Maine Jewish Film Festival returns with ambitious lineup in Brunswick

Brunswick has a front-row seat in the Maine Jewish Film Festival’s most ambitious lineup yet, with Eveningstar Cinema screening “Farewell, Mr. Haffmann” at 7 p.m. on Thursday as the 27-year-old festival opened its 2026 run across southern and central Maine.

The festival runs from April 23 through May 3 and carries the theme “The Whole Wide World,” a title that fits a schedule built around 13 films from Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, Palestine, Poland and the United States. That mix gives Brunswick audiences more than a single arthouse booking. It places the town inside a broader regional circuit of international film and conversation, with a local screening tied to a festival that says it celebrates filmmaking through the lens of global Jewish experience.

For Sagadahoc County, the value is practical as much as cultural. Brunswick is not a pass-through stop on the schedule but one of the host cities, which means Midcoast moviegoers can see the festival without driving to Portland or Waterville. That matters in a county where arts programming often competes with longer trips and tighter schedules. A Thursday night at Eveningstar Cinema offers a clear local option, and the festival’s range makes it more likely that different viewers will find a film that fits their interests, whether they come for history, international stories or simply a strong independent release.

The 2026 edition also stretches beyond its core venues. Maine Public says screenings are taking place at the Portland Museum of Art and The Hill Arts in Portland, the Maine Film Center in Waterville and the Waldo Theater in Waldoboro, where the festival is holding its first-ever screening in that town. That broader map reinforces that the Maine Jewish Film Festival is operating as a statewide cultural event, not a Portland-only series with a few satellite dates.

Festival organizers describe MJFF as one of Maine’s premier cultural organizations, with partnerships across the state. Its history, dating to 2000, gives this year’s lineup institutional weight, and the Brunswick stop shows how that long-running festival has continued to widen its reach. For local viewers looking for a spring outing that is both nearby and distinctly international, the opening-night screening at Eveningstar Cinema is the clearest place to start.