Schedule of Events:

Thursday, February 13, 2025

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 [email protected].

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: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts - 7380 E 2nd St Scottsdale, AZ 85251

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Sunday, February 16, 2025

3:00 PM: Bad Shabbos

Hilarious contemporary comedy about a Shabbos terribly gone wrong. David and Meg - an engaged interfaith couple - plan to introduce the bride’s Catholic parents from Wisconsin to the groom’s Jewish neurotic family at a Shabbat family dinner in New York. That is, until an accidental dead body gets in the way of introductions! The cast includes favorites Kyra Sedgwick and David Paymer, as well as a tour de force comic performance by rapper Method Man. The perfect recipe for a delightful evening!

No Harm Done 2023 16 minutes  French w/subtitles Sarah Stern 
A week after giving birth, Mila faces her son’s circumcision, a tradition she never questioned but now finds herself uncertain about.

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

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3:00 PM: Running On Sand

In this comic drama of mistaken identities, an illegal Eritrean refugee in Israel fleeing deportation at the airport is mistaken for a famous Nigerian soccer player. A struggling Israeli soccer team has been waiting for the player to arrive at the airport to help them to victory – and fans mistake the refugee for the soccer star. The Eritrean, Aumari, goes along with the charade to avoid arrest. Although he doesn’t excel at soccer, the positive force of his personality aids the team in unexpected ways. This delightful film will steal your heart. Nominated for the Israeli Academy Award for Best Film.

Scottsdale
Sauna Dreams 2024 18 minutes English Bryan Seversky
A comedy about the World Sauna Championships.

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

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Peoria
Kibitzer 2023 9 minutes German w/subtitles Yaar Harell                
“Kibitzer” is set in early 1900s Germany. It tells the story of Mona, a young Jewish girl, her pregnant mother and her father, a struggling fisherman.

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

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7:00 PM: Blond Boy from the Casbah

Travel back in time and become immersed in the close-knit Sephardic Jewish community of 1960s Algeria in this engaging drama. Using a fictional protagonist who is a filmmaker, director Alexandre Arcady tells his own story of growing up within a loving family in Algiers before civil war dispersed the Jewish community. This story is told as a “film within a film”, framed by the main character’s return to Algiers years later with his son, to present his newest film (about his life) in his old hometown.

A Reuben by Any Other Name 2010 4 minutes English Jeremy Dylan Lanni
Takes a hilarious look at the differences between Orthodox and Reform Judaism in terms of the Reuben sandwich.

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

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7:00 PM: Come Closer

Winner of 5 Israeli Academy Awards, including Israel’s “Best Film of the Year”. In this provocative contemporary drama, twenty-year-old Eden has lost her closest person in the world, her younger brother Nati, who met with an unexpected accident. She becomes obsessed with finding Nati’s secret girlfriend, and the girls bond – both emotionally and physically, over their shared grief, until the relationship becomes dangerous. The mood is raw and edgy. COME CLOSER is loosely based on the director’s personal loss of her own brother, the son of renowned filmmaker Avi Nesher.

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

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7:00 PM: Midas Man

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

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Monday, February 17, 2025

11:00 AM: Shari and Lamb Chop

This delightful documentary is about children’s television star and ventriloquist Shari Lewis and her beloved sock puppets Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy and Charlie Horse. Lewis was a pioneer of children’s television who took her responsibility quite seriously to create a safe and non-judgmental space for kids. Winner of 13 Emmy Awards and a Peabody, Shari Lewis was also a talented singer, dancer and magician who wrote over 60 children’s books. This warm and nostalgic film shares her life story and celebrates her lasting contribution to American children’s entertainment.

Vitebsk Mostly Kosher 2024 5 minutes English Keith Ellis Mitchell
A Music Video featuring marionettes of band members and villagers.

