The American Sephardi Federation is also debuting Festival Sefarad NYC, a special monthlong celebration dedicated to the community and featuring a variety of events with something for everyone—from musical performances and book talks, to exhibitions, tours, and Shabbat dinners, with the film festival at its center.
French-Israeli, French-Tunisian, Syrian-Brazilian, Iranian-American. Those are just some of the hyphenations belonging to the Sephardic Jewish people, who hail from all across the MENA region but also southern Spain and live across a wide-ranging diaspora. In NYC, soon, they will get a chance to celebrate their diverse cultures when a new festival kicks off bringing together food, literature, music and art. At the core of it, the 27th edition of the NY Sephardic Jewish FF.
If you don’t know how far reaching the culture is, just think of actor Hank Hazaria, the directing duo of the Safdie brothers, fashion designer Max Azria and dozens more notable names have roots in Sephardic Jewish culture.
Four notable figures will be awarded in NYC, during the festival — Yael Naim with the Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award for Music, Michel Boujenah with the Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award for Stage and Screen, Fortuna with the Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award for Preservation of Sephardic Culture and Roya Hakakian with the Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature.
In collaboration with over 40 leading communal institutions, Festival Sefarad NYC will unfold across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island, a movable feast ensuring accessibility and welcoming participation from every corner of the Jewish community.
At its core, the 27th edition of the Sephardic Jewish Film Festival which will returns to New York City from June 8 to June 15, 2025, bringing a powerful week-long celebration of film, music, and community. The festival’s Opening Night, on June 8th at El Museo del Barrio, will feature a special live performance by Fortuna with Trio Mediterraneo, joined by Grammy-winning trumpeter Frank London, plus the awarding of the Pomegranates, which are sculpted by world-renowned Baghdad-born artist Oded Halahmy.
For over 30 years, Fortuna's music has explored her Middle Eastern roots (Judaic and Arabic) and aims to trace the journeys of Sephardim from Spain and Portugal. As a World Music researcher, her music bridges across multiple religions, cultures, and languages. Her 2016 album, Novos Mares, features the songs (in Arabic, Hebrew, and French) of Syrian Jews from Aleppo who emigrated to Brazil, as her family did.
Throughout the week, some of the screenings will include the World Premiere of Jill Coulon’s doc YAEL NAIM: A new soul; the U.S. Premiere of the comedy Jinxed by Hanan Savyon & Guy Amir; the U.S. Premiere of Rafael Balulu’s epic documentary The Last Righteous Man (Baba Sali); plus the New York Premiere of Erez Tadmor’s rom-com Matchmaking 2; as well as the New York Premiere of The 90s – The Revelry (Hillula) a comedy by Shalom Assayag and Ariel Benbaji. The festival will close with a spectacular live concert by legendary artist Enrico Macias.
The best way to experience the festival would be to purchase passes, which start at $119 for a weekly pass. Or individual tickets can also be found on the festival’s website.
The Festival Sefarad will take place in venues all across New York, including an event titled Cooking Sephardi History with Dr. Hélène Jawhara Piñer at the TriBeCa Synagogue; a Rooftop Celebration: Maurice’s Bar, Florence Nasar & Chanan Ben Simon/Guy Barash at the 14th Street Y; a New York Sephardic History Walking Tour around the Lower East Side of Manhattan; and Key Figures of Persian Jewry, a talk to be held at the Center for Jewish History on West 16th Street.
Explore more on the Festival Sefarad website.
Images courtesy of the festival, used with permission.