ELLENVILLE, NY — The third annual Borscht Belt Film Fest, taking place Friday through Sunday, November 6 through 8, announced its opening-night film, “We Met at Grossinger’s,” about the Catskills resort that inspired the movie “Dirty Dancing.” A reception will be held on Friday at 5 p.m. at the Borscht Belt Museum, 90 Canal St.

During the opening reception, the festival will honor the late Elaine Grossinger Etess with its first-ever Legacy Award, which will be accepted on her behalf by her children and grandchildren.

The film is a journey into the Borscht Belt and the iconic resort that defined an era of Jewish American life, organizers wrote. “Amid widespread prejudice, Grossinger’s offered Jews and other marginalized communities an oasis of belonging and escape from New York City, attracting legends like Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Jackie Robinson and Eleanor Roosevelt.”

Filmmaker Paula Eiselt “resurrects this vanished world with warmth and intimacy, celebrating the enduring richness and influence of Jewish American culture. Watch the trailer at www.youtu.be/oB86n-qIaII.” 

“Opening this year’s festival with ‘We Met at Grossinger’s’ feels like the perfect way to celebrate the Borscht Belt and the incredible legacy it left behind,” said film fest director Melody Gilbert. “And honoring the late Elaine Grossinger Etess with our very first Legacy Award makes the evening even more special. It’s a chance to celebrate the people who made the Borscht Belt what it was and to make sure their stories live on for generations to come.”

The reception will feature Borscht Belt-style noshes and cocktails, music by the Starlight Duo, “and an evening of celebration and reminiscence.” Guests are encouraged to dress in their best Borscht Belt-era cocktail attire. 

At 7 p.m. that night, all are invited to Shadowland Stages (157 Canal St.), for a screening of the film, followed by a talkback with producer Robert Friedman and members of the Grossinger family. 

Tickets for the fundraising reception and screening cost $125 and include admission to the reception and the 7 p.m. screening. Purchase tickets at www.givebutter.com/BBFFopening2026. Tickets are limited, so get them while you can.

The full film lineup for the film fest will be announced soon. For updates and tickets, visit www.borschtbeltfilmfest.org.

The Borscht Belt Film Fest is sponsored by the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum, and is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Borscht Belt resort era and celebrating its history as a refuge from bigotry, as the cradle of stand-up comedy and as a cultural catalyst that left deep imprints on America, organizers said.