Atlanta Jewish Film Festival: When Do We Eat? Young Professional Night Film

A riotous all-star cast turns a family’s traditional Passover Seder into a rollicking rollercoaster of chaos and hallucinatory hilarity. At the table’s head is Ira (Michael Lerner), a blowhard who somehow juggles his Christmas ornament empire with hosting “the world’s fastest Seder.” His perfectionist wife Peggy (Lesley Ann Warren) goes overboard to lure their newly religious son Ethan (Max Greenfield) to join the bedlam, pitching a full-on backyard biblical tent for added flair.

The guest list? Peak absurdity: rebellious stoner Zeke (Ben Feldman), sex surrogate daughter Vanessa (Shiri Appleby), her sister Nikki (Meredith Scott Lynn), a lesbian with a bone to pick, coquettish cousin Jennifer (Mili Avital), and, of course, Grandpa Stuckman (Jack Klugman) who’s equal parts wisdom and grump. When a furtive, one-eyed Israeli dinner guest (Mark Ivanir) shows up, and Ira accidentally doses himself with psychedelics, he morphs into a modern-day Moses hell-bent on leading this coo-coo clan to the promised land of forgiveness.

Directed by Salvador Litvak and co-written with his wife Nina, this laugh-filled free-for-all was shot on a shoestring budget in just 30 days. The film’s over-the-top Passover tent, designed by Emmy-winner Bernt Capra, is as colorful as its characters. With irreverent humor, larger-than-life antics, and a surprisingly warm heart, this madcap comedy proves that even the most dysfunctional families can find redemption—if they don’t kill each other first.