As filmmaker Ava DuVernay said, “Film is a medium that can challenge our assumptions, expand our horizons, and change our perspective.” The 2025 Teaneck International Film Festival (TIFF) exemplifies this transformative power by showcasing more than 25 diverse films and events. With talkbacks that direct engagement between audiences and filmmakers, TIFF creates a unique space for reflection, encouraging viewers to connect with stories that push boundaries and inspire meaningful dialogue.
The Film Festival with a Social Conscience
From November 6-November 13, 2025, the Teaneck International Film Festival, with its forever theme of Activism: Making Change, will present features, documentaries, and shorts, plus talkbacks, that raise awareness of critical issues and promote understanding and involvement.
TIFF will bring a powerful selection of films to Bergen County under the theme Activism: Making Change. Celebrating its 20th year, TIFF is more than just a collection of screenings; it is a week-long call to action, challenging audiences to confront social issues, engage in dialogue, and explore solutions.
Supported by The Puffin Foundation Ltd., TIFF has gained a reputation as “the film festival with a social conscience.” Local and regional partners—community organizations, nonprofits, and advocates join to make TIFF a dynamic space for people of all backgrounds to connect through cinema and spark conversations that matter.
A Festival with Purpose: Highlights from TIFF 2025
TIFF opening night is Thursday, November 6, at 7:30 pm at Teaneck Cinemas, 503 Cedar Lane, with a presentation of The Disappearance of Miss Scott. Sponsored by The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Bergen/Passaic Chapter, the documentary chronicles the rise and fall of jazz virtuoso Hazel Scott, who was blacklisted from Hollywood and had her American television show canceled during the Red Scare after she refused to perform for segregated audiences.
The festival’s Narrative Centerpiece Gala event will take place on Saturday, November 8, at Temple Emeth beginning at 7:00 pm, and will feature Italian filmmaker Riccardo Milani’s A World Apart (Un mondo a parte), a comedy-drama that follows a Roman teacher who must overcome his “urban inadequacy” to save a tiny mountain school from closing. The film, praised for its heartfelt character-driven story and community spirit, won two Nastro d’Argento Awards in 2024, including Best Comedy Film and Best Actress in a Comedy for Virginia Raffaele. A World Apart is sponsored by long-time Teaneck resident, Addie Wijnen. At 92, Addie remains an active TIFF volunteer and supporter. Addie’s father, who was born in Italy, was a renowned poet who was celebrated posthumously several years ago by his home town. The Centerpiece event includes food and wine, the film, and a talkback.
Films for Young Audiences: Little Kid Flicks Returns
TIFF’s inclusivity extends to younger audiences through Little Kid Flicks, a collection of award-winning animated films from the New York International Children’s Film Festival. Scheduled for Sunday, November 2, at 1:30 pm at the Puffin Cultural Forum, this program invites children ages 4-8 to experience the joy of cinema with free entry alongside a paying adult, thanks to support from the Puffin Foundation Ltd., Teaneck Public Library and Barbara Ostroth, Coldwell Banker Realty. The event is hosted by Miss Jolie, a beloved children’s entertainer, making it an ideal introduction for young viewers to the wonders of film.
Virtual Screenings & Discussions: TIFF from Home with a Virtual Pass
Recognizing the need for accessibility, TIFF will offer five virtual screenings that can be enjoyed from home any time during the festival week which include moderated talkbacks. The virtual pass includes all five films for $15. The virtual film series includes:
Cast Aside the Clouds, a narrative drama about a young Baha’i woman and a secular Muslim doctor who fall in love in modern-day Iran, forcing them to face persecution as their families and society condemn their relationship.
The Dancer, a groundbreaking documentary about a stateless citizen, Ahmad Joudeh, who defied war and family disapproval to join the Dutch National Ballet, but haunted by the trauma of his past, he makes a perilous decision: to return to Syria for the first time since the war, risking everything to bring the healing power of dance to a community still ravaged by conflict.
We, the Collective explores the New York City nightlife ecosystem as a means of social and economic mobility for Black & brown people of the queer and trans experience and
A City Fights Back: How L.A. Defends Itself from I.C.E., a Puffin supported documentary that chronicles how Unión del Barrio, a member of the Community Self Defense Coalition, is fighting back against I.C.E. in Los Angeles.
Locker Room Talk, a documentary that chronicles the Kingston (NY) High School football team’s journey as players confront a hyper-masculine culture through memoir writing and storytelling, ultimately redefining what it means to be a man.
A Platform for Action: TIFF’s Commitment to Social Engagement
The film festival with a social conscience is committed to telling stories that need to be heard, and inspiring thoughtful discussion, involvement, and activism. The narrative features, documentaries, and shorts cover a broad range of subjects that are of concern to all: civil rights, women’s rights, immigration, threats to free speech, the unhoused and food insecurity, LGBTQ+ concerns, the environment, and more. According to Executive Director Jeremy Lentz, “The work of the Teaneck International Film Festival has become more urgent at a time in our nation’s history where we see threats to our most sacred democratic institutions. The Teaneck International Film Festival stands strong as we celebrate our 20th year in continuing to provide a platform to showcase some of the most compelling independent films that shed light and raise awareness on some of the most pressing issues of our time.”
