The Motion Picture Association (MPA) on Thursday announced a partnership with the Jewish Film Festival Berlin Brandenburg (JFBB), Germany’s largest Jewish film festival, that will see them collaborate to promote the visibility and understanding of Jewish life in Germany.
The partnership is the first of its kind for the MPA in Europe. The MPA has been a sponsor of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival for the last two years.
“The MPA and its members see it as their responsibility and privilege to reflect society’s diversity on screen,” said Stan McCoy, President and Managing Director, MPA for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). “We are therefore proud to partner with the JFBB and help contribute towards their success by promoting the works of Jewish filmmakers, who tell the stories of the Jewish communities, in Berlin, Brandenburg and beyond.”
“We look forward to working with MPA to develop new, innovative programs and events that reflect the diversity and depth of Jewish experiences and cultures,” said Andreas Stein, Managing Director of the JFBB.
The collaboration comes amid rising antisemitism in Germany, particularly since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. In the weeks following Oct. 7, the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS), which records incidents of antisemitism in Germany documented nearly 1,000 cases of aggression toward Jews in the country, including three cases of extreme violence. Overall, antisemitic incidents in Germany spiked more than 300 percent in 2023 compared with a year earlier.
The JFBB, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, is Germany’s largest Jewish film festival. The festival screens around 50 films, from Hollywood blockbusters to arthouse dramas and documentaries, over 6 days in June. By highlighting Jewish history, present and future, the festival’s professed mission is to “keep the memory of the Shoah alive, to convey historical awareness and to counteract antisemitic attitude patterns.” This year’s JFBB runs June 18-23. Patron of the festival is the German Culture Minister Claudia Roth.
