A heartfelt and hilarious camp comedy, The Floaters explores friendship, identity, and second chances through the chaos of Jewish summer traditions.

Recently kicked out of her band and desperate for direction, Nomi (Jackie Tohn) reluctantly takes a job at Camp Daveed, the Jewish summer camp she once attended—now run by her childhood best friend, Mara (Sarah Podemski). With the camp in disarray (including a catastrophic plumbing failure), Mara assigns Nomi to supervise a group of misfit teens known as the floaters, who don’t quite fit in with the camp’s traditions or cliques.

When a Maccabiah Games challenge with $30,000 in prize money is issued by rival Camp Barak—run by Nomi and Mara’s longtime nemesis, Daniel (Seth Green)—Nomi sees a chance to redeem herself, even if it means pushing boundaries and risking Mara’s trust. While other campers focus on athletic competition, Nomi’s group brings a comic sketch—written by Jonah (Judah Lewis) and inspired by Avraham begging G-d to save Sodom and Gomorrah by finding 10 righteous people in Genesis 18:32—to life. As tensions mount, Nomi and the floaters must find common ground, rise to the challenge, and redefine what it means to leave a legacy.

Unless you count my two-week stint at BBYO’s CLTC program, I never did the full Jewish sleepaway camp experience growing up. But I did spend plenty of summers attending day camp at the Jewish Community Center back home. Attending CLTC—much like my later Birthright trip—played a key role in shaping who I am today. My Jewish identity, even more than my transgender identity, defines the very core of my existence.

There’s a lot to appreciate about The Floaters. It’s not just the rare opportunity to see Jewish joy onscreen in the form of a summer camp comedy. One of the things I truly loved was how every Jewish role is played by a Jewish actor. That choice adds an authentic flavor that so many studio films lack. If you’re going to set a film at a Jewish summer camp—especially one in the Catskills—it matters that the casting reflects the culture. Hollywood often talks about authenticity, but Jews are regularly excluded from that conversation. Fortunately, indie films like The Floaters and Bad Shabbos are starting to push back.

The filmmakers shot the film at Camp Tel Yehudah in Barryville, New York, a real-life camp founded in 1948 and run by Young Judaea, the oldest Zionist youth movement in North America. It’s also where the parents of three producers attended, so the project feels deeply personal. While The Floaters focuses more on the camp experience than religious ritual, there is a beautiful Havdalah ceremony to mark the end of Shabbat. The camp’s rabbi, Rabbi Rachel (Aya Cash), knew Nomi and Mara back in their camper days.

The film’s premiere at Bentonville came at a time when Jewish joy is more necessary than ever. I pressed play on the screener less than an hour after hearing about the outbreak of the most recent Israel–Iran war. With friends and family in Israel, I was overwhelmed, anxious, and desperate for some kind of emotional lifeline. The Floaters didn’t erase the anxiety—but for 101 minutes, it offered a funny, warm, and deeply Jewish story that brought about the joy we’re still capable of holding onto, even in the hardest moments.

The Floaters blends camp nostalgia and heartfelt comedy with a multigenerational lens, capturing both the chaos and connection that define summer—and growing up.

DIRECTOR: Rachel Israel
SCREENWRITERS: Brent Hoff and Andra Gordon & Amelia Brain
CAST: Jackie Tohn, Sarah Podemski, Aya Cash, Judah Lewis, Nina Bloomgarden, Jake Ryan, Ben Krieger, Max Samuels, Jim Kaplan, Jacob Moskovitz, Thani Brant, Jillian Jordyn, Bekah Zornosa, Jill Kargman, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Dan Ahdoot, with Seth Green and Jonathan Silverman and Steve Guttenberg

The Floaters held its world premiere during the 2025 Bentonville Film Festival in the Narrative Competition. Upcoming screenings include the 2025 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Grade: 4/5

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