IMPORTANT: Our 2026 festival will be hybrid. This means we will offer both in-person (live) screenings and virtual screenings.
Please note: In-person screenings will not be offered virtually and virtual screenings will not be offered in-person.
Virtual TIFF 2026 will be available on demand with a pre-recorded talkback.
Alien: American Dream Denied - New Jersey Premiere!
dOCuMENTARY - 83 MINUTES
Directed by Vidyut Latay
Description: Alien: American Dream Denied spotlights the emotional journey of high-skilled, documented immigrants as they seek permanence in a country that benefits from their talent, but denies them a home.
Sponsored by NPZ Law Group
Talkback with filmmaker Vidyut Latay and NPZ Immigration Law Group
American Doctor
dOCuMENTARY - 93 MINUTES
Directed by Poh Si Teng
Description: From Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Poh Si Teng, AMERICAN DOCTOR follows three American doctors— Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian— as they enter Gaza to save lives. They find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth.
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez
DOCUMENTRY - 92 MINUTES
Directed by David Alvarado
Description: Against political resistance and industry skepticism, Luis Valdez pushes Chicano storytelling from the fields to the film screen with Zoot Suit and La Bamba, crafting iconic works that challenge, celebrate, and expand America’s story.
Annie Turnbo Malone: The Untold Story - Opening Night - East Coast Premiere!
DOCUMENTRY - 90 MINUTES
Directed by Kim Love
Description: Annie Minerva Turnbo Pope Malone is the Mother of the African-American Hair Care and Beauty Industry. Against rampant racism and sexism, she built an international enterprise in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early 20th century. By 1920 she was one of the wealthiest women in America. At the height of her success she employed an estimated 75,000 agents, mostly women, including Madam C. J. Walker. Her amazing but largely forgotten story comes to the screen in Annie Turnbo Malone: The Untold Story.
Sponsored by National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Bergen/Passaic Chapter
Talkback with filmmaker and other special guests to be announced
Atonement
Narrative - 118 MINUTES
Directed by Reed Van Dyk
Description: Amidst the chaos of the Iraq War, the Khachaturian family is trapped in a firefight between U.S. Marines and insurgents, and one Marine’s split-second decision devastates the family. Years later, haunted by his time in Iraq and aided by a New Yorker journalist, the Marine seeks to reconcile with the Khachaturian matriarch. Anchored by unforgettable performances from Boyd Holbrook (A Complete Unknown, Narcos, The Morning Show), Hiam Abbass (Succession), and Kenneth Branagh, Atonement is a powerfully human true story about the immeasurable costs of war, exploring universal questions about guilt, redemption, and the nature of forgiveness.
Bea Arthur: The Documentary - "I've Done Everything Except Porn" - Centerpiece - New Jersey Premiere!
DOCUMENTRY - 113 MINUTES
Directed by Dan Watt
Description: BEA ARTHUR: The Documentary - “I’VE DONE EVERYTHING BUT PORN” reveals a more personal Bea Arthur: intensely private yet remarkably compassionate, wickedly funny, fiercely intelligent and deeply committed to causes she believed in. Featuring a never-before-seen interview, the film offers audiences a rare opportunity to hear the Emmy and Tony Award-winning star reflect on her life, work and extraordinary career.
Sponsored by Gemini Theatrical, Marc David Levine
Talkback with filmmaker Dan Watt, film’s producer/editor Lon Garelick and Broadway producer Marc David Levine
Buried Under Years of Dust - East Coast Premiere!
Documentary SHORT - 30 MINUTES
Directed by Sophie Sartain
Description: How does someone go from not communicating for 25 years to narrating her life story? Buried Under Years of Dust traces the remarkable journey of Emily Grodin, a woman silenced by autism, finally finding her voice. Despite Emily’s increasing frustration, physical outbursts, and violent meltdowns, Emily’s parents never abandoned hope that their daughter would one day share her thoughts, feelings, and deep intelligence. Then, using a controversial assisted-typing technique, Emily had an extraordinary breakthrough. One of her first sentences was “I have been buried under years of dust.” In a time when American health officials call into question the value and contributions of people with autism, Emily has the mic, and she’s got a lot to say.
Sponsored by Marble Jam
Talkback with filmmaker Sophie Sartain, and other guests to be announced. Moderated by Maria Trice Jenkins (Marble Jam)
Call Me Micky - Bergen County Premiere!
short - 22 MINUTES
Directed by Andrew Rasmussen
Description: Executive produced by Dominique Jackson, CALL ME MICKY follows larger-than-life New Jersey native Micky Angelo Petrillo as he barrels into his next act after transitioning at 59. Now 62, he navigates reinvention, unexpected friendships, and the everyday absurdity of finally being seen — with humor, candor, and no intention of doing it quietly.
