Running from May 7-17 across DC, MD, and VA, the festival will feature 30+ international screenings and concerts. Screenings will take place at the EDCJCC’s two state-of-the-art theaters, Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema in Maryland, and Cinema Arts Theatre in Fairfax, Virginia. The full Festival program and online ticket purchases are available now at www.jxjdc.org. “Film and music are powerful ways to honor the diversity, creativity, and resiliency of Jewish stories. This year’s JxJ Festival comes at a moment when we are celebrating both the 250th birthday of our nation, and the centennial anniversary of our Jewish Community Center’s presence in downtown Washington, DC,” says EDCJCC CEO Jennifer Zwilling. “In these contexts, sharing our stories takes on extra resonance and inspires us to reflect on who we are, where we come from, and what we value.” “For 36 years, we have elevated exceptional Jewish art within our Washington, Virginia, and Maryland communities,” says JxJ Director Mardy Shualy. “This year, we are celebrating with music and movies infused with a spirit of liberation. Our festival is full of narratives that grapple with freedom of movement, freedom of expression, and the free press. We see how people transform their communities and countries through protest, politics, and art.” The festival opens on Thursday, May 7th with the film ONCE UPON MY MOTHER, by director Ken Scott. Set in 1960s Paris, the film is a heartwarming family saga with a sharp sense of humor. Inspired by a real story, the film recounts a mother’s fight to have her son flourish despite a physical disability. MAHLER IN NEW YORK, a documentary directed by the award-winning conductor Hilan Warshaw, will close the festival on Sunday, May 17 in the Goldman Theater. Intertwining archival recordings, new interviews, and revolutionary music, the film traces the composer’s creatively transformative time in Manhattan. The dynamism and freewheeling cultural blend Mahler experiences in America unlocks profound new forms of expression. Director Hilan Warshaw will participate in a QA following the film. The closing weekend will also highlight an exciting lineup of concerts, including a performance by THE KLEZMATICS on Saturday May 16, as they present their genre-defying blend of Yiddish soul just days after the release of their newest album, We Were Made for These Times. Local klezmer powerhouse SETH KIBEL will perform with a quartet alongside a presentation of new klezmer photography by LLOYD WOLF. The family-favorite a cappella group THE MACCABEATS will bring their signature sound back to the stage. Rounding out the closing festivities will be a reception with a live duet interpreting Mahler’s work. OPENING NIGHT ONCE UPON MY MOTHER, Dir. Ken Scott Thursday, May 7, 7:30 PM | EDCJCC | Goldman Theater Starting in 1960s Paris, ONCE UPON MY MOTHER follows the true story of a Jewish Moroccan immigrant to in France and the complex relationship she has with her son as he navigates a physical disability. When Esther Perez gives birth to a son with a severe clubfoot, she is told that he will never be able to walk unassisted. By turns inspiring, heartbreaking, and hilarious, it is a nuanced story of family life across decades. Opening night will feature a reception with light refreshments beginning at 6:30 PM, with tea and coffee service following the screening. CLOSING DAY NIGHT THE MACCABEATS  Sunday, May 17, 1:30 PM | EDCJCC | Goldman Theater Often traveling with little more than shirts on their backs and the ties around their necks, the Maccabeats have wowed audiences across the globe from Alabama to New Zealand and everywhere in between. Blending sharp harmonies, a polished style, and a dose of Jewish humor, this dynamic a cappella group creates an unforgettable experience that resonates with fans of all ages and backgrounds. THEY FIGHT WITH CAMERAS, Dir. Nina Rosenblum and Daniel Allentuck Sunday, May 17, 4:00 PM | EDCJCC | Cafritz Theater With astonishing frontline footage from World War II, They Fight With Cameras gives a first-person perspective into the life of Signal Corps combat cameraman Walter Rosenblum. In a historic deployment to capture the battlefield as the war unfolds, we follow Rosenblum’s lens from the D-Day beach landings to the first moments of Dachau’s liberation. ADDITIONAL SELECTED PROGRAMMING In MY FRIEND SAM, producer and acclaimed singer-songwriter Regina Spektor shares the story of her lifelong friendship with Samuel Marder, a Holocaust survivor and virtuoso violinist. The film blends candid interview with vivid animation, and the screening will be followed by a QA with Spektor in the Goldman Theater; an open reception will follow the QA. THE SEA, Israel’s official entry to the Academy Awards and winner of Best Film and Best Actor in the Israeli Academy’s Ophir Awards, presents an intimate coming-of-age story following that follows a 12-year-old Palestinian boy attempting to navigate a trip to visit the Mediterranean. As his father abandons his job to seek out his missing son, they must both confront personal and political realities. RAOUL WALLENBERG: MISSING INACTION, presented in partnership with the Swedish Embassy, recounts the remarkable crusade of a lone Swedish diplomat to protect Hungarian Jews from encroaching Nazi forces. Once a scion of Sweden’s most powerful family, Wallenberg’s journey through the war and his subsequent mysterious disappearance into Soviet custody is a tale of singular courage. This film is co-presented by The Embassy of Sweden and a QA with producer Alex Ruthizer will follow a screening at the EDCJCC. A trio of short documentaries explore how individuals find meaning and agency through political activism. SONIA follows Sonia Pressman Fuentes, the lone female attorney at the newly formed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; SCENES FROM THE DIVIDE examines Jewish community tensions during Zohran Mamdani’s New York mayoral campaign; and IN PROTEST looks at Israeli women’s fight for representation after the events of October 7. For the full 2026 JxJ DC Jewish Film Music Festival, please visit www.jxjdc.org ABOUT JxJ DC Presented by the Edlavitch DCJCC, JxJ: DC Jewish Film and Music is the leader of Jewish film and music cultural arts in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, with a state-of-the-art venue at the Edlavitch DCJCC. Between the Festival and year-round programming, JxJ gives exposure to independent filmmakers and musical artists working in the Jewish and/or Israeli space. It annually attracts 30,000 patrons across 180+ events and has been an arts hub in the DC area for over 30 years. JxJ encompasses the Washington Jewish Film Festival (WJFF) and the Washington Jewish Music Festival (WJMF). The lead sponsor of the WJMF is the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation. ABOUT THE EDLAVITCH DCJCC Guided by Jewish values and heritage, the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center engages individuals and families through its cultural, recreational, educational, and social justice programs by welcoming people of all backgrounds to connect, learn, serve, and be entertained together in ways that reflect the unique role of the Center in the nation’s capital.        The post The JxJ DC Jewish Film Music Festival Returns for Its 36th Year, Showcasing A Vibrant Lineup of Films and Concerts first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less