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

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

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7:00 PM: Mazel Tov

An Argentinian comedy about four siblings who are about to gather for the sister’s wedding and a family Bat Mitzvah in Argentina – but their father unexpectedly has a stroke and passes away. When brother Dario arrives from Miami, the siblings must decide whether to go forward with the celebrations during the mourning period. Of course, no one agrees – and so begins the family drama! Past hurts emerge and misunderstandings are uncovered. Viewers will fall in love with these quirky characters, their recognizable sibling relationships, and the joys, shortcomings and strengths found within most loving families.

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

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Tuesday, February 18, 2025

3:00 PM: Avenue of the Giants

Beautiful intergenerational film about how the sharing of one’s emotional trauma can lead to healing and transformative friendship. Based on a true story, the film focuses on Herbert Heller, a Holocaust survivor who has kept his experiences during the war a secret for 60 years – even from his own family. When Herbert encounters a troubled at-risk teen coping with her own personal trauma, he recognizes the pain and begins to speak openly for the first time about his past to try to help her heal. Incredibly touching and skillfully produced, the film will resonate with viewers long after viewing.

Out of Sight 2023 8 minutes Hebrew w/subtitles Tamar Dadon-Raveh
Set in 1946, two European Jewish girls meet aboard a ship on its way to Israel and share stories of their survival in hiding during the Holocaust.

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

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3:00 PM: Glory of Life

Many are familiar with writer Franz Kafka, but few are familiar with the story of Kafka’s love affair with Polish Zionist Dora Diamant towards the end of his life. This beautifully filmed drama focuses on their relationship. Kafka meets Dora in a Baltic seaside town where he is convalescing, and the two become a pair and move to Berlin. He is dying of tuberculosis and his parents, German Jews, disapprove of the relationship. With Dora, Kafka is able to experience an intimacy he’s never known in this tragic story of like minds and fierce devotion.

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

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7:00 PM: Bliss

This contemporary Israeli drama presents an authentic slice-of-life portrait of a married couple who are both working to capacity to keep their loved ones financially and emotionally secure. Consummate Israeli actors Sasson Gabay and Assi Levy play the couple - Sassi (73) and Effi (50) – who have a loving marriage despite the age difference. Their world explodes when two unexpected visitors appear. First, Sassi’s grandson comes for an extended visit. Then Effi has a surprise visitor at her workplace, shaking Effi to the core and unearthing a secret from her past. Family, love and loyalty are all tested in this touching story.

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

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Wednesday, February 19, 2025

3:00 PM: Centered: Joe Lieberman

CENTERED brings to life the remarkable journey of Joe Lieberman, the late Senator who made history as the first Jewish Vice-Presidential candidate. Ever a trailblazer, Lieberman was known for his humor, his independence, and for prioritizing what he believed to be right — sometimes earning the ire of his longtime colleagues. As political and societal divides deepen, Lieberman's legacy demonstrates how principled leadership, rooted in courage and integrity, can help us find common ground and move forward together.

The films producer, Rob Schwartz, will join us for a talkback after the film.

Rob Schwartz is a visionary leader and the founder of Hidden Light Institute, a nonprofit film production studio focused on creating documentaries about historic Jewish and Israeli figures. He also produced UPHEAVAL: The Journey of Menachem Begin, the first English-language documentary on the Israeli leader.

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

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7:00 PM: Blond Boy from the Casbah

Travel back in time and become immersed in the close-knit Sephardic Jewish community of 1960s Algeria in this engaging drama. Using a fictional protagonist who is a filmmaker, director Alexandre Arcady tells his own story of growing up within a loving family in Algiers before civil war dispersed the Jewish community. This story is told as a “film within a film”, framed by the main character’s return to Algiers years later with his son, to present his newest film (about his life) in his old hometown.

A Reuben by Any Other Name 2010 4 minutes English Jeremy Dylan Lanni
Takes a hilarious look at the differences between Orthodox and Reform Judaism in terms of the Reuben sandwich.

