SFJFF 45
Piedmont Theatre
August 3, 2025
Nomi (Jackie Tohn), a musician recently dropped by her band just before a European tour, takes a last-minute job as a camp counselor at Camp Daveed. Her best friend Mara (Sarah Podemski), who runs the financially ailing camp, is struggling with a failing septic tank and dwindling resources. Nomi is assigned to oversee a group of campers nicknamed “the floaters,” kids who refuse to join in anything. The diverse and lovable group of misfits makes for good comedy as each individual brings a new and exciting chip on their shoulder to the table. Nomi accepts the task and commits to staging a camper-written play of questionable merit.
No coming-of-age film is complete without a good villain, and Seth Green delivers with gusto as Daniel, the leader of a rival camp who throws down a financial challenge to Camp Daveed. His snarky, over-the-top antics are exactly what Green does best. If Camp Daveed wins the competition, their septic woes and potential closure will be resolved. With lots of immature sneering and put downs, lines are drawn in the sand and suddenly, the ante has been upped for “the floaters" to deliver a winning performance.
From there, the film unfolds through a delightful series of interpersonal relationships, deeply woven into the fabric of Jewish camp culture. Bullies are confronted, shy kids find their voices, dance parties light up the night sky, and Breakfast Club–style confessions bring the ensemble closer together. We’ve seen versions of these characters before, but this cast elevates the familiar archetypes with warmth and dimension, immersing viewers in a web of established friendships and rivalries.
While Mara strives to make Camp Daveed inclusive and accessible, The Floaters largely sidesteps the growing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A female camp rabbi pushes for “hard conversations,” offering to discuss Israel and “all the ways Torah has excluded or offended you,” but she’s quickly silenced due to fears of backlash from parents.
Still, the film portrays a rich, diverse spectrum of Jewish identity. This is, at heart, a tender coming-of-age story that embraces everyone from the ultra-conservative to queer Jewish Asians, uniting them in the unique feeling that only summer camp can conjure. The script is funny, and a seasoned ensemble brings a distinct personality to each scene. Cleverly filmed in a way that is reminicent of old photographs and soft summer light, The Floaters knows how to grab your attention and keep it to the end. The summer camp community feels tangible throughout. You can practically smell the Elmer’s glue and teen angst baked into the bunk beds.
Smart, sweet, and satisfying, The Floaters delivers a happy dose of fleeting summer magic wrapped up in nostalgia while taking on issues relatable to newer generations. The film is director Rachel Israel’s second feature and enjoyed its West Coast premiere at Sunday’s screening as the finale of SFJFF 45.
