Festival Blog 2026: Wednesday

Following the festive opening of the 32nd Jewish Film Festival Berlin Brandenburg, we now move into the first full day of the festival today, Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Review: Opening of the 32nd JFBB
The opening night at the Hans Otto Theater offered a celebratory start with welcome addresses from political representatives and the festival directors, insights into this year’s program, and a conversation with Potsdam’s mayor Noosha Aubel. A special highlight was the presentation of the Award for the Promotion of Emerging Filmmakers by actress and director Maria Schrader. The award went to cinematographer Maayane Bouhnik.
Impressions from the opening night can be found in the slideshow.

Program Highlights on May 6
At the Filmmuseum Potsdam, we are screening the documentary THE LAST SPY by Katharina Otto-Bernstein (US/DE 2025) at 5:00 PM. At the age of 102, former CIA official Peter Sichel offers rare insights into the inner workings of the U.S. intelligence services.

Also at 5:00 PM, BOOK OF RUTH by Esty Shushan (IL 2025) will be shown at Filmkunst 66 in Berlin. In an ultra-Orthodox community, Ruth and her husband Shmuel struggle to cope with the loss of their young son. While Shmuel seeks refuge in a strict religious order, Ruth begins to question it. Step by step, she breaks away from the expectations of her environment in search of her own answers. Director Esty Shushan and cinematographer David Stragmeister will be present for a Q&A following the screening.

At 7:30 PM, A JEWISH PROBLEMby Ron Rothschild (DE 2025) will be screened at Moviemento in Berlin, together with the short film SCENES FROM THE DIVIDE. Eighty years after his grandmother fled the Nazis to Israel, Rothschild returns to Germany—seeking to build a life precisely here. In an intense self-examination, he reflects on his identity, family history, and the political tensions of the present.

At 8:30 PM, SUN BAYby Ido Weisman (IL 2025) will be shown at Filmkunst 66, together with the short film FROM A DISTANCE. The film follows a small community living in caravans on the margins of Israeli society. With poetic imagery and a sensitive approach, SUN BAY portrays a traumatized veteran, a garbage collector, and an elderly woman who have chosen life outside conventional structures.

Panel: 80 Years of CCC Film
A special highlight also awaits at Filmkunst 66 in Berlin: starting at 4:00 PM, we celebrate 80 years of CCC Film. In 1946, Holocaust survivor Artur Brauner founded the production company Central Cinema Company (CCC) in the ruins of Berlin, which still exists today. To mark the anniversary, we are presenting two newly restored and digitized films in cooperation with Deutsche Kinemathek, introduced by film historian Johannes Praetorius-Rhein.

We wish you an inspiring second day of the festival and look forward to many more exciting encounters and conversations!

Tickets for all screenings are €10 (€8 reduced) and are available online at jfbb.info and at the cinemas.

You can find an overview of the full program here.