Sunday, Nov 16, 2025
Making “Bad Shabbos” Masterclass
1 PM
FREE RSVP Required
Penn Hillel
Offsite
MAKING “BAD SHABBOS”
Masterclass with Daniel Robbins and Zack Weiner
Co-Presented by Penn Cinema and Media Studies
Since debuting at the 2024 Tribeca Festival and winning an Audience Award, “Bad Shabbos” has become a sensation within Jewish communities around the world. After playing over 50 different Jewish film festivals, the film has since rolled out into theaters nationwide and grossed over $1.5 million, including a months-long run at New York’s Quad Cinema. In this free masterclass, writer-director Daniel Robbins and co-writer Zack Weiner will discuss their collaborative process, break down specific scenes from the film, and how they managed to capture lightning in a bottle and find success with an independently-produced production in a tumultuous time for the film industry. The talkback will be followed by a Q&A portion and a meet-and-greet with the filmmakers. Light refreshments provided.
Bios
Daniel and Zack started making videos together in an orthodox Jewish high school, where the goal was to entertain the students and not upset the Rabbis. Since then they’ve gone on to make four feature films together, the most recent of which is “Bad Shabbos.”
“Bad Shabbos” is a laugh-out-loud comedy that offers a loving portrayal of a Jewish family, where the goal is not to move away from Judaism, but to incorporate it into their lives. The film stars Kyra Sedgwick, David Paymer, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Jon Bass, Milana Vayntrub, and a bunch of other great actors. The film has played to rave reviews and has been a box office hit across the country – it passed $1 million at the U.S. box office in mid-July.
Daniel Robbins is a NYC-based director. In his films, he takes exciting concepts and grounds them with authentic performances, surprising humor, and propulsive energy. His breakout film PLEDGE was a hit at Fantasia Film Festival and sold to IFC Midnight as well as a streaming deal with Hulu. He also won “Best Director” at Screamfest. His Borat-style comedy feature CITIZEN WEINER debuted in 2024 and is currently available for free on Tubi. And his film BAD SHABBOS won the Audience Award at Tribeca and is currently in theaters.
Zack Weiner is a writer, actor, producer, and prodigal son of New York’s Upper West Side. After writing and acting in a series of shorts, he co-starred in UNCAGED, which streamed on Netflix. He then went on to write and star in the horror hit PLEDGE which sold to IFC Midnight and streamed on Hulu. He’s since run for public office, produced Lionsgate’s DEVIL’S WORKSHOP, co-founded Manhattan Movie Studio, and co-wrote the film BAD SHABBOS.
This event is presented by Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media. Please contact info@phillyjfm.org with any questions.
