Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia

In 2024, the Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia marks its 28th year.

The Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia is a celebration of Israeli culture, with the aim of enriching the American vision of Israeli culture and society through film. Each season, a slate of feature films and documentaries are selected to provide a diverse and impartial reflection of Israel.

It is our goal to be both entertaining and informative. Our program includes feature films, dramas, comedies and documentaries that are award-winning and have received wide recognition both in Israel and abroad. As a non-profit organization, the continuing success of the IFF is due, in large part, to support from various organizations and private donors.

The IFF is funded through ticket sales, personal and corporate contributions, as well as in-kind contributions. Organizational support is provided by The Center for Israel and Overseas, the Consulate General of Israel in New York,  and a wide array of community partners.

Schedule:

8:45 pm: Running On Sand

Aumari, a young Eritrean refugee who lives in Israel washing dishes for a living, is caught by the immigration police, and deported to his country. At the last moment he manages to escape at the airport and runs straight into the hands of Maccabi Netanya's soccer fans that mistake him for the new, Nigerian striker who was supposed to land that day.

At a glance, Aumari morphs from a transparent refugee into the big star of a city that looks up to him to save the team from being kicked out of the league. There is only one problem: Aumari has no soccer talent. He does, however, have a talent to make friends, to make people laugh and come together. It is through these skills that he manages to make big changes in the team and even find love. However, when Aumari will go back to being a refugee will someone stand by his side, and will he manage, for the first time in his life, to stop running?

Admission: General $15, Students and seniors $13  

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