink, and a film; and a closing night film at which WOW (Women of Wisdom) will honor the National Council of Jewish Women, Bergen County Section.

Please note: In-person screenings will not be offered virtually and virtual screenings will not be offered in-person.

COVID RESTRICTIONS (for screenings at Puffin Cultural Forum only): Properly fitting KN95 or N95 masks are required indoors.

Alam – DRAMA (SUBTITLES: HEBREW, ARABIC) – 109 MINUTES. Directed by Firas Khoury.  Description: Tamer and his friends lead a typical Palestinian student’s life until the beautiful Maysaa arrives. To please her, Tamer agrees to take part in a mysterious operation on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day, a mourning day for Palestinians. 

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed – DOCUMENTARY – 122 MINUTES. Directed by Laura Poitras. Description: Internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin’s personal fight to hold the Sackler pharmaceutical family accountable for the opioid crisis. The story is told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, ground-breaking photography, and rare footage. Sponsored by Jackie and Michael Kates. Talkback with Brian Kates, editor; Howard Gertler, producer.

Bella! – DOCUMENTARY – 102 MINUTES. Directed by Jeff L. Lieberman. Description: In 1970, when the United States was ruled by men, Bella Abzug challenged the status quo, running a successful campaign from the streets of Manhattan that elevated her all the way to the halls of Congress. With her trademark hat and Bronx swagger, Bella entered Congress swinging, battling for credit cards for women, equality for the LGBTQ community and trailblazing a path for leadership that reflected the broad diversity of the country. Sponsored by Women of Wisdom (WOW); National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Section (NCJW); Former NJ State Senator Loretta Weinberg; League of Women Voters of Teaneck. Talkback with Jeff L. Lieberman; Former NJ State Senator Loretta Weinberg.

Cinema Sabaya – DRAMA – (SUBTITLES: HEBREW, ARABIC) – 91 MINUTES. Directed by Orit Fouks Rotem. Description: A group of Arab and Jewish women attend a video workshop at a community center run by Rona, a young filmmaker from Tel Aviv, who teaches them to document their lives. As each student shares footage from her home life with the others, their beliefs and preconceptions are challenged, and barriers are broken down. The group comes together as mothers, daughters, wives, and women living in a world designed to keep them apart, forming an empowering and lasting bond as they learn more about each other and themselves.

Commitment to Life  – DOCUMENTARY – 115 MINUTES. Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz. Description: In the early 1980s, a young doctor at UCLA reports a strange immune disorder among gay men — the world’s first warning sign of the epidemic to come. A committed group of activists helps care for the sick and dying while at the same time lobbying those in Hollywood to contribute to the fight. Sponsored by Bergen New Bridge Medical Center LGBTQ+; Vivian Scott Chew, in memory of her brother Lawrence Eric Murphy.

The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes – DOCUMENTARY – 115 MINUTES. Directed by Yariv Mozer. Description: Only weeks before the trial of Adolf Eichmann began, transcripts of recorded conversations between Eichmann and a Dutch journalist, Willem Sassen, were mysteriously handed over to the prosecutor, Gideon Hausner.  During the trial, Eichmann tried to convince the judges that he was only a bureaucrat who carried out orders but, in the transcripts, Eichmann was found boasting and proud of his significant role in planning and executing the Final Solution.

The Empty Saddle: Remembering Samuel Johnson – DOCUMENTARY – 12 MINUTES. Directed by Andrew Sherwood. Description: This film chronicles the work of the New Jersey Social Justice Remembrance Coalition in conjunction with the Equal Justice Institute to bring a historical marker to the Eatontown site of the 1886 lynching of Samuel “Mingo Jack” Johnson. Johnson’s killing is the only documented lynching in New Jersey history. Sponsored by Martin Luther King Birthday Committee; Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey. Talkback with Rabbi Sirbu, Temple Emeth; Andrew Sherwood.

Faith Ringgold: Tell It Like It Is – BIOGRAPHY / HISTORY – 67 MINUTES. Description: Harlem-born artist, author and activist Faith Ringgold painted some of the most truthful and empowering representations of African Americans during the civil rights and women’s movements of the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, the art establishment dismissed her seminal American People series as political art by a woman, and a black woman at that. Now in her 90s and a resident of Englewood, New Jersey, Ringgold is considered one of the most important African American artists, whose work is increasingly relevant today. Sponsored by Woman’s Club of Englewood; Teaneck – Englewood & Vicinity Club (NANBPWC, Inc.). Talkback with Dorian Bergen, ACA Galleries; Dr. Michele Faith Wallace.