Talkback with filmmaker Andrew Rasmussen, subject of documentary, Micky Petrillo, and Executive Producer, Dominique Jackson (POSE).
The Choice - New Jersey Premiere!
documentary - 84 minutes
Directed by John David Coles
Description: A haunting yet life-affirming film about reframing pain and the radical power of choice. It follows grieving mother Iris Haim as she mourns the loss of her son in the aftermath of October 7th and forms an unexpected bond with Dr. Edith Eger—a renowned psychologist, author, and Auschwitz survivor—whose hard-won wisdom guides her toward transformation.
Sponsored by The Jewish Link
Talkback with filmmaker John David Coles
CUNY NEWMARK Shorts
CUNY Student Short Series" - Click here to read bios on films:
The Dads - New Jersey Premiere!
documentary - 72 minutes
Directed by Luchina Fisher
Description: A group of dads building a movement to support their trans and gender expansive kids are forced to make an impossible choice amid a shifting political landscape: stay and fight or flee the country.
Talkback with filmmaker Luchina Fisher
Luchina Fisher will also receive the inaugural Sandi Klein Creative Woman in Film award during this screening.
Dust Bowls and Jewish Souls
documentary, biography - 89 MINUTES
Directed by Steven Pressman
Description: Many know Woody Guthrie as the quintessential Oklahoman balladeer who wrote “This Land Is Your Land,” but few are aware that Jewish culture had a hand in shaping his private life and career. From award-winning filmmaker Steven Pressman (The Levys of Monticello), Dust Bowls and Jewish Souls explores Guthrie’s moving relationship with his mother-in-law, prominent Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt, and the impact she had on his songwriting.
Sponsored by National Council of Jewish Women, Bergen County Section
Talkback with Steven Pressman and other guests to be announced
Moderated by Andrew Silow-Carroll
Far Out: Life On & After the Commune - New Jersey Premiere!
documentary - 85 MINUTES
Directed by Charles Light
Description: Far Out: Life On & After the Commune traces fifty years in the lives of a group of New England writers, activists and artists. It conveys how the 1960s counterculture, embodied in two rural communes, transformed America. The story begins when a group of radical journalists leave New York for a new life in the country and follows them from the back-to-the-land movement to a new discovery of political commitment.
Talkback with Charles Light (filmmaker), Harvey Wasserman, & Verandah Porche
Free Joan Little - Bergen County Premiere!
documentary short - 38 MINUTES
Directed by Yoruba Richen
Description: The story of the 1975 groundbreaking case of Joan Little who was the first woman in U.S. history to be acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault. Joan was a Black incarcerated woman in North Carolina who killed her white prison guard who was trying to rape her. Little’s murder trial became a cause celebre bringing together prominent advocates, black power activists, white feminists and anti-death penalty activists while catalyzing a nationwide discussion on sexual assault. With rare archival footage, contemporary interviews and the folk anthem that carried her cause, Free Joan Little captures the spirit of resistance that made history.
Talkback with Filmmaker Yoruba Richen
Gaslit - Closing Night - New Jersey Premiere!
Documentary, drama - 115 MINUTES
Directed by Katie Camosy
Description: As the world teeters on the brink of irreversible climate disaster, actor and activist Jane Fonda ventures deep into oil and gas country, meeting the people who are exposing the fossil fuel industry’s lies.
Sponsored by Teaneck Creek Conservancy
Talkback with Paula Rogovin, filmmaker Katie Camosy and additional guests to be announced
Jane Elliott Against the World - Weekend Closing Night - New Jersey Premiere!
documentary - 99 MINUTES
Directed by Judd Ehrlich
Description: A rural Iowa schoolteacher becomes a national voice against racism after leading a controversial 1968 lesson in discrimination with her all-white third-grade class. Now nearly 90, she refuses to hold back amid today’s fights about race, history, and power after a lifetime of speaking out.
Sponsored by Women of Wisdom & Temple Emeth Social Action Committee
The Lorraine - Bergen County Premiere!
documentary - 84 MINUTES
Directed by Sam Pollard
Description: Urgent yet deeply joyful, The Lorraine is both a reckoning with the Civil Rights Movement’s unfinished legacy and a celebration of Black excellence and resilience. Acclaimed documentarian Sam Pollard digs into the story of The Lorraine Motel, shedding light on the forgotten history of a Black cultural institution that served as a safe haven for African Americans traveling during segregation and Jim Crow in the United States. With amazing archival footage and interviews, this documentary is an eye-opening experience that finally does justice to the legacy of The Lorraine.
Sponsored by Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Committee
Talkback to follow film - guests to be announced
Set Her Free
documentary - 66 MINUTES
Directed by JLove CalderonIn New Jersey, many women remain confined within the walls of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, serving long sentences for crimes that stem from their experiences as survivors of domestic violence. These women, trapped by their trauma and an unforgiving legal system, find themselves without hope of early release—until now.
