My Ioannina Odyssey
August 6 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT
Film Screening & Conversation with Award-Winning Filmmakers Gary Glassman and Manya Branham Glassman
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center at the Dwares JCC
401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, RI
Join the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center and the Rhode Island International Film Festival for a special screening of My Ioannina Odyssey, followed by a live conversation with award-winning filmmakers Gary Glassman and Manya Branham Glassman.
When a mysterious box filled with century-old ship manifests, family photographs, and long-forgotten documents arrives at their doorstep, Gary, with his wife Joan Branham and their daughter Manya, embark on a journey to Ioannina, Greece, the ancestral home of the Romaniotes, one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities. As they trace their family’s history through a medieval city rich with memory and tradition, they uncover stories of miracles and murder, love and loss, resilience and survival. Their deeply personal journey offers a rare window into the remarkable history and enduring legacy of Romaniote Jewry.
Following the 33-minute screening, stay for a conversation with the filmmakers as they discuss the inspiration behind the documentary, their research and travels, the filmmaking process, and why preserving the history of the Romaniote Jewish community remains so important today.
About the Filmmakers
Gary Glassman is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and founder of Providence Pictures. During a career spanning nearly four decades, he has produced more than sixty documentaries for PBS, NOVA, National Geographic, History, Discovery, and broadcasters around the world. His work has earned seven Emmy Awards, two Writers Guild Awards, and numerous international honors.
Manya Branham Glassman is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, editor, and graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her films have screened at major festivals, and she recently received recognition for her short film How I Learned to Die. She served as co-director and co-cinematographer of My Ioannina Odyssey, bringing a fresh intergenerational perspective to the family’s story.
About the Film
- Runtime: 33 minutes
- Country: United States / Greece
- Languages: English and Greek (with English subtitles as applicable)
- Directors: Gary Glassman & Manya Branham Glassman
- Genre: Documentary Short
This screening is presented as part of the 44th Annual Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF).
Tickets are available through the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Please use the registration link below to reserve your seats.
Register here.
