Toronto Jewish Film Festival

The Toronto Jewish Film Foundation produces programming and projects offering the best feature films, documentaries and shorts from Canada and around the world, on themes of Jewish culture and identity.  The Foundation is dedicated to using film for its contemporary popular value and accessibility, in order to reflect the diversity of the Jewish experience internationally. TJFF provides an opportunity to heighten awareness of Jewish and cultural diversity around the world to audiences of all cultural backgrounds, and to present films in their original languages, with subtitles, in an effort to break down racial, cultural and religious barriers and stereotypes.

Through the presentation of international and Canadian films, the Festival aims to be both a window to and a mirror of Jewish culture.  The Festival strives to be inclusive of all aspects of the Toronto community, regardless of age, affiliation or income.  We undertake to show films for their contemporary, popular value, and for their ability to address the subject of Jewish identity.  That is, to be a Jewish Film Festival, and not a film festival for Jewish people.

TJFF

Related Events

Archived

November 4, 2024

We will celebrate Leonard Cohen through film, music, and literature, with an exciting program of events.

Archived

November 6, 2024

A special Holocaust Education Week screening of The Spoils (2024), a powerful new documentary that explores the complex struggle for the restitution of Nazi-looted art.

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October 9, 2024

Join us in honouring the Days of Awe with one of the most quietly soulful films of TJFF2024.

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September 25, 2024

What is meant to be a week of unbridled celebration becomes a catalyst for family conflict, as unresolved issues stemming from an old Moroccan tradition rise to the surface.

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August 28, 2024

The international premiere of an upbeat, witty, and timely documentary about the global Yiddish cultural renaissance.

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June 26, 2024

Director Adar Shafran successfully manages to highlight serious issues of systemic racism and wealth disparity with a light touch in this feel-good crowd pleaser.

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June 17, 2024

to July 1, 2024

Introducing all 8 episodes of Sovietzka, the latest binge-worthy Israeli TV comedy series.

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May 23, 2024

Discover the secrets of curating a diverse lineup at TJFF2024, from Liverpool to Algeria. Uncover stories of mob bosses, art thefts, and more!

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June 2, 2024

to June 6, 2024

A good old-fashioned Yiddish melodrama newly restored by the National Center for Jewish Film. 

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June 1, 2024

Professor Ariel Schweitzer will present three films on which Winner and Atary worked together.

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May 30, 2024

On a cold night in 1961, a young record store owner walked into Liverpool’s Cavern Club and discovered the greatest pop act the music world would ever see. So begins the story of Brian Epstein, the man who found The Beatles.

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June 2, 2024

While contextualizing this new era within the larger history of Israeli film, Dr. Schweitzer will discuss trends and themes that emerged over the past twenty years.

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June 1, 2024

to June 8, 2024

TJFF is pleased to present the following series that offers a cross-section of modern Israeli cinema, with special guests, discussions and a film masterclass.

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April 17, 2024

TJFF participates in National Canadian Film Day with a forgotten gem.

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April 10, 2024

Sasson Gabai offers an immensely moving performance as Shimon, an Israeli who arrives in Paris to visit an old friend and spend time with his daughter, who has settled there with her husband and child.

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May 15, 2024

In this captivating and surprisingly nuanced musical set in the euphoria of Israel’s 1967 victory, the lives of two couples from Kibbutz Netzer Sirani take dramatic turns post-war.

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May 30, 2024

to June 9, 2024

TJFF 2024  will feature the best in Jewish-content film from Canada and around the world including International, Canadian and Toronto Premieres.

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March 3, 2024

Palme d’Or winning director Marco Bellochio tells the true story of the Mortara family, set in the Jewish quarter of Bolongna in 1858.

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February 25, 2024

Filmmakers Duki Dror and Yossi Bloch offer a chronological account of the massacre at the Supernova Music Festival through the eyes of the individuals who endured it.

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March 20, 2024

In collaboration with the Toronto Jewish Film Foundation this series showcases the finest of Israeli cinema, fostering cultural connection.

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February 11, 2024

Two-time Oscar winner Sir Anthony Hopkins plays Sir Nicholas Winton, who rescued 669 children from the Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in the months leading up to World War II.

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January 31, 2024

In collaboration with the Toronto Jewish Film Foundation this series showcases the finest of Israeli cinema, fostering cultural connection.

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December 1, 2023

to December 31, 2023

TJFF is proud to be part of Shine A Light a North American initiative taking place in December to harness a communal expression of solidarity to call out and combat antisemitism.

