Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival

Schedule of Events:

11:00 AM: October H8te

Since October 7, virulent antisemitism has erupted in America on college campuses, social media and in the streets. In October H8te, Executive Producer Debra Messing and Director Wendy Sachs present a powerful exploration of what this antisemitism looks like and how very dangerous it is – not just to Israel, but to the United States as well. The film includes interviews with students, academics and well-known individuals including Mosab Yosef (son of Hamas’s co-founder), Deborah Lipstadt, Dan Senor, US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Noa Tishby and Sheryl Sandberg.

Location: Scottsdale Harkins Shea - 7354 East Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260

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3:00 PM: Catskills

This delightful documentary is a celebration of the historic Jewish “vacationland” known as “The Catskills”. The film covers 1920-1989 and offers an excellent overview of major Catskills resorts including Grossingers, Grand Mountain Hotel, The Concord, Kutshers, Homowack Lodge, the Bungalow Colonies and more. Lively music and personal anecdotes - from Catskills workers, comedians and former guests – brings viewers on a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Preceded by a short film.

The Source of All Beauty 2023 19 minutes Hebrew w/subtitles Rachel Levy
Yaeli, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish young woman, carries a terrible secret that may destroy all her chances of future happiness.

Location: Peoria Harkins Arrowhead - 16046 N Arrowhead Fountains Center Dr, Peoria, AZ 85382

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3:00 PM: Pravednik

Russian drama about the little known true story of Nicolai Kiselyov, a Soviet non-Jewish partisan, who was responsible for saving the lives of over 200 Jews facing death in the Nazi occupied village of Dolginovo, Belarus in 1941. Together with the “Avenger” partisan group, Kiselyov led the group, comprised mainly of women, children and the elderly on a dangerous 1500 kilometer journey to freedom. Kiselyov was later recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations” at Yad Vashem.

NOTE: The film will have one 15-minute intermission.

Location: Harkins Chandler Fashion - 3159 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler, AZ 85226

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3:00 PM: This Is My Mother

This beautiful film combines a rare mix of humor and pathos. Pierre, a florist in his 30’s, has his world interrupted when Judith – his eccentric-but-loveable bi-polar mother – pops in on his life after years without contact. Judith has escaped the residential home where she lives and receives treatment. Judith livens up the world wherever she lands, disrupting Pierre’s careful life and his love relationship. Can mother and son, through exploring their rocky past, find a way past the hurt to a place of acceptance, understanding and. compromise? Includes an outstanding performance by lifetime Cesar Award winning actress Agnes Jaoui as the mother.

Location: Scottsdale Harkins Shea - 7354 East Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260

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7:00 PM: Polish Women

Shocking true story of how Polish Jewish women in the early 20th century, fleeing poverty and persecution, were duped by Jewish sex traffickers and forced to become prostitutes in Latin America. This Brazilian drama tells the story of Rebecca, a woman who travels with her young son to Rio de Janeiro to join her husband, only to learn that he has died. Unable to make ends meet, she has no choice but to work in the brothels to keep her son alive. This powerful story includes nudity and violence.

Location: Scottsdale Harkins Shea - 7354 East Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260

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7:00 PM: Soda

Nominated for 3 Israeli Academy Awards, this wonderful historical drama follows a group of former Resistance fighters and young Holocaust survivors who settle as a community in 1950s Israel. The group works at the local soda bottling plant. Their leader – played by the enigmatic Lior Raz (Fauda) – is a married man who is intrigued by the beautiful neighbor (Rotem Sela) who moves in next door – a woman rumored to have been a Kapo during the Holocaust. Directed by Erez Tadmor and loosely based on his Partisan grandfather. Special Opening Event in Scottsdale at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. The film will be followed by a talkback with the costars and the director. In Peoria the film will be preceded by the short I LOVE YOU MORE.

Followed by questions and answers on stage with the stars, Lior Raz and Rotem Sela, and the director, Erez Tadmor.

Note: Special pricing for Opening Night tickets: $25 each.
Passes and donor voucher ticket packs will be honored, with a reservation. Please send any questions or your pass reservation to support@gpjff.org.

Lior Raz is an Israeli actor, writer, and producer, best known for co-creating and starring in the hit TV series Fauda, which portrays the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of an elite counterterrorism unit. Born in 1971 in Israel, Raz served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a special forces soldier, which deeply influenced his work. His career spans both television and film, with Fauda earning international acclaim for its gritty realism and compelling storytelling.

Rotem Sela is an Israeli actress, model, and television host, known for her roles in popular Israeli TV series and her work in the fashion industry. Born in 1983, Sela gained widespread recognition for her performances in Beauty and the Baker and The Baker and the Beauty. Beyond acting, she is also a prominent media personality and has been involved in various social causes throughout her career.

Erez Tadmor is an Israeli director and screenwriter known for his distinctive storytelling in film and television. He directed GPJFF selections A Matter of Size (2009), The Art of Waiting (2019), Matchmaking (2022), Children of Nobody (2022), and this year Soda and Matchmaking 2. He also directed Helen Mirren in Golda (2023). Tadmor’s work is marked by a deep emotional resonance and his ability to tackle complex human experiences through compelling narratives.

Location: Peoria Harkins Arrowhead - 16046 N Arrowhead Fountains Center Dr, Peoria, AZ 85382

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7:00 PM: Song of Ascent

Matisyahu, the famous Jewish reggae inspired singer/songwriter, visits Israel in the aftermath of October 7, performing concerts throughout the country to provide support and show unity. This compelling documentary follows Matisyahu as he meets with survivors of the massacre, as well as army officers who were on-site and family members of the victims. The film also looks at the extreme antisemitism erupting after October 7, resulting in the cancellation of many of his concerts in the U.S. and Europe. Reactions to his concerts demonstrate that music can have a powerful effect on trauma.

Location: Harkins Chandler Fashion - 3159 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler, AZ 85226

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