As the largest Jewish Community Center in North America, non-denominational and welcoming to all, the philosophy of inclusion serves as a compass for JCC Chicago. Since 2014, our festival has featured dozens of films that address issues of race, religion, orientation, disabilities, differences and mental health.

Last year’s selections included:

• “John Lewis, Good Trouble” explores this pioneering civil rights activist’s life and career.
• “Code of the Freaks” shows how Hollywood has impacted the ways in which those who are different or disabled are perceived by others as well as by themselves.
• “The Crossing,” follows innocent Norwegian children who help get Jewish refugees to freedom.
• In “The Homestretch” we are given insight into the lives of three homeless teens on the streets of Chicago.
• The challenges facing those who identify as LGBTQ are explored in the Sundance award-winning film, “The Miseducation of Cameron Post.”
• “Hate Among Us” provides perspectives on Anti-Semitism throughout history to the present day.

As a response to the pandemic, we have taken important steps toward making our festival more accessible through 50 virtual screenings, increasing participation within the community. We have a growing list of films that have streamed online that are closed captioned and ~75% of our films are subtitled.

We work with community partners to help promote films with specific messages and secure representation from their agency to either moderate a post-film Q&A with filmmaker or act as a subject matter expert. Past partners include Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, Anti-Defamation League, Keshet, Keshet LGBTQ, National Council of Jewish Women, and area synagogues.

Our upcoming festivals and series for ‘21/’22, including January’s Social Justice Series, will explore the topics of Anti-Semitism, Racism, Human Rights and the Holocaust, and issues impacting people who are different and/or disabled in order to ignite the important conversations that need to occur to bring about societal change.

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For more information about sponsoring the JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival, contact Megan Abraham at 224.406.9232 or email mabraham@jccchicago.org.

We are so thankful to have generous sponsors like you to allow us to continue to show films that ignite conversations leading to societal change.

In order to highlight your support, please place the attached JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival Sponsor logo on your site, and hyperlink it to jccfilmfest.org if you are able. Additionally, please consider adding it to your email signature, again with a link to our page.

This will allow you to proudly showcase your philanthropic commitment in a prominent and befitting manner.

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