WELCOME TO THE 31st TORONTO JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Helen Zukerman, M.S.M

Artistic Director
(Credit: Ryan Emberley)

In 2020, when Covid first reared its ugly head, TJFF was the first Festival to go online because of the excellence of Jeremie Abessira, our Director of Operations and the team at TJFF, who made magic and took us there.

Films and filmmaker interviews from around the world became the reality of the day as we escaped from the world of lockdowns.

At that time, on a radio interview about the Festival, I made this passionate statement.

“When this nightmare is over, as it will be someday, I hope we all remember how important the arts were in taking us away from the nothingness of lockdown days that stretched before us. The arts nurtured our souls”.

Thankfully, those days did come to an end we are free to rejoin the world of arts and entertainment.

Last year, for our 30th Festival we held Opening Night in person, encouraging masks and social-distancing. Much to our delight, a few hundred people came out. For most of them, it was their first foray into a public gathering and they could not stop smiling: they were so happy to be there.

For Festival 31, we have planned more in-person screenings with guests, as we continue to re-engage with the world of international film as we begin to play again.

As summer approaches, with good weather on the way, we encourage you to join us for some special programs to celebrate Jewish film from around the world.

Whether with us at the theatre or in your home theatre, we’re waiting for you.

Let the celebration begin!

A note about the TJFF Legacy Endowment Fund

The TJFF Legacy Endowment Fund was created to ensure the future of the Festival for our children, grandchildren and the many filmgoers that appreciate the existence of films celebrating Jewish culture all over the world.

If you are interested in learning more about the need for such a fund, please do not hesitate to contact me either at the in-person screenings or by e-mail: helenz@tjff.ca

Allison Martin

Chair

On behalf of the Board of Directors, welcome to TJFF2023!

Once again, our talented programmers have curated an amazing selection of films from around the world for your viewing pleasure.

We are once again offering films for viewing both in-theatre and online via the TJFF Virtual Cinema. We have, however, made some tweaks from last year’s format – this year we will be presenting both formats from June 1 – June 11. Some programs will only be available in-theatre, and some will only be available online. Many will be presented both in-theatre AND online – so be sure to check your programming guide for all the details.

A few other things to note – should you choose to join us online, your film will be available for your viewing pleasure for 48 hours from 12:01am on the release date. Flex Passes can be used to purchase tickets for in-theatre and online presentations. The choice is yours!

When purchasing your tickets, there is an option to make a charitable donation to The Toronto Jewish Film Foundation. It is so easy and every dollar makes a difference! If you are not in a position to donate financially this year, please remember that there are many ways to support TJFF. If you haven’t already, please join our social media pages (please see links at bottom of this page) and spread the word!

Most importantly, thank-you for supporting the Toronto Jewish Film Festival. Whether this is your first or 31^st Festival – it is because of you, our audience, that we have been able to do what we do year after year.

We hope you take advantage of all the spoils that this year’s Festival has to offer.…….

SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES!!!

Allison Martin
Board Chair