THIS MONDAY 2:15PM @ THE TEXAS SPIRIT THEATER AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL
Come experience the Heart of
Warm, funny, and deeply human, ETHAN BLOOM explores faith, grief, first love, and the messy path to finding yourself. Through one boy’s spiritual search, the film reveals a timeless truth: it doesn’t matter if you’re Jewish or Catholic or anything else—we’re all members of the same tribe, asking the same impossible questions, searching for the same comfort.
Watch the Trailer
After losing his mother, thirteen-year-old Ethan finds solace in the Catholic church—a refuge that feels like home, even though he was born into a Jewish family. When his father insists on a bar mitzvah and Ethan’s secret unravels at his girlfriend’s confirmation party, the young seeker must confront the lies he’s told and the grief he’s been running from. Through the wisdom of an unconventional rabbi, the love of his complicated family, and his first romance with a cowboy-boot-wearing girl who can put him in a headlock, Ethan discovers that faith isn’t about choosing sides—it’s about honoring all the messy, beautiful pieces of who we are.
Meet the Cast
Joshua Malina
Gary Bloomfield
Joshua Malina is a celebrated actor known for his iconic roles in “The West Wing” and “Scandal.” His extensive television credits include “The Big Bang Theory,” “Sports Night,” “Inventing Anna,” and “American Horror Story.” On stage, he’s appeared on Broadway in “Leopoldstadt” and “A Few Good Men,” and in films including “The American President” and “A Few Good Men.”
Rachelle Lefevre
Rabbi Dani
Rachelle Lefevre rose to fame playing the villainous vampire Victoria in the Twilight film saga and starred as Julia Shumway in CBS’s hit series “Under the Dome.” In “Ethan Bloom,” she plays Rabbi Dani, an intelligent and soulful spiritual mentor with a disarmingly goofy side. She’s worked alongside prestigious actors including Paul Giamatti, Channing Tatum, and John Cusack throughout her 25+ year career.
Carlos Ponce
Father Diaz
Carlos Ponce is a multi-award-winning actor, singer, and songwriter from Puerto Rico who achieved Double Platinum status with his 1998 debut album. He’s showcased his versatility in projects ranging from “Murder Mystery 2” with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston to “Julie & The Phantoms” and “Couples Retreat.” He holds a Guinness World Record for voicing every character in the Spanish-language Harry Potter Audible saga on Amazon Prime.
Mindy Sterling
Elaine Bloomfield
Mindy Sterling is best known for her iconic portrayal of Frau Farbissina, Dr. Evil’s German henchwoman, in all three Austin Powers films. She’s a two-time Emmy nominee (2017) for Best Actress in Short Form Comedy or Drama for her work on “Con Man” and “Secs and Execs.” Her extensive voice-over career includes “Legend of Korra,” “The Great North,” “American Dad,” and “Family Guy.”
Hank Greenspan
Ethan Bloomfield
Hank Greenspan stars as the title character Ethan Bloomfield in this coming-of-age comedy marking his first film role. He’s best known for playing Grover on CBS’s primetime sitcom “The Neighborhood” for eight seasons alongside Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, and Beth Behrs. He also had a recurring role on Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” as the young version of Justin Foley.
Caroline Valencia
Camille Garcia
Caroline Valencia is best known for her role as Young Mabel (young Selena Gomez) in season 2 of the hit Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building.” She landed her first lead role as Elena in the award-winning film “Land of Gold” which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2022. She can also be seen in Disney’s “The Slumber Party” and as a guest star on “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.”
Filmmaking Team
Herschel Faber
DIRECTOR & PRODUCER
Herschel wrote, directed, and produced Cavemen, a feature-length romantic comedy starring Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect), Camilla Belle, Chad Michael Murray, and Jason Patric, which was released theatrically by Well Go USA in partnership with Warner Brothers. As a screenwriter, he wrote the cult hit Mac and Devin Go to High School starring Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa, and has placed in the semi-finals of the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship and Austin Film Festival.
Maylen Dominguez
WRITER & PRODUCER
Maylen previously worked in development with Minnie Driver at Two Drivers Productions and helped produce content for Latin American television and films at Galan Entertainment, including The ALMA Awards, Los Beltran, and Padre Alberto. As a screenwriter, she won the prestigious Zaki Gordon Award for Screenwriting and an NBC/Universal award for TV writing.
Darmon Moore
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Darmon began his cinematography career in Australia, shooting commercials for major brands like Visa, Emirates, Oreo, and BMX across Australia and Dubai before joining the Australian Cinematographers Society. After relocating to Los Angeles and then Florida, he shot music videos, award-winning short films, the Netflix series The Ultimatum, and the feature film Ethan Bloom.
Robert Schafer
EDITOR
Robert began his career at American Zoetrope editing featurettes for Francis Ford Coppola films and working for industry legends like Coppola and Walter Murch. As senior editor at Zoetrope, he has edited feature films including Coppola’s Megalopolis, Roman Coppola’s A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, and Herschel Faber’s award-winning Cavemen.
Joseph Fogel
PRODUCER
Joseph Fogel is a graduate of the University of Chicago and UC Hastings College of Law with extensive experience in independent film and entertainment law, having produced Cavemen and Ethan Bloom. He has been actively involved with “The Filmmakers Alliance” and possesses a deep understanding of copyright law and entertainment representation.
Jody Friedman
PRODUCER/MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Jody is an accomplished producer whose debut feature Ethan Bloom was recently accepted into the Austin Film Festival and is set for theatrical release. He has supervised and produced music for major studios with credits including Won’t You Be My Neighbor (Focus Features) and television projects for Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and ABC, and currently serves as Music Supervisor for The Bachelor franchise.