The Jerusalem Film Workshop (JFW) is a transformative opportunity for young Jewish filmmakers from around the world to engage with the diversity and complexity of Jerusalem, Israeli Society and Jewish identity.  A partnership between the NFCT and Onward Israel with world-class Jewish festivals, international Jewish communities and the Israeli film industry, JFW is a six-week program led by professionals, who are passionate about the power of film to strengthen Jewish engagement, connect people with Israel and inspire social change. During the course of the program, the filmmakers work in groups to produce five short documentaries about Jerusalem that are screened as part of the Jerusalem Film Festival and in the international festivals we collaborate with. The program is described in this link, a broadcast on i24news.

ENGAGING WITH JERUSALEM & ISRAELI SOCIETY

The unique atmosphere and character of Jerusalem can be difficult to convey to those without first-hand experience of life in the city.  A microcosm of Israeli society, Jerusalem’s cultural and ethnic diversity is set against the backdrop of a challenging social reality that can be difficult to comprehend and connect with, from afar. The Jerusalem Film Workshop seeks to capitalize on the powerful tool of film to engage international Jewish communities with Jerusalem and Israel in a meaningful and thought-provoking way. Using the medium of film, the uniqueness, complexity and beauty of Jerusalem can be captured and explored in a powerful, nuanced and experiential way.  Through film, there is potential to reach thousands of people, who otherwise, have limited opportunities to connect with Jerusalem, Israeli society and their own Jewish roots.

DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS AS CHANGE-MAKERS

The JFW believes in the power of the documentary filmmaker as a social change maker. This program provides the knowledge required for up-and-coming filmmakers to learn about the complexities of Jerusalem, and to bottle what they see into powerful films. Participants in this program become ambassadors not only for Israel and Jerusalem, but are also armed with new skills to continue making documentary films and sparking social change through their future documentary work.  Click this link to hear what participants from all over the world experience.

CONNECTING WITH DIASPORA COMMUNITIES

In 2018, JFW has partnered with prestigious Jewish and Israeli film festivals from around the world to recruit the best, upcoming filmmakers from their communities and sponsor their flights to Israel.  On their return to their communities, JFW graduates and the partnering film festivals will screen the films produced during the Jerusalem Film Workshop and will run creative, educational programming within the wider community to explore the issues raised by the films. Additionally, the JFW team works throughout the year to distribute the films created during the workshop and to bring at least one of the students to the screenings and hold a Q&A session after the film screening.