2024 Lineup
Robinson Short Film Competition
Join us on Tuesday, May 21, 7:30pm at the Carnegie Museum of Art Theater for an evening of 6 top-notch short films, visiting filmmakers, $18,000 in cash prizes, and complimentary food and fun at the after-party!
The Accident
Omri and his family recollect the fatal car accident that led to his parents’ divorce.
Directed by Omri Dekel Kadosh
Director's Statement: "Embarking on the creation of The Accident was a deeply personal and transformative journey for me. In this cinematic odyssey, I brought together my divorced parents and three younger siblings to the place where, 15 years ago, our family experienced both physical and metaphorical fractures. Drawing inspiration from the legacy of Iranian cinema, with influences from luminaries like Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Jafar Panahi, The Accident consciously blurs the conventional boundaries that separate documentary and narrative filmmaking." —Omri Dekel Kadosh
Bright Eyes
Six-year-old Ellie has seven days to come to terms with her father’s sudden death.
Directed by Shiri Kuban
Director's Statement: "Based on my personal story, Bright Eyes delves into the abstract landscape of childhood grief through the lens of a young girl. The film intertwines vision, cinema, and trauma, emphasizing the transformative power of storytelling as a crucial coping mechanism in the face of profound loss. Having lost my father, I discovered the healing power of storytelling and imagination, which ultimately grew into my love for cinema. In Bright Eyes, I endeavor to share this unique experience." —Shiri Kuban
Girl No 60427
During summer vacation, Reut discovers her grandmother's secret notebook.
Directed by Shulamit Lifshitz & Oriel Berkovits
Director's Statement: "In 1946, after her liberation from Auschwitz, my grandma sat in a DP camp in Italy and wrote what she went through during the war in a small notebook. In the first version of the script, I thought it would be a documentary about my family and the notebook. But it became clear that the real story is the special connection created between the third and first generations, so I decided on a Live Action/Animation format. I did not change any details in Grandma's notebook; the Holocaust story in the film is faithful to the original." —Shulamit Lifshitz
How to Make Challah
Sarah documents her 80-year-old aunt Jane making challah for the first time
Directed by Sarah Rosen
Director's Statement: "In 1975, my aunt Jane filmed her 97-year-old immigrant grandmother baking challah in her tiny kitchen on the Upper West Side. In 2022, I continued this ritual by filming my aunt Jane (now 80) baking challah herself for the first time. The film documents generations of women performing this cultural-religious ritual a half-century apart, highlighting the age-old significance of conversation between generations of women in the kitchen. Most of all, the film is about what we pass on to the next generation and what we leave behind." —Sarah Rosen
Jack and Sam
Two Holocaust survivors rekindle their friendship after 80 years apart.
Directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
Director's Statement: "I was deeply moved by Jack and Sam’s incredible friendship. This enduring connection not only symbolizes the resilience and strength of the human spirit but has also imbued these two individuals with a renewed sense of purpose as they navigate the twilight of their lives. I was also deeply concerned about the alarming rise in antisemitism in recent months. It was my intention to use this film as a platform to initiate and contribute to a broader conversation about this troubling development and encourage a collective search for better understanding and peace." —Jordan Matthew Horowitz
The Soldier on Smithdown Road
In Liverpool, 1947, a veteran must defend his family’s shop from a violent mob.
Directed by Barney Pell Scholes & Thomas Harnett O’Meara
Director's Statement: "This film is based on the experiences of my paternal grandparents, Louis and Rachel (Rae) Scholes. The film dramatizes a largely forgotten event in British-Jewish history and explores the precarious nature of being a British Jew. Liverpudlian Jews are enormously underrepresented in the history of British Jewry; once a thriving community with several synagogues, nowadays there are few Jews left in the city. I want this film to serve as a lasting testimony both to the Liverpool Jewish community and to the memory of my grandparents." —Barney Pell Scholes