FilmMatters @ TJFF2026

Interested in an educational film screening for your students?

Don’t miss the chance to bring your students to the following free films during the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, running June 4 – June 23

Each film includes a tailored study guide to help bridge the conversation from the cinema to the classroom.

THE SECRET FLOOR

Germany/Austria/Luxembourg, 96 minutes

German with English subtitles

Recommended for Grades 6-8 (ages 10-13)

Themes: Familial Relationships, Friendships, History

When 12-year-old Karli moves to an old hotel in the Alps, he discovers an elevator that harbours a secret – it’s a magical time portal that transports him back to 1938! There, he befriends Hannah, a spirited Jewish girl, and Georg, a shoeshine boy. But when Georg is falsely accused of stealing, the children must solve a mystery case hidden within the hotel’s walls, all while the shadow of Nazi Germany begins to grow around them.

Monday, June 8 at 10am

Spadina Theatre (Alliance Française)

24 Spadina Rd
Toronto ON

Tuesday, June 9 at 10am

Leah Posluns Theatre, Prosserman JC

4588 Bathurst St
North York ON

To book seats or be added to the waitlist for this screening contact Susan Starkman at filmmatters@tjff.ca

MY FATHER'S SECRETS

France/Belgium, 74 minutes

French with English subtitles

Recommended for Grades 7-9 (ages 11-14)

Themes: Holocaust, Father-son relationships, Family Dynamics

Featuring a post-film Q&A and live sketching demonstration from author & cartoonist Michel Kichka

Based on the graphic novel by renowned Israeli author and cartoonist Michel Kichka, My Father’s Secrets is a poignant story of a family living in the shadow of the Holocaust. Growing up in 1960s Belgium, Michel and his younger brother Charly know that their father is hiding a secret but his refusal to speak about his past casts a shadow on their otherwise happy childhood. Similar to Maus, the choice to render the story through animation allows the viewer to process a tale of generational trauma at a distance while underscoring the transformative power that art played in Michel’s relationship with his father.

Wednesday, June 10 at 10am

Spadina Theatre (Alliance Française)

24 Spadina Rd
Toronto ON

Thursday, June 11 at 10am

Leah Posluns Theatre, Prosserman JC

4588 Bathurst St
North York ON

To book seats or be added to the waitlist for this screening contact Susan Starkman at filmmatters@tjff.ca

*Please note: the trailer is in English, but the film will be presented in its original language French with English subtitles.

Check out the FilmMatters Online catalogue
for other films available to screen by request

FilmMatters at TJFF2025 is sponsored by: