A DANCER’S STORY: Manich Chauhan speaks about his career at a screening of “Call Me Dancer,” part of the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival, which runs from November 7-21. Chauhan’s talk is on the final day of the series. (Photo by Sonam Dekar)

The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival’s milestone year will feature 14 films, discussions with filmmakers and special guests, and numerous New Jersey premieres on dance, music, the LGBTQ+ experience, American Jewish history, and Israeli society.

Twelve films will be screened at the Regal Cinema Commerce Center, North Brunswick (November 7–17), and five films will be available virtually (November 15–21). The festival is sponsored by Rutgers’ Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life.

Opening day, November 7, features two Israeli narrative films. Running on Sand, which has its New Jersey premiere at the festival, is a lighthearted look at healing racial divisions in contemporary Israel; Seven Blessings, winner of 10 Israeli Academy Awards in 2023, unlocks secrets of a large Moroccan Jewish family as they observe the traditional week of sheva brachot (seven blessings), celebratory meals after a wedding.

Closing Day, November 17, will feature two special events at the Regal Cinema. Singer-songwriter Janis Ian and director Varda Bar-Kar will speak at the New Jersey premiere of the documentary about Ian’s life, Janis Ian: Breaking Silence. In the evening, professional dancer Manish Chauhan will speak at the screening of Call Me Dancer, which tells his story, from his early years as a street dancer in Mumbai, India, to training with an Israeli ballet master and following his dreams.

In-theater and virtual tickets are $15. Discount passes are available. Visit BildnerCenter.Rutgers.edu/film.