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

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Thursday, February 20, 2025

3:00 PM: 999: The Forgotten Girls

Amazing true story of how 999 unmarried, young Jewish women from Slovakia, most of them teenagers, became the first official transport to Auschwitz in March 1942. Who were these young women and how did a small number of them survive over 3 years in Auschwitz? Based on an international bestseller by Heather Dune Macadam, this powerful film sheds light on their formerly untold stories from a totally female perspective, based on archival documents and interviews with survivors now in their ‘90s.

Preceded by a short film by a local artist.

The Golems of Ostrol?ka (2024) 9 minutes English Jacob Adler
Rabbi Yitzchak Bia?ystok is the first to succeed in creating a Mechanical Golem, a fully autonomous robot made of iron and steel, designed to defend the shtetl’s inhabitants from pogroms.

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

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3:00 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: Harkins Chandler Fashion - 3159 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler, AZ 85226

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7:00 PM: Pink Lady

Bati, an ultra-Orthodox woman in Jerusalem, seems to have the perfect life until she discovers that her husband Lazer is gay. Lazer has been secretly having relations with men and is being blackmailed within their community. The rabbis send him to therapy to try to make him straight. Bati tries new ways to entice him , trying to preserve her marriage for herself and her children, as the pair still love one another. Beautifully acted, PINK LADY is a poignant drama that sensitively wrestles with a very real problem within the Haredi world.

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

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7:00 PM: Rachel's Game

Home cook Rachel, a sort of Ma Dalton, has raised her sons Sam and Jeremiah, and her grandson Nathan, in the cult of conning. From bad plans to petty theft, this friendly family of broken arms is always after the big score. Luck or fate, during a burglary, they steal a painting by Tamara de Lempicka without knowing its value. Céleste, a shrewd and charming detective, sets out in pursuit.

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

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Saturday, February 22, 2025

8:00 PM: Bad Shabbos

Hilarious contemporary comedy about a Shabbos terribly gone wrong. David and Meg - an engaged interfaith couple - plan to introduce the bride’s Catholic parents from Wisconsin to the groom’s Jewish neurotic family at a Shabbat family dinner in New York. That is, until an accidental dead body gets in the way of introductions! The cast includes favorites Kyra Sedgwick and David Paymer, as well as a tour de force comic performance by rapper Method Man. The perfect recipe for a delightful evening!

Fault (2019) 8 minutes English Eric Ian Goldberg
Past grudges, fresh injuries, bad serves and death threaten the weekly tennis match of four lifelong friends.

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

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Sunday, February 23, 2025

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

Buy Tickets

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

Buy Tickets

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

Buy Tickets

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 [email protected].

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

Buy Tickets

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

Buy Tickets

Monday, February 24, 2025

7:00 PM: Glory of Life

Many are familiar with writer Franz Kafka, but few are familiar with the story of Kafka’s love affair with Polish Zionist Dora Diamant towards the end of his life. This beautifully filmed drama focuses on their relationship. Kafka meets Dora in a Baltic seaside town where he is convalescing, and the two become a pair and move to Berlin. He is dying of tuberculosis and his parents, German Jews, disapprove of the relationship. With Dora, Kafka is able to experience an intimacy he’s never known in this tragic story of like minds and fierce devotion.

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

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Tuesday, February 25, 2025

3:00 PM: Janis lan: Breaking Silence

One of the most recognizable figures of the 1960s, Janis Ian created music that challenged society. From a chicken farm in New Jersey to becoming one of the music icons of the ‘60s, singer/songwriter Ian made her mark over the decades as both a Civil Rights and a gay activist. She recorded her first song at 13. At 16, Ian’s legendary song “Society’s Child”, about an interracial relationship, broke the charts. The film includes interviews with singers, music professionals, and with Ian herself – as well as footage of many of her famous songs.

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

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7:00 PM: Halisa

Sarah (Noa Koler) is a 41–year-old nurse who works with underprivileged mothers and their infants at a Children’s Health Center in Israel. Yearning to have a child of her own, the divorced Sarah has been unsuccessfully going through fertility treatments. Then she meets Anya – a desperate 18-year-old who needs to leave the country with her derelict boyfriend – and a moral and ethical dilemma ensues. Noa Koler (“The Wedding Plan” and “Checkout”) delivers an exceptional, warm and touching performance. Nominated for 5 Israeli Academy Awards.

