There’s nothing quite like a holiday tradition. Whether it’s the classic Jewish Christmas ritual of going to the movies and dining on a feast of Chinese takeout or a latke-making party, holiday traditions bring us closer to our loved ones. They help us create indelible memories spanning the generations. And they just make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Here at Hey Alma, our favorite holiday tradition is the annual Hey Alma Hanukkah movie pitch challenge. We revel in the opportunity to read the work of you, our readers, and rile up some winter holiday cheer (with a healthy dose of friendly competition). Which is why we’re bringing back the contest for a seventh year in a row!
Last year, we received so many inspired and original entries, from a time-traveling revenge thriller to a queer romance with a Sarah Sherman look-alike contest to a “Nobody Wants This” cinematic universe buddy comedy with Esther and Rebecca. Speaking of, did we mention there was also a mountain of hot rabbis? Because there were so. many. hot. rabbis. Only one pitch could be the winner, however. That honor went to Sarah Muszynski’s “The Royal Mohel.” It was, after all, a cut above the rest.
Here’s the poster we made for Sarah’s magnum opus — as per usual, Hey Alma’s graphic designer Avital Dayanim absolutely killed it:
Like in previous years, the contest parameters are wide open: You can pitch us any genre of film. It can be about a Jew celebrating Hanukkah. Or a Jew on Christmas. Or a Jew just generally living through the December holidays. We’ll take gritty action films. Epic historical romances. An animated family romp. Or, obviously, you can stick with the classic and give us the cheeseball Hanukkah Hallmark film of your dreams.
Will the winning movie idea get made? Sorry, the answer to that is still no. (Or at least, we won’t be making it.) However, the winner will get fame, glory and a custom-designed digital movie poster for their idea that they are free to brag about until the next Festival of Lights.
The details:
- Enter by using this form. Submissions will be open until Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 9 a.m. ET. We are looking for the name of your Hanukkah movie and a one-paragraph description of the plot. Feel free to namedrop the cast, though that is not required. Take inspiration from last year’s finalists.
- On Dec. 5, check back here for how to vote on the finalists.
- We’ll announce the winner on Dec. 15 — in time for you to brag about it all Hanukkah long!
We can’t wait to read all your entries!
