The 2025 Freedom of Expression Award recipient is Daveed Diggs
Since 2005, the Jewish Film Institute and San Francisco Jewish Film Festival have presented an artist with the Freedom of Expression Award to honor the unfettered imagination, which is a cornerstone of a free, just and open society.
Inaugurated at the 37th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (2017), the SFJFF audience award is chosen by ballot from all participating San Francisco Jewish Film Festival attendees. All new-release feature films are eligible for consideration. Audience Award categories include Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature.
This juried award honors achievements in short documentary filmmaking since 2017. All short documentaries in the Festival are eligible. The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is an Academy Award® qualifying festival in the Documentary Short Subject category. Recipients of SFJFF's Best Short Documentary Award will be eligible for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Academy Awards®, without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.
Introduced at the 2024 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, this juried award honors achievements in short narrative filmmaking. All selected narrative shorts in the Festival are eligible.
The San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award, is awarded annually since 2017 to the best feature film as chosen by the influential community of Bay Area film critics.
Our newsletter is the best way to keep up to date with all events, programs, offers, and benefits from the Jewish Film Institute.
Subscribe