Sponsored by The Links Inc, Bergen County Chapter
Talkback to follow with filmmaker, JLove Calderon and Executive Producer Jamila Davis.
Teaching America - Closed Screening Only Open to THS Students
Documentary short - 23 minutes
Directed by Anurima Bhargava
Description: Teaching America explores the battle around the teaching of African American studies from inside the classroom, focusing on the transformative journeys of the Arkansas students, teachers and families who are part of the inaugural classes of students taking AP African American studies nationwide.
We Met at Grossingers - Teaneck Premiere!
documentary - 104 MINUTES
Directed by Paula Eiselt
Description: We Met at Grossinger’s is an immersive journey through the Jewish Catskills—once known as the Borscht Belt—reviving the iconic resort that inspired Dirty Dancing and defined an era of Jewish American life.
Sponsored by The Jewish Standard
Moderated by Sandee Brawarsky
Talkback with filmmaker, Paula Eiselt and Susan Etess, granddaughter of Jennie and Harry Grossinger
When They’re Gone
Narrative Short - 15 MINUTES
Directed Ragan Henderson & Lauryn Dardent
Description: After an abrupt encounter at a graveyard, two elderly men form an unexpected bond over the grief and love of their late wives.
Sponsored by The Links Inc., Bergen County Chapter The Links Inc., Bergen County Chapter
Talk-forward with filmmaker Ragan Henderson
Women on Trial - East Coast Premiere!
biography, history - 103 MINUTES
Directed Lauriane Escaffre and Yvo Muller
Description: 1972. A landmark trial shakes France as young Marie-Claire is prosecuted for having an illegal abortion with the help of her mother and two other defendants. In a courtroom governed by men, the verdict seems inevitable: prison for the women, while the rapist goes unpunished. Their last hope lies with Gisèle Halimi, a fearless lawyer known for openly challenging patriarchy and confronting the system that condemns victims and lets perpetrators walk free. Alongside the accused, Gisèle will not only change their fate, but, against all odds, transform the condition of women forever.
A Binding Truth - Virtual
Documentary - 57 minutes
Directed by Louise Woehrle
Description: Filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston uses a personal lens and professional eye to help us all flip the script on stress, anxiety, and depression. We follow Delaney as she finds herself at a loss on how to help her own teens as they struggle with their emotional wellbeing. Ruston sets out to understand these challenges in our current screen-filled society, and how we as parents and schools empower teens to overcome mental health challenges and build emotional agility, communication savvy, and stress resilience.
Talkback with Louise Woehrle (filmmaker), De Kirkpatrick and Jimmie Kirkpatrick
Moderated by Randall Pinkston
RESONANCIA - Virtual
documentary - 37 MINUTES
Directed by Ted Nash and Cathy CarbashIn the heart of Havana, Grammy-winning composer Ted Nash invites young Cuban musicians to find inspiration in the colors and forms of a museum’s paintings. What begins as a search for melody becomes an awakening, as students uncover hidden voices within themselves—discovering passion, courage, and untapped creativity. Their week of exploration blooms into a radiant concert before more than a thousand people, where art and music merge into a testament of self-discovery and the boundless power of expression.
Talkback with Ted Nash and Cathy Carbash
Ghost in the Machine - Virtual
documentary- 110 minutes
Directed by Valerie Veatch
Description: Ghost in the Machine reveals how the human values, biases, and power structures behind artificial intelligence are shaping our world—and its societal and environmental consequences.
Talkback to be announced.
FREE FILMMAKER'S BOOTCAMP
As part of its milestone 21st anniversary celebration, the Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) presents a Free Filmmaker Boot Camp with award-winning television executive and producer Ashley McFarlin. In partnership with Bird's Eye Entertainment, Inc. and Fairleigh Dickinson University, this one-night workshop will take place on Wednesday November 11th from 6:30pm-9:30pm at the Fairleigh Dickinson University Library Auditorium Teaneck campus.
This dynamic, three-hour session is designed for aspiring filmmakers and film enthusiasts looking to gain real-world insights and hands-on experience in content creation, development, and distribution. McFarlin—whose extensive background spans network television, reality programming, and creative producing —will guide participants through every stage of the filmmaking process, from concept to pitch.
"This workshop reflects what TIFF has always stood for—education, creativity, and the power of storytelling to make an impact," said Jeremy Lentz, Executive Director of the Teaneck International Film Festival. "We're thrilled to partner with Ashley McFarlin and our friends at Fairleigh Dickinson University to offer this experience free of charge to the community."
The event is free and open to all, but pre-registration is required through TIFF's official ticketing link at www.TeaneckFilmFestival.org. Space is limited and expected to fill quickly.
