top of page
ABOUT THE FILM
"A visually stunning climbing film and a deeply
moving human story."
-- The Sun Independent
"Inspirational in all the right ways with terrific storytelling from beginning to end, Looking UP is a film to watch for."
-- The Independent Critic
"A powerful message of resilience."
-- The Miami Times
Looking UP is the inspiring story of Eitan Armon, a young man facing encroaching blindness who takes on the challenge of climbing the world’s most epic granite wall.
At age 20, while serving in the military, Eitan is diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare and incurable genetic disease that causes blindness. With only 5% of his central vision remaining, Eitan decides to challenge himself and ascend Yosemite’s daunting El Capitan. Looking Up documents Eitan’s journey and resilience, demonstrating the endless possibilities for those who approach life with positivity.
WINNER
TRAILER
TRAILER
Bios
BIOS
EITAN ARMON
Eitan is a veteran IDF paratrooper, where he was named the outstanding soldier of his company. After getting diagnosed with RP, Eitan was medically discharged from the military and enrolled at Columbia University, where he studied neuropsychology. Eitan was a Phi Beta Kappa honors graduate and a Rhodes Scholar finalist. Since graduating, Eitan has been applying the lessons he learned through his own patient experience and positive psychology research by working to raise awareness for RP and emerging treatments. Eitan serves as a mentor to others with visual impairments and as a member of the Foundation for Fighting Blindness Strategic Council. Professionally, Eitan works as a financial analyst covering healthcare services companies.
In his spare time, Eitan is an avid skier and hiker, rabid Boston sports fan, and loves dancing with his friends and family.
ELENA NEUMAN
Producer/Director
Elena is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of NeumanFILMS based in New York City. Looking UP marks Elena’s feature film directorial debut, for which she won the New York Women in Film and Television Award for Excellence in Documentary Directing. Elena’s short film about four Holocaust survivors, People Forget, New Haven Remembers, aired on Connecticut Public Television and is currently streaming on CPTV. Elena co-produced/directed Wishmakers, a short film about an award-winning wine produced by mentally handicapped adults. The film won the International Gold Medal from the World Humanitarian Awards and an award of merit at IndieFEST. Elena has also produced content for many educational and non-profit organizations.
Previously, Elena was an associate producer at Manifold Productions where she worked on three PBS films: The Fall of Newt Gingrich, Rediscovering George Washington, and God and the Inner City. A graduate of Cornell and Yale Universities, Elena spent her early career as a print journalist before segueing into documentary filmmaking. When she's not making films, Elena loves hiking, biking and skiing in the mountains. Filming in Yosemite was a dream come true.
Photos
PHOTOS
CREDITS
Credits
Directed and Produced by: Elena Neuman
Director of Photography: Dani Tenenbaum
Mountain Cinematography:
Damian Benegas and Nils Bailey
Editor: Dennis Clark
Original Score by: Michael Bryan Stein
Impact Producer: Chen Drachman
Original Song "Looking UP"
Written and produced by Michael Bryan Stein
Performed by Edan Tamler
Color and Online Editor: Kyle Kelley
Sound Mix: Matthew Kulewicz
Additional Cinematography:
John Rossi
Tom Shaked
Motion Graphics: Michael Barnett
Trailer Editor: Mathew C. Ein
Yosemite Production Assistant: Bianca Fidani
Yosemite Climbing Assistant: Filipe Randis
Consulting Producer: Andrew Mer
Festival Consultant: Nancy Collet
Publicists:
Noy Drachmann
Becoming Dragon PR
Amy Prenner
The Prenner Group
Wendy Zipes Hunter
Suzie Cornell
Prana PR
Social Media:
Jess Mills, Oui Oui Marketing
Featuring (in order of appearance) :
Eitan Armon
Jay Lefkowitz
Willie Benegas
Tamar Arenson
Rami Armon
Dr. Edwin Stone
Dr. Tal Ben Shachar
Robert Heidenberg
Filming Locations:
Yosemite National Park, CA
New York, NY
Salt Lake City, UT
Hackensack, NJ
Wasatch National Forest, UT
Silver Spring, MD
Ra'anana, Israel
Iowa City, IA
Englewood, NJ
Closter, NJ
West Nyack, NY
Run Time: 01:11:34
Accessibility features:
Captions and Audio Description
WHERE TO SEE
Where to See
NJ JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
March 11, 2026 @ 1 PM
MetroWest, NJ
Q&A AFTER SCREENING
WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roesch-njjff-looking-up-tickets-1981381841425
