JITC Returns to Sundance in 2026 With Data and a Clear Strategy for Change

In 2026, the Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema (JITC) will return to the Sundance Film Festival for the third time, once again serving as the only Jewish organization hosting an official panel on Jewish representation in film and television.

JITC first brought this conversation to Sundance in 2023, where its inaugural panel drew a standing-room-only crowd. In 2024, demand only grew. Featuring Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby, the panel reached capacity, with many attendees turned away.

Last year, amid rising antisemitism and safety concerns following the protests against their 2024 panel, JITC made the difficult decision to step back from the festival. This year, it is returning with renewed purpose, and something new: data.

The 2026 panel, Rethinking Jewish Representation Amid Rising Antisemitism: Leveraging Insights From Our Groundbreaking USC “Jews on Screen” Study to Advance Narrative Change, will present original research conducted in partnership with the Norman Lear Center at USC.

Until now, JITC’s work at Sundance has been grounded in years of lived experience: tracking trends, patterns, and persistent tropes in how Jews are portrayed on screen. This year, those insights are backed by rigorous research that documents the scope of the problem and provides a foundation for meaningful industry change.

This is how progress happens in Hollywood. Other communities have advanced representation by naming the issue, proving it, and refusing to let the conversation fade. JITC is doing the same, bringing credible research to one of the industry’s most influential stages and continuing the work of reshaping how Jewish stories are told.

Registration is now open. Reserve your spot to attend the JITC Sundance panel here.

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