JUMP STREET FILMS ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL FUND FOR JEWISH AUSTRALIAN SCREEN NARRATIVES, LAUNCHES SLATE

The Jewish Australian Screen Fund (JASF) has been established to support both the development and production of Jewish Australian scripted narratives across film, television and digital. The privately supported fund exclusively contributes to stories that advance the depiction of Jewish Australians on screen, by Jewish Australian creatives, with emphasis on authenticity and visibility.

Company director Jamie Bialkower initiated the fund due to the lack of Jewish narratives being financed in Australia, the lack of support that Jewish artists are receiving at structural and institutional levels, and to counter antisemitism through representation of Jewish stories on screen.

JASF is calling for entries from both emerging and established creators, and will additionally provide opportunities for Jewish Australian crew at all levels of production, ensuring that professional development is a key pillar of the initiative. 

JASF partnered with the Jewish International Film Festival in 2025 to exclusively commission four new narrative works that were invited to interpret the theme of “post-October 7 life in Australia”. The program was produced by Jump Street Films.

The Promised Land – directed by Adam Dostalek
18 minutes, Australia, 2025, World Premiere
A Holocaust survivor is visited by his young carer. Having fought for the State of Israel, he does everything in his power to convince her that it is her duty to make Aliyah. The arrangements are finally made, until her world is turned upside down.

Crumbs – directed by Anita Lester
22 minutes, Australia, 2025, World Premiere
A beloved bakery provides the backdrop for a series of intimate vignettes over the course of a day. Tracing the intersections of tradition and identity, community and legacy, a snapshot of the collective Jewish experience is revealed.

Shpatzir – directed by Benjamin Levitt and David McKinnar
14 minutes, Australia, 2025, World Premiere
A nameless man on his evening walk toys with the idea of going to his local synagogue. His need only increases over time, but he still can’t bring himself to do it. One day, he is finally ready to enter - but is he too far gone?

Mezuzah Man – directed by Jacob Melamed
19 minutes, Australia, 2025, World Premiere
After witnessing rising antisemitism, fiercely passionate Yossi takes it upon himself to reclaim his fearful community’s sense of pride. When his intentions are misinterpreted, he inadvertently triggers a chain reaction with deadly consequences.