Bender JCC of Greater Washington
April 12, 2026 @ 7 PM
Rockville, MD
Q&A AFTER SCREENING WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
https://www.benderjccgw.org/calendar/cinema-j-looking-up/
Kaplan JCC on the Palisades
April 30, 2026 @ 6:30 PM
Tenafly NJ
Q&A AFTER SCREENING WITH EITAN ARMON,
TAMAR ARENSON ARMON AND DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
https://www.simpletix.com/e/looking-up-film-premiere-tickets-251246#location
Begin Center
May 11, 2026 @ 7 PM
6 Nahon St.
Jerusalem ISRAEL
Q&A AFTER SCREENING WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
AND CAST-MEMBER JAY LEFKOWITZ
VISIONS 2026: UNITED IN VISION CONFERENCE
Fort Worth Conference Center
June 12, 2026
Fort Worth TX
Q&A AFTER SCREENING WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
https://www.fightingblindness.org/visions-2026
Ann Katz Festival of Books and Arts
JCC Indianapolis
Oct. 25-Nov. 12, 2026
Indianpolis IN
PAST SCREENINGS
Miami Jewish Film Festival
January 12, 2025 @ 6:30 PM
Miami FL
FINALIST FOR AUDIENCE AWARD
DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival
February 27, 2025 @ 12:30 PM
and February 29 @ 11:15 AM
St. George UT
ANNAPOLIS Film Festival
March 30, 2025 @ 12:30 PM
Annapolis MD
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival
April 23 @ 1:30 PM
April 24 @ 7:45 PM
Dubuque IA
CESJDS
May 16, 2025
Rockville MD
Aspen Screening to benefit Challenge Aspen
August 12, 2025 @ 5 PM
Aspen CO
Lonely Seal Film Festival
August 24, 2025 @ 3 PM
Boston MA
WINNER JURY AWARD BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Richmond International Film Festival
September 28, 2025 @ 4:30 PM
Bowtie Cinemas
Richmond VA
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
October 9, 2025 @ 1:30 PM
October 10, 2025 @ 7:30 PM
Chagrin Valley Little Theater
Chagrin OH
SOHO International Film Festival
October 9, 2025 @ 7:45 PM
Regal Union Square Theater 14
NEW YORK NY
WINNER NYWIFT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
IN DOCUMENTARY DIRECTING
FINALIST FOR AUDIENCE AWARD
Newport Beach Film Festival
October 18, 2025 @ 1 PM
The Big Newport
Newport Beach CA
Twin Cities Film Festival
October 19, 2025 @ 12 PM
Minneapolis MN
St. Louis International Film Festival
November 11, 2025 @ 5 PM
& November 13, 2025 @ 5 PM
St. Louis MO
POST-SCREENING Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
Breaking Down Barriers Film Festival
November 9, 2025
Moscow RUSSIA
FESTIVAL OF ARTS
Jewish Federation of South New Jersey
Cherry Hill NJ
November 11, 2025 @ 7 PM
POST-SCREENING Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
and CAST-MEMBER ROBERT HEIDENBERG
Spirit Film Festival
November 13, 2025 @ 3 PM
November 14, 2025 @ 3:45 PM
November 15, 2025 @ 2:30 PM
Tel Aviv ISRAEL
Kayenta Center for the Arts
BEST OF FEST DOCUTAH
Dec. 5, 2025 @ 7:30 PM
Ivins UT
Raanana Theater
December 7, 2025 @ 7 PM
Raanana ISRAEL
POST SCREENING Q&A
WITH ELENA NEUMAN, DIRECTOR
JAY LEFKOWITZ, CAST
SIGAL SAHAF ILAN, LIROT
DR. DROR SHARON, HEBREW UNIVERSITY
AND DR. GILAD LITVIN, CMO OF CorNEAT
Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
in partnership with ReelAbilities
December 9, 2025 @ 7 PM
New York NY
POST-SCREENING Q&A
WITH EITAN ARMON AND DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
DENVER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
Wednesday, January 28, 2026 @ 7 PM
Denver CO
Q&A AFTER SCREENING WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
AND CAST-MEMBER JAY LEFKOWITZ
JCC Tokyo
February 15, 2026
Tokyo JAPAN
REMOTE Q&A AFTER SCREENING WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
AUSTIN JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
February 19, 2026 @ 7 PM
Austin, TX
Q&A AFTER SCREENING WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
JBI Library
Remote Screening with Audio Description
Q&A AFTER SCREENING WITH DIRECTOR ELENA NEUMAN
PRESS
press
"Stunning cinematography, heart-pounding climbing sequences and an intimate exploration of personal struggle."
-- The Independent
"This is the kind of film audiences love to see."
-- Richard Propes, The Independent Critic
"A powerful message of resilience."
-- The Miami Times
"An emotional and deeply inspiring portrait of perseverance and positivity."
-- IndieWrap
IMPACT AND ADVOCACY
IMPACT
“Let go of everything you can’t control and focus on what you can.”
We are focused on raising awareness about Retinitis Pigmentosa and living boldly with disability. LOOKING UP is proud to collaborate with impactful organizations to raise awareness
for blinding diseases and living with visual and other disabilities.
We are always interested in collaborating with communities committed these goals. If
you’d like to work with us, please reach out to Chen at
gracedragonproductions@gmail.com
For more information about our impact campaign, please click here.
bottom of page