Still from "The French Italian," featured in this year's Sun & Stars International Film Festival [Photos by Sun & Stars International Film Festival]
The third annual Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival is emphasizing comedy among more than two dozen films screening at the Rinker Playhouse at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts from Jan. 23 to 30 and at EVO Entertainment Delray Marketplace from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.
“This year’s festival truly offers something for everyone, especially for those who love to laugh,” Festival Artistic Director Barbara Sharres said about the eclectic lineup.
This program features seven standout comedies:
• “Bad Shabbos,” directed by Daniel Robbins, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m., Rinker Playhouse.
The festival’s Centerpiece Night features this Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award winner, which delves into the chaos of an Upper West Side New York family hosting a son’s Midwestern Catholic fiancée and her family for Shabbat dinner. Religious tensions, sibling rivalry and kosher calamities escalate into a darkly comedic whodunit. Kyra Sedgwick stars as the eccentric matriarch. Cliff “Method Man” Smith adds charm as the family’s doorman.
• “The French Italian,” directed by Rachel Wolther, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m., EVO Entertainment Delray Marketplace.
Closing the festival is this quirky comedy about a Manhattan couple who concoct an absurd plan to oust their noisy downstairs neighbors by staging a fake play. Chaos ensues when the scheme spirals out of control. Catherine Cohen, Aristotle Athari and Ikechukwu Ufomadu deliver standout performances.
Still from "Holy Cow," featured in this year's Sun & Stars International Film Festival.
• “Holy Cow,” directed by Louise Courvoisier, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m., EVO Entertainment Delray Marketplace.
Winner of the Youth Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, this coming-of-age story follows a rebellious boy navigating grief and responsibility on his family’s cheese farm in France. The film parallels the maturation of Comté cheese with the protagonist’s personal growth.
• “There’s Still Tomorrow,” directed by Paola Cortellesi, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m., EVO Entertainment Delray Marketplace.
Set in postwar Rome, this black-and-white dark comedy examines the life of a housewife plotting her escape from domestic oppression. Winner of both the Special Jury Award and Audience Award at the 2024 Rome Film Festival, the film blends humor with poignant social commentary.
• “Universal Language,” directed by Matthew Rankin, Feb. 1 at 4 p.m., EVO Entertainment Delray Marketplace.
Winner of the Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award at Cannes, this surreal comedy imagines an alternate 1980s Canada where Persian is the national language. A bureaucrat’s return to a bizarre version of Winnipeg leads to a wildly inventive and visually stunning narrative that honors Iranian cinema.
The Sun & Stars International Film Festival has become a cornerstone of Palm Beach County’s cultural scene, offering films that celebrate diverse voices and storytelling. Beyond film screenings, the festival fosters community engagement and cultural enrichment through dynamic programming.
For the full schedule, tickets and more information on the festival, presented by MorseLife, visit sasiff.org.
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