Sapiro vs. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford

  • Thursday, Mar 26

  • Friday, Apr 3

Showtimes updated on Tuesday evenings
Legend
OCOpen Captioned
Special Content
35mm
SFSensory Friendly

Sapiro vs. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford

Q&A with director Gaylen Ross and producer Carol King on March 26

Members Get Early Access During JFF Pre-Sale
JBFC member pre-sale opens Tuesday, February 17 at noon.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 20 at noon.

Auto tycoon Henry Ford was America’s wealthiest man in America, and its most notorious anti-Semite. (He published the four-volume The International Jew: The World’s Foremost Problem). In 1927, the young Jewish lawyer and labor organizer Aaron Sapiro sued Ford for defamation. The courageous David vs. Goliath court case, considered the nation’s first hate speech trial, is the subject of this riveting documentary, which was originated by the late Michael Rose, and completed by Gaylen Ross. Resourcefully bringing the story to life with archival footage, animation, and Sapiro’s words dramatized by actor Ben Shenkman, Ross has brought to life an important chapter in the story of extremism and resistance that is all too timely.

Tickets (on March 26 with Q&A): $20 (members), $25 (nonmembers)
Tickets (other showtimes): $13 (members), $18 (nonmembers)

SPECIAL EVENTS

Q&A with director Gaylen Ross and producer Carol King moderated by festival curator David Schwartz Q&A with director Gaylen Ross and producer Carol King moderated by festival curator David Schwartz

Q&A with director Gaylen Ross and producer Carol King moderated by festival curator David Schwartz

Thursday, Mar. 26 2026, 4:00

  • Gaylen Ross is an award-winning documentary director, writer, and producer with over 25 years of experiences, including Emmy-winning Blood Money: Switzerland's Nazi Gold and multiple films that premiered at major international festivals like Berlin, Toronto, and Hamptons. Her notable works include Killing Kasztner: The Jew Who Dealt With Nazis (theatrical releases in US, Israel, and France), Dealers Among Dealers (PBS) and two Chin documentaries co-directed with Andy Cohen and executive produced by Ai Weiwei. She serves as an Honorary Board member of the Indiana Jewish Historical Society and was named one of four Jewish women shaping Indiana history.
  • Carol King is first and foremost a longtime proponent of women's rights. She is a Detroit native who built a career in public policy advocacy. She was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2008 in recognition of her contributions to women's rights and equality. Since moving to California, King has worked as Executive Producer with her late husband, Michael Rose, in their production company specializing in factual programming for television. She has overseen development, production, post-production and distribution of programs delivered to numerous networks around the world. Her desire is to use media to tell stories that move us to work for a more equal and just society for everyone.
  • David Schwartz is a New York–based film curator and writer, and former Chief Curator at the Museum of the Moving Image. A recipient of the New York Film Critics Circle’s Career Achievement Award, he is currently Director of Film Programming at the Barrymore Film Center and President of The Film-makers’ Cooperative. He previously programmed the Paris Theater for Netflix and has worked with leading institutions including Film Forum, Metrograph, and the Kennedy Center. Schwartz is also the editor of David Cronenberg: Interviews and has taught film history at Purchase College and NYU.

Tickets: $20 (members), $25 (nonmembers)

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This film is part of the Jewish Film Festival 2026 series.



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