UK Jewish Film Festival, Cinemas across London

The UK Jewish Film Festival comes to London on 7 November, hosting a range of film screenings and talks from popular Jewish directors, actors and industry experts.

It looks to make a spectacular start, kicking off with the UK premiere of Closer to the Moon at the Jewish Film Festival opening gala at BFI Southbank. A fast-paced comic heist set in Communist Romania, Closer to the Moon is based on the true story of a group of Jewish friends and former Resistance members who set out to rob a bank, starring Vera Farmiga and Mark Strong.



Further highlights include the Best Debut feature which includes Cannes nominee Son of Saul: a terrifying holocaust drama from László Nemes. Elsewhere there's gritty British boxing drama Orthodox, which draws upon is the parallels between religious orthodoxy and dedication in the sporting world.

The festival’s First Timers series will showcase outstanding performances from rising stars of the big screen. We love the look of Valley, Sophie Arthus’ debut film, sold as a cross between Lost Boys and Lord of the Flies, which promises to be a gripping portrait of unloved teenagers.

Next up is the Radicals series, where you can find real-life tales of people who’ve changed the world: look out for Yona on the 15^th November, which follows the dramatic life-story of one of Israel’s most celebrated cultural icons, Yona Wallach. A lone woman making her first steps in the realm of Hebrew poetry, her tragic life and brilliant talent have been compared to Sylvia Plath.

If you're after something more on the cheesier side, there's also this year's big musical theatre number The Last Five Years, which stars Anna Kendrick and Hollywood heartthrob Jeremy Jordan: read our interview with him here.

The festival doesn’t hesitate to look outwards either. Find answers as to how world attitudes towards Israel affects the choice of subjects, storylines, participation in festivals and film distribution with a panel of Israeli film-makers on 15 November. They'll be discussing how to keep their voices unique under pressure, both at home and abroad.

Finally don’t forget Fauda, one of the best TV series to come out of Israel, which will be screened in its entirety over three evenings. Co-created by Middle East analyst Avi Issacharoff and former Israeli soldier Lior Raz, Fauda draws on their in-depth experience to craft a brilliantly realised depiction of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.