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

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Wednesday, February 26, 2025

3:00 PM: Left Alone Rhapsody

Do you want to be inspired? Pianist John Bayless, a protégé of Leonard Bernstein, wowed audiences when he debuted at Carnegie Hall at age 25. After a successful thirty year career as a soloist, composer and improviser, Bayless suffered a left-brain stroke at age 54 that paralyzed his right side. With the help of his husband, Bayless became determined to reinvent himself as a one-handed musician, also converting to Judaism through the process. His incredible music is a testament to his creativity, faith and his tenacity to never give up.

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

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7:00 PM: Family: Oys and Joys

A Program of Short Films

The Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival’s inaugural short film program presents eight engaging films offering glimpses into Jewish family life. With warmth, humor and insight, these stories explore life’s oys and joys, bridging generations and capturing the heart of Jewish family dynamics. Family—whether cherished, challenged or simply tolerated-crosses borders, languages, and cultures, uniting us all.

I Love You More 2024 8 minutes English Lucas Press 
A Jewish mother and daughter navigate difficult conversations about religion, expectations, and the depths of one’s love.

The Eighth Day 2023 11 minutes English Jonah Weinstein
When Noah and Jonah’s parents arrive at their home expecting a traditional bris for their grandson, the couple is forced to reveal that they had something very different in mind for their son.

Arguments 2019 14 minutes English Saul Rubinek      
A devout Jewish father refuses to accept his daughter’s choice in partner.

We Should Eat 2024 9 minutes English Shaina Feinberg
When a family gathers for dinner and to be part of a 12-year-old’s school project on identity, people rethink who they are and what they want to eat.

The Schnoz 2020 12 minutes English Justine Priestley
When Lydia’s grandmother bestows a precious gift upon her, she knows it’s going to be memorable – “this is something to treasure your whole life.”

The Puerto Rican Jew 2024 12 minutes English Louis Carrasco
A man finds out he is half-Jewish after taking a DNA test.

No Harm Done 2023 16 minutes French w/subtitles Sarah Stern
A week after giving birth, Mila faces her son’s circumcision, a tradition she never questioned but now finds herself uncertain about.

They’re With Me 2011 15 minutes English Rachel Fleischer
Rachel is a neurotic, lovesick, thirty-year-old, whose broken engagement has left her emotionally paralyzed. But all of that is about to change, when her dead relatives show up to help her move forward with her life.

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

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Thursday, February 27, 2025

3:00 PM: Avenue of the Giants

Beautiful intergenerational film about how the sharing of one’s emotional trauma can lead to healing and transformative friendship. Based on a true story, the film focuses on Herbert Heller, a Holocaust survivor who has kept his experiences during the war a secret for 60 years – even from his own family. When Herbert encounters a troubled at-risk teen coping with her own personal trauma, he recognizes the pain and begins to speak openly for the first time about his past to try to help her heal. Incredibly touching and skillfully produced, the film will resonate with viewers long after viewing.

Preceded by a short film.

Out of Sight 2023 8 minutes Hebrew w/subtitles Tamar Dadon-Raveh
Set in 1946, two European Jewish girls meet aboard a ship on its way to Israel and share stories of their survival in hiding during the Holocaust.

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

Buy Tickets

3:00 PM: Here Lived

How does one memorialize innocent victims of atrocities in meaningful ways that impact the living? German conceptual artist Gunter Demnig came up with the concept of “Stolpersteines” (stumbling stones) – concrete blocks topped with hand-stamped brass plates with the names and fates of victims of the Holocaust. The blocks are laid into the pavement in front of the last home of the murdered victim. This documentary looks at the process of creating the stones, focusing specifically on Stolpersteines for Jewish victims in the Netherlands (many of them hidden children), and including interviews from surviving family and acquaintances. Currently there are over 100,000 Stolpersteines located in over 30 European countries.

