Roesch NJJFF: Ethan Bloom

After his mother’s death,13-year-old Ethan navigates faith, family pressure, and first love in this wry comedy.

Post-screening Q&A with director Herschel Faber, screenwriter Maylen Dominguez, and lead actor Joshua Malina on Zoom

Director: Herschel Faber
2025, USA, 95 minutes
English with English subtitles
Feature

13-year-old Ethan (Hank Greenspan, The Neighborhood) lives a double life: one moment, he might be helping his priest, Father Diaz, clean up after mass as an altar boy, and the next moment, he is having Shabbat dinner with his family. His father, Gary (Joshua Malina, Scandal & The West Wing), is trying to be understanding of Ethan’s spiritual wanderings while they are both still grieving the death of Ethan’s mother, but Ethan’s bar mitzvah is coming up… Ethan’s first crushes on a girl at church AND her older sister only complicate things further.

Full of heartfelt, funny performances by veteran television actors and colorfully shot on location in Miami, Ethan Bloom speaks to seekers of all ages and faiths.

Co-sponsored by the Comerchero Family; Kathy Loesberg & Santiago Fuertes; Lawrence Rein
Co-sponsored by Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel