Travel the world through film! Presented by the Springfield JCC and now in its 18th year, the Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival proudly continues its tradition of showcasing award-winning films from around the globe. PVJFF presents critically acclaimed films that not only entertain, but also provide opportunities for reflection, discussion, and a deeper understanding of our complex, diverse world. Join us for a multifaceted cinematic exploration of Jewish identity, community, and history.

Schedule of Events

April 4, 2024

7:00 PM - Seven Blessings at Basketball Hall of Fame

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION to precede the film at 6:15 PM

In Israel's official entry for the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film, Seven Blessings revolves around an eventful Jewish Moroccan family wedding and the traditional blessings that are pronounced during the ceremony, again at the reception, and then again for the next seven nights with loved ones hosting special dinners in the couple's honor. Behind the facade of joie de vivre and togetherness, there are secrets, lies, and a painful old wound that forces them to confront the past while challenging the present, all entwined in this acclaimed story about fury, forgiveness, and food. Winner of 10 Israeli Academy Awards (Ophirs), including Best Picture.

MATURE THEMES
DRAMEDY | 2023 | 108 MINUTES | ISRAEL
ARABIC/HEBREW/FRENCH WITH SUBTITLES
DIRECTED BY AYELET MENAHEMI

April 6, 2024

8:00 PM - Rabbi on the Block at Springfield JCC

Tamar Manasseh, the charismatic rabbi and community activist from the south side of Chicago, wants African Americans and Jews to become closer allies. With one foot firmly in each of these two communities, Black Jews like Tamar are the natural bridge to help overcome decades of fear, misunderstanding, and lack of communication. Rabbi on the Block is a feature-length documentary film that shows how Manasseh brings together Jews of all colors and is building bridges that will serve as the foundation for a revitalized alliance of African Americans and Jews while creating a new style of activist Judaism that takes the religion out of the synagogue and into the streets.

DOCUMENTARY | 2023 | 88 MINUTES | USA
DIRECTED BY BRAD ROTHSCHILD

April 7, 2024

1:00 PM - Remembering Gene Wilder at Greenfield Garden Cinemas

This loving tribute to Gene Wilder celebrates his life and legacy as the comic genius behind an extraordinary string of film roles, from his first collaboration with Mel Brooks in ¬e Producers to the enigmatic title role in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to his inspired on-screen partnership with Richard Pryor in movies like Silver Streak. It is illustrated by a bevy of touching and hilarious clips and outtakes, never-before-seen home movies, narration from Wilder's audio-book memoir, and interviews with a roster of brilliant friends and collaborators like Mel Brooks, Alan Alda, and Carol Kane. Remembering Gene Wilder shines a light on an essential performer, writer, director, and all-around mensch.

Post-screening discussion with Larry Hott, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and co-owner of Florentine Films/Hott Productions

DOCUMENTARY | 2023 | 90 MINUTES | USA
DIRECTED BY RON FRANK

7:00 PM - The Catskills at Tower Theaters

The Catskills is a humorous and nostalgic tribute to what became affectionately known as the Borscht Belt. Stand-up comedians share their best shtick while former waiters, entertainers, and dance instructors recount tales of the family-run resorts and bungalows that inspired films like Dirty Dancing. Featuring home movies, publicity photos, postcards, and menus, this time capsule provides an overview of Jewish immigration to New York going back to the early twentieth century. Director Lex Gillespie maps the development of the vacation destination, from a refuge for working-class Jews seeking a respite from poverty in overcrowded New York City tenements to a lavish summer playground for the affluent. This delightful film tracks the dramatic influx, peak, and decline of "the Jewish Alps." From lox to herring, this celebration of Jewish-American life is all you can eat.

DOCUMENTARY | 2023 | 86 MINUTES | USA
DIRECTED BY LEX GILLESPIE

April 8, 2024

7:00 PM - All About the Levkoviches at Greenfield Garden Cinemas

The generous but stubborn boxing coach, Tamas gets along well with everyone but his own son. They have not spoken since the boy, Ivan moved to Israel and became religious in an orthodox community. When Tamas' beloved wife, Zsuzsa dies unexpectedly, Tamas agrees with his son that he can come and sit the Shiva in his house as long as he brings his grandson, Ariel with him. As past conflicts resurface, they embark on an unexpected journey of self-reflection and reconciliation. Father and son are not just obliged to face their old grievances during the one-week religious mourning but to help Ariel deal with his own grief and his obsession that grandma's spirit is still in the house.