Preceded by a short film.

Inked: Our Stories Remarked  2024  22 minutes English Dara Bratt
“Inked” is an exploration into a captivating yet complex, new phenomenon—in which third generation descendants of Holocaust survivors choose to remember their ancestors through commemorative Holocaust tattoos.

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

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7:00 PM: Four Winters

A powerful documentary about Jewish partisans during the Holocaust with incredible personal testimonies. Over 25,000 Jews escaped to the forests of Poland, Belarus, the Ukraine and Lithuania and fought the Nazis in every way they could. They blew up trains and bridges and staged armed attacks and acts of sabotage against the enemy. Many of the partisans were young men and women in their teens who demonstrated exceptional courage despite danger and loss. Through archival film footage and interviews, we have proof that during the Holocaust, Jews resisted when possible and did not simply go “like sheep to the slaughter”.

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

Buy Tickets

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

Buy Tickets

Sunday, March 2, 2025

11:00 AM: Matchmaking 2

After breaking box office records with their first film, the good guys are back on the big screen to make you fall in love with them all over again. A 28 year-old graduate yeshiva student, who has long missed every opportunity to get married, continues to live at the yeshiva where he serves as the faithful assistant to the matchmaker. When he picks up the matchmaker's daughter from the airport, he decides it’s time for him to get married. But when he is matched to someone else, he resolves to do everything he can to thwart the match. Directed by Erez Tadmor, who is a special guest and director of our Opening Night film SODA.

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

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3:00 PM: Four Winters

A powerful documentary about Jewish partisans during the Holocaust with incredible personal testimonies. Over 25,000 Jews escaped to the forests of Poland, Belarus, the Ukraine and Lithuania and fought the Nazis in every way they could. They blew up trains and bridges and staged armed attacks and acts of sabotage against the enemy. Many of the partisans were young men and women in their teens who demonstrated exceptional courage despite danger and loss. Through archival film footage and interviews, we have proof that during the Holocaust, Jews resisted when possible and did not simply go “like sheep to the slaughter”.

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

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3:00 PM: Property

This fresh, original drama tells the story of Mika, a “20 something” modern Israeli who accompanies her grandmother on a trip to Poland in an attempt to reclaim her grandmother’s family home that was confiscated during the war. The feisty grandmother and naturalistic, independent Mika each carry secrets. Mika has met an endearing Polish tour guide, and her grandma reconnects with a man connected to her hidden past. Based on an award-winning graphic novel by Rutu Modan.

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

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3:00 PM: Running On Sand

In this comic drama of mistaken identities, an illegal Eritrean refugee in Israel fleeing deportation at the airport is mistaken for a famous Nigerian soccer player. A struggling Israeli soccer team has been waiting for the player to arrive at the airport to help them to victory – and fans mistake the refugee for the soccer star. The Eritrean, Aumari, goes along with the charade to avoid arrest. Although he doesn’t excel at soccer, the positive force of his personality aids the team in unexpected ways. This delightful film will steal your heart. Nominated for the Israeli Academy Award for Best Film.

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

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7:00 PM: Bad Shabbos

Hilarious contemporary comedy about a Shabbos terribly gone wrong. David and Meg - an engaged interfaith couple - plan to introduce the bride’s Catholic parents from Wisconsin to the groom’s Jewish neurotic family at a Shabbat family dinner in New York. That is, until an accidental dead body gets in the way of introductions! The cast includes favorites Kyra Sedgwick and David Paymer, as well as a tour de force comic performance by rapper Method Man. The perfect recipe for a delightful evening!

The Schnoz 2020 12 minutes English Justine Priestley
When Lydia’s grandmother bestows a precious gift upon her, she knows it’s going to be memorable – “this is something to treasure your whole life.”

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

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7:00 PM: Midas Man

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

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Date: February 13-March 2, 2025

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