Four Winters – DOCUMENTARY – 90 MINUTES. Directed by Julia Mintz. Description: Over 25,000 Jewish partisans fought back against the Nazis and their collaborators from deep within the forests of WWII’s Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and Belarus. Against extraordinary odds, they escaped Nazi slaughter, transforming from young innocents to courageous resistance fighters. Shattering the myth of Jewish passivity, these last surviving partisans tell their stories of resistance. Sponsored by Judith Distler; Phil Yucht. Talkback with Julia Mintz.

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project – DOCUMENTARY – 102 MINUTES. Directed by Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson. Description: Through intimate archival footage and visually innovative treatments of Nikki Giovanni’s poetry, the film pushes the boundaries of biographical documentary film by traveling through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators. Sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Bergen County Alumnae Chapter.

Hollywood’s Orthodox Jew Problem – DOCUMENTARY – 15 MINUTES. Directed by Allison Joseph. Description: This documentary short is the first of a three-part film laying out Hollywood’s mistreatment of Jews. The first part focuses on the Orthodox Jewish community. The film illustrates the uptick in antisemitism that has been on the rise recently and how dangerous it is now to be Jewish. Talkback with Allison Joseph, Jew in the City.

Hungry to Learn – DOCUMENTARY – 85 MINUTES. Directed by Geeta Gandbhir. Description: The cost of college is forcing students to make choices between eating regular meals and paying for their education. Co-produced by Soledad O’Brien, this poignant film follows four college students as they navigate food insecurity in their attempt to change their lives for the better. Sponsored by Center for Food Action; Fairleigh Dickinson University. Talkback with Rashard Mills, FDU Campus Engagement & CFA Board Member; Lisa Pitz, CFA Hunger Free NJ; Sara Goldrick Rab, featured in film & author of Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream.

Invisible Beauty – DOCUMENTARY – 115 MINUTES. Directed by Bethann Hardison and Frederic Tcheng. Description: Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity. The film features Tracee Ellis Ross, Naomi Campbell, Tyson Beckford, Zendaya, Iman, Whoopi Goldberg, Fran Lebowitz, and Kadeem Hardison. Sponsored by National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Bergen / Passaic Chapter.

Kid Flicks One – ANIMATED SHORTS – 63 MINUTES (AGES 5 – 10). Description: Let your imagination take the wheel with Kid Flicks One. Whether dreaming up the fantastical, like a spider’s goal to capture the moon, or the practical, like a young animator’s future stardom, these shorts are sure to enchant and delight all audiences (but especially our youngest!) Sponsored by Puffin Foundation, Ltd.; Teaneck Public Library; Friends of the Teaneck Public Library; Barbara Ostroth, Coldwell Banker Realty.

The Old Oak – DRAMA – 113 MINUTES. Directed by Ken Loach. Description: The Old Oak is the last pub standing in a once thriving mining village in northern England, a gathering space for a community that has fallen on hard times. There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope among the residents, but the pub and its proprietor TJ are a fond presence to their customers. When a group of Syrian refugees move into the floundering village, a decisive rift fueled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants. The formation of an unexpected friendship between TJ and a young Syrian woman named Yara opens up new possibilities for the divided village in this deeply moving drama about loss, fear, and the difficulty of finding hope. Last film by legendary director Ken Loach.

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks – DOCUMENTARY – 96 MINUTES. Directed by Johanna Hamilton and Yoruba Richen. Description: Delves deep into civil rights icon Rosa Parks’ historic work and her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Through interviews with those who knew her, powerful archival footage, and her own words, the film tells the story of Parks’ extensive organizing, radical politics, and lifelong dedication to activism. Sponsored by Bergen County, NJ Chapter of The Links, Inc. Talkback with civil rights activist Theodora Lacey.