DRAMA | 2024 | 85 MINUTES | HUNGARY
HUNGARIAN/HEBREW WITH SUBTITLES
DIRECTED BY ADAM BREIER

April 9, 2024

1:30 PM - Martha Liebermann: A Stolen Life at Springfield Museums

Berlin,1943. Upperclass widow Martha Liebermann could never have imagined having to leave her beloved homeland at the age of 85. As a Jew, however, her only choice is to go abroad or wait to be deported to a concentration camp. e high reputation and valuable paintings of her world-famous artist husband Max Liebermann still give her protection. But for how much longer? Martha's friends pressure her into an illegal sale to finance her escape with Hanna Solf 's resistance group. When the situation escalates dramatically and she even has to fear for her faithful housekeeper Luise, Martha Liebermann shows her true wisdom and greatness.

Post-screening discussion with Simon Sibelman, Professor Emeritus of Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies at Appalachian State University, and former Executive Director of the Virginia Holcaust Museum Co-sponsored by Dr. Marc and Suze Goldman

DRAMA | 2023 | 88 MINUTES | GERMANY
GERMAN WITH SUBTITLES
DIRECTED BY STEFAN BUHLING

April 9, 2024

7:00 PM - Deadly Deception at Sobibor at Springfield JCC

Using ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography, archaeologists electronically image the hidden features of Sobibor, a site where approximately 250,000 Jews were brutally murdered in gas chambers, and where the entire camp was subsequently dismantled by the Germans. This film also sheds light on the extensive 10-year investigation conducted by a team of experts, including geoscientists, archaeologists, and geographers, which uncovered further proof of Nazi Germany's e orts to erase the evidence of their Holocaust crimes. Narrated by acclaimed actress Tovah Feldshuh, the film chronicles the painstaking archaeological e orts to reveal the extent of the Nazi cover-up as they systematically destroyed the camp, concealing their atrocities within the depths of a forest.

Post-screening discussion with director Gary Hochman
Co-sponsored by Betsy and Joel Bertuzzi
DOCUMENTARY | 2023 | 103 MINUTES | USA
DIRECTED BY GARY HOCHMAN

April 10, 2024

1:30 PM - The Monkey House at Northampton Center for the Arts

A once-successful novelist tries to revive his fading career by launching a highly inventive plan with the help of an enigmatic young actress. Set in the 1980s, legendary Israeli director Avi Nesher's latest film is a delightful, sophisticated mixture of literary mystery, witty comedy, and moving character study a la Almodovar melodrama, as two lost souls make a connection that alters their lives forever. Nominated for 11 Israeli Academy Awards (Ophirs.)

ADULT LANGUAGE
DRAMEDY | 2023 | 121 MINUTES | ISRAEL/ITALY
HEBREW/ITALIAN WITH SUBTITLES
DIRECTED BY AVI NESHER

7:30 PM - Rapito (Kidnapped) at UMass Amherst

In 1858, in the Jewish quarter of Bologna, the Pope's soldiers burst into the home of the Mortara family. By order of the cardinal, they have come to take Edgardo, their seven-year-old son. e child had been secretly baptized by his nurse as a baby and the papal law is unquestionable: he must receive a Catholic education. Edgardo's parents, distraught, will do anything to get their son back. Supported by public opinion and the international Jewish community, the Mortaras' struggle quickly takes a political dimension. But the Church and the Pope will not agree to return the child, to consolidate an increasingly wavering power.

Co-sponsored by Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival

DRAMA | 2023 | 134 MINUTES
ITALY/FRANCE/GERMANY
ITALIAN/HEBREW WITH SUBTITLES
DIRECTED BY MARCO BELLOCCHIO

April 11, 2024

7:00 PM - Running on Sand at Basketball Hall of Fame

Aumari, a young Eritrean refugee living in Israel, is about to be deported back to his home country. After a spontaneous escape attempt at the airport, he is mistaken for a Nigerian striker, who is supposed to arrive at the same time. Aumari seizes the opportunity and benefits of his change of identity as the new key acquisition for the team of ‘Maccabi Netanya'. Despite the absence of any soccer talent, Aumari is able to cover up and heal the divisions of his struggling team, while a tender romantic bond with the charmingly unconventional daughter of the team owner is growing.

Post-screening Q & A with The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants Co-sponsored by Jewish Family Service

DRAMA | 2023 | 104 MINUTES | ISRAEL
HEBREW WITH SUBTITLES
DIRECTED BY ADAR SHAFRAN

Date: April 4 - 11, 2024

Cost:
General Admission: $12
Students and Seniors (65+): $11
Rapito (Kidnapped)
screening at UMass Amherst: Free

Locations:
Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 West Columbus Avenue, Springfield, MA 01105
Springfield Jewish Community Center, 1160 Dickinson Street, Springfield, MA 01108
Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
Tower Theaters, 19 College Street, South Hadley, MA 01075
Greenfield Garden Cinemas, 361 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield, MA 01103
Springfield Jewish Community Center, 1160 Dickinson Street, Springfield, MA 01108
Northampton Center for the Arts, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA 01060
University of Massachusetts Flavin Auditorium Isenberg School of Management, Amherst, MA 01002
Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 West Columbus Avenue, Springfield, MA 01105

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