Balkan Jazz tells the life story and music of Niko Nissimov and his Jewish friends from the Bulgarian Jazz band, The Optimists. The movie charts their rise to stardom as a band in late 1930s Bulgaria. The beginning of WWII changed everything for them as Bulgaria joined the Axis powers. Anti-Jewish laws and restrictions brought the band to a halt. All men were drafted to slave labor camps, and the entire community was on the verge of extinction. Niko was saved by his friends at the last minute from a transport destined for the death camp of Treblinka. This testimony to friendship is layered with original music recordings of The Optimists. The private photo albums and archival footage help illustrate this amazing story of adventure, creativity, and endless optimism in the face of impossible odds. Balkan Jazz was completed in 2024 and the winner of a few dozen international awards.