Shared Legacies – DOCUMENTARY – 95 MINUTES. Directed by Shari Rogers. Description:  The historical ties between Black and Jewish Americans began long before the Civil Rights era. Shared Legacies explores this significant alliance, sharing eyewitness accounts, interviews with civil rights leaders, including the late U.S. Representative John Lewis, and a treasure trove of archival footage. The film is a tribute to the pursuit of what Dr. King called a “coalition of conscience” and a celebration of partnership, as well as an urgent call to action for today. Sponsored by Martin Luther King Birthday Committee; Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey.

La Syndicaliste (The Sitting Duck) – DRAMA / THRILLER – (SUBTITLES: FRENCH) – 121 MINUTES. Directed by Jean-Paul Salome. Description: In 2012, the head union representative of a French multinational nuclear powerhouse becomes a whistle-blower, denouncing top-secret deals that shake the French nuclear sector. Alone against the world, Maureen Kearney fights government ministers and industry leaders to bring the scandal to light and defend more than 50,000 jobs. Based on a true story.

Under G-d – DOCUMENTARY – 24 MINUTES. Directed by Paula Eiselt. Description: Inspired by the lived experiences of Jewish women, lawsuits are currently being launched by rabbis, Jewish organizations, and interfaith leaders to challenge the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Talkback with Paula Eiselt.

Unexpected – DOCUMENTARY – 18 MINUTES. Directed by Zeberiah Newman. Description: Follows Masonia Traylor and Cici Covin as they produce self-care packages for pregnant women recently diagnosed with HIV and offer them to be part of a safe network of support and services. Sponsored by Bergen New Bridge Medical Center LGBTQ+ Talkback with Zeberiah Newman; Sheryl Lee Ralph, co-producer.

Viral Vignettes – COMEDY – 114 MINUTES. Directed by David Levin. Description: Twelve one-act comedies that introduce us to 21 unique characters – stuck at home during the pandemic, trying to make sense of an unprecedented situation, filled with strangeness and unexpected humor. Talkback with David Levin.

Vishniac – DOCUMENTARY – 90 MINUTES. Directed by Laura Bialis. Description: Roman Vishniac is best known for having traversed Eastern Europe from 1935 through 1938, on assignment for the American Joint Distribution Committee, to photograph Jewish life in Eastern Europe. The purpose of the photographs was to raise funds for impoverished Jewish communities. Few predicted that less than a decade later, these communities would be wiped out, and that Vishniac’s photographs would provide the last visual records of an entire world. Sponsored by Jewish Standard.

Jews of the Wild West (VIRTUAL) – DOCUMENTARY – 80 MINUTES. Directed by Amanda Marshall Kinsey. Description: Jewish pioneers of the Wild West are a largely forgotten chapter in US History. Yet, they played a definitive role shaping the expansion of the United States. By 1912, it is estimated that more than 100,000 Jews had migrated to the Wild West. This documentary tells a positive immigration story and highlights the contributions Jewish Americans made to shaping the Western United States.

Joyland (VIRTUAL) – DRAMA – (SUBTITLES: PUNJABI, URDU) – 126 MINUTES. Directed by Saim Sadiq. Description: Following a long spell of unemployment, Haider finally lands a job at a Bollywood-style burlesque, telling his family he is a theater manager, when in actuality, he is a backup dancer. The unusual position shakes up the steadfast traditional dynamics of his household and enables Haider to break out of his shell. As he acclimates to the new job, Haider becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman Biba who runs the show—an unforeseen partnership that opens his eyes and ultimately his worldview, in ways both unexpected and intimate.

Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis (VIRTUAL) – DOCUMENTARY – 94 MINUTES. Directed by Victoria Bruce. Description: Film follows four immigration attorneys over a multi-year odyssey as the U.S. Government under President Trump upends every law meant to protect those fleeing from persecution, violence, and war. Sponsored by Nachman, Phulwani, Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C. Talkback with Victoria Bruce; Rebecca Eichler, subject of film.

Presently, the Teaneck International Film Festival draws over 3,000 filmgoers each year. Films and talkbacks illustrate what TIFF is about – making untouchable topics part of everyday conversation by addressing racism, oppression, the environment, the LGBTQ community, women’s concerns, immigration — stories of the little guy whose story is not often heard. With the theme, Activism: Making Change, the festival is an excellent starting point for fostering appreciation of differences, understanding all that we share, and encouraging efforts to help make the world a better place.