Visit Teaneck International Film Festival for more information, tickets, and to view the many TIFF sponsors.
TIFF 2025 Full Schedule of Screenings and Events
Sunday, November 2
- 1:30 pm – Puffin Cultural Forum – Little Kid Flicks – NYUCFF films for children ages 4-8; emceed by Miss Jolie
Thursday, November 6 (Opening Night)
- 7:30 pm – Teaneck Cinemas – The Disappearance of Miss Scott – Opening night feature about a Black woman’s fight for economic independence.
Friday, November 7
- 7:30 pm – Teaneck Cinemas – Beyond the Headlines: The NABJ Journey he Picture Taker – The film chronicles the 50-year history of the National Association of Black Journalists, highlighting its courageous pursuit of truth and resilience in overcoming systemic barriers, as well as the transformative impact on American media.
Saturday, November 8
- 12:00 pm – Teaneck Cinemas – The Librarians – Follows librarians across the United States as they combat book bans and defend intellectual freedom against a rising tide of censorship.
- 12:00 pm – Puffin Cultural Forum – Screenagers: Next Chapter – Filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston uses a personal lens and professional eye to help us all flip the script on stress, anxiety, and depression.
- 3:00 pm – Teaneck Cinemas – A Place or Our Own – Follows two trans women in India, Laila and Roshni, as they search for a new home and societal acceptance after an unjust eviction.
- 3:00 pm – Puffin Cultural Forum – Trespass – Feature-length documentary about the homeless and the circumstances that led them to the streets, the exceptional challenges, and the occasional successes which they navigate daily.
- 7:00 pm – Temple Emeth – Narrative Centerpiece with film A World Apart – A comedy-drama that follows a Roman teacher who must overcome his “urban inadequacy” to save a tiny mountain school from closing. The Centerpiece event includes food and wine, the film, and a talkback. Invitations are extended to individuals who have donated at least $40.
Sunday, November 9
- 12:00 pm – Teaneck Cinemas – Coexistence, My Ass! – The film follows Israeli activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she fiercely confronts the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict and critiques the performative “peace industry” that ignores systemic inequality.
- 12:20 pm – Temple Emeth – Shuttl – Yiddish narrative feature shot in Ukraine, depicts the vibrant life of a Ukrainian Jewish village in a single, continuous shot, set during the 24-hours before the Nazi invasion in 1941.
- 12:30 pm – Puffin Cultural Forum – Plastic People – This ground-breaking feature documentary investigates our addiction to plastic and the growing threat of microplastics on human health.
- 3:00 pm – Teaneck Cinemas – Saffron Kingdom – This powerful story of love, loss, and resilience follows a Kashmiri family’s journey of trauma and displacement, providing a counter-narrative to the conflict, sponsored by the Indian American Muslim Council.
- 3:00 pm – Puffin Cultural Forum – Vigilante Inc. – Greg Palast and his investigations team bust the most brazen, racist attack on voting rights yet.
- 3:30 pm – Temple Emeth – Among Neighbors – Documentary that uncovers the hidden history of a Polish town where peaceful coexistence between Jewish and Catholic neighbors was shattered during and after World War II, revealing acts of both love and betrayal.
- 5:30 pm – Puffin Cultural Forum – Home: Two (HU)Men, Silent Force, Your Silence is Loud Cecilia – Home is a poetic program of short films and performance exploring the fragile and powerful idea of home as memory, body, culture, and longing.
- 7:30 pm – Temple Emeth – Lilly – This TIFF closing film follows Alabama factory supervisor Lilly Ledbetter as she takes on her employer, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, after discovering she was paid significantly less than her male coworkers.
Thursday, November 13 (Bonus Screening)
After the TIFF weekend is over, there is a bonus film screening at Teaneck’s Ethical Cultural Society, 687 Larch Avenue in Teaneck, on Thursday, November 13, at 7:00 pm. Sponsored by Ethical Culture, the documentary Sally! follows the charismatic radical lesbian activist, author, and academic who spearheaded the 1970s and 80s lesbian feminist movement, a figure who has been largely forgotten.
TIFF Tickets and Event Details
Tickets for TIFF 2025 are available at teaneckfilmfestival.org, priced at $10 in advance and $15 at the door if available, except: Little Kid Flicks (kids free with paying adult thanks to a grant from the Puffin Foundation), and Centerpiece Gala and Film – $40 donation in advance. Virtual Film Series pass includes all five films for $15.
Talkbacks follow most films. Visit teaneckfilmfestival.org for complete details and sponsors.
Don’t miss this chance to experience films that entertain, educate, and inspire change. For anyone passionate about the impact of cinema, TIFF 2025 is a not-to-be-missed Bergen County event.
Why not grab dinner in Teaneck, before or after seeing a TIFF film? Visit the mybergen.com Restaurant Directory to find a fabulous variety of Teaneck restaurants!
