Charlotte Jewish Film Festival 2027

In 1890s New York City, evocatively recreated on a shoestring budget, Jewish immigrant Jake (Steven Keats) has assimilated seamlessly into the American community...until his wife from back home (Carol Kane) arrives on his doorstep. Sumptuously shot in black and white, director Joan Micklin Silver’s loving, funny debut feature became an unexpected hit, and the rare independent American film to garner an Oscar nomination for Kane’s heartbreaking, but ultimately empowering turn.

Cohen Film Collection is proud to present a gorgeous new 4K restoration of this American classic.

Dr. Julia Wagner will be joining this special screening to discuss her book, Hester Street. Julia Wagner is a critic, writer and lecturer based in London, UK, specializing in Jewish film and cultural history, documentary and Italian cinema. She has written widely for publications such as the Jewish Chronicle and Sight and Sound. She was the curator of the archival documentary Jewish Britain on Film.

Director: Joan Micklin Silver
Language:  English, Yiddish
Run Time: 89 Mintues
Country/Year: US 1975

A titan of European music finds himself adrift in the streets of Manhattan—thousands of miles from the theaters and concert halls where he achieved his greatest triumphs and endured his deepest torments. In this vibrant, unfamiliar city, Gustav Mahler confronts both the exhilaration of discovery and the shadow of his own mortality. As composer and conductor, Mahlerreshaped the musical landscape of late-nineteenth-century Europe. Yet it was in the final years of his life, in New York City’s bustling Upper West Side and along 59th Street, that he faced his greatest challenges: composing his Ninth and unfinished Tenth Symphonies, navigating family crises, battling illness, and leaving an indelible mark on the city’s cultural life through his leadership of the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic.

This film brings Mahler’s final years vividly to life, weaving together archival recordings, contemporary interviews, intimate musical performances, and evocative footage of Manhattan. It captures not only the creative genius of a man at the height of his powers but also the personal and artistic struggles that defined his last chapter. T

hrough this journey, viewers gain a new appreciation for how Mahler’s music continues to echo through New York’s streets and concert halls, bridging the past and the present with its timeless power.

This special premiere event will feature director Hilan Warshaw in attendance for an introduction and post-film conversation.

Director: Hilan Warshaw
Language:  English
Run Time: 93 Mintues
Country/Year: US 2026