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January 17, 2024

Join the THM and TJFF for a screening of Nicky’s Family (2011), an inspiring and emotional retelling of the extraordinary efforts of Sir Nicholas Winton. 

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December 5, 2023

Join us for a special teachers-only FilmMatters screening of The Un-Word (Germany, 84 minutes, German with English subtitles)..

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December 10, 2023

Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall) strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.

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November 2, 2023

to November 12, 2023

Michael Kretzmer’s documentary exposes the scope of Lithuanian Holocaust denial by describing the experiences of two dissident campaigners for truth, Grant Gochin and Silvia Foti.

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December 13, 2023

Join us for our international film series. Come an hour early and enjoy a tasty meal inspired by the film.

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November 5, 2023

The Toronto Holocaust Museum and the Toronto Jewish Film Foundation present a screening of the new documentary, Nathan-ism.

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September 21, 2023

to October 15, 2023

TJFF presents an encore presentation of the special curated series exploring how the screen persona of actor Saul Rubinek emerged in some of his earliest roles on Canadian television.

Archived

September 20, 2023

Set in the twenty-four hours before the Nazi invasion of Ukraine, SHTTL tells a story about life, love and hope set in an unnamed Yiddish Ukrainian village at the border of Poland.

Archived

August 13, 2023

Join us for a summer cinema experience at the Prosserman JCC in the Honey & Barry Community Park.

Archived

August 6, 2023

Join us for a summer cinema experience at the Prosserman JCC in the Honey & Barry Community Park.

Archived

July 6, 2023

Winner of TJFF2023’s Audience Award! Featuring an in-person Q&A with writer/creator/star Shaina Silver-Baird, writer/creator Michael Goldlist, and director Daniel AM Rosenberg.

Archived

June 10, 2023

This collection of films, showcasing a mix of filmmaking styles, offers a window into the physical and mental spaces that help define today’s Canadian Jewish experience.

Archived

June 11, 2023

From the cosmopolitan streets of pre-war Berlin, to the shtetlach in Poland and Lithuania to the Princeton offices of Albert Einstein, Vishniac’s achievements in art and science invited praise and controversy.

Archived

August 30, 2023

Winner of the Audience Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival and nominated for fourteen Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars) including Best Film. 

Archived

June 11, 2023

to June 14, 2023

Set in the twenty-four hours before the Nazi invasion of Ukraine, SHTTL tells a story about life, love and hope set in an unnamed Yiddish Ukrainian village at the border of Poland. Amid communal tensions between tradition and modernity.

Archived

June 4, 2023

A musical comedy about modern Jewish life, unabashedly set in Toronto.

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June 1, 2023

The Man in the Basement is a suspenseful psychological thriller and a timely exploration of antisemitism.

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May 16, 2023

Join TJFF for a NextGen event, featuring future stars of Jewish cinema.

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April 19, 2023

TJFF presents special a free screening of the Canadian classic, The Quarrel, set in 1948, and beautifully shot in Montreal’s Mount Royal Park. 

Archived

June 1, 2023

to June 11, 2023

The 31st Edition of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival is coming June 1st-11th!  

Archived

May 10, 2023

Join the Prosserman JCC for the international film series with TJFF. This month we will travel to Ukraine with Anton.

Archived

March 20, 2023

to April 2, 2023

Fans of Shtisel will rejoice over this coming-of-age story of Feigi, a young, troubled woman in a tight-knit ultra-orthodox religious sect.

Archived

March 23, 2023

Join us for the international film series with our partner The Toronto Jewish Film Foundation (TJFF).This month we will travel to France and Israel with Kidon.

Archived

January 15, 2023

to February 15, 2023

In recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, TJFF and MnJcc are proud to co-present TACHELES and THE GERMAN LESSON as part of Goethe-Institut Toronto’s “Then & Now” Program, part of the Echo-Verse.

Archived

February 5, 2023

to February 7, 2023

Filmmakers Irene Angelico and Abbey Neidik follow Irwin Cotler and his team of young activists at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre as they take on the cases of political prisoners and human rights activists battling against the world’s most repressive regimes. 

Archived

February 15, 2023

Combining farce and slapstick with tenderly poignant moments, Let My People Go! is a wonderfully entertaining look at the ups and downs of love and family.

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January 18, 2023

This charming road movie delivers an uplifting message about life, family and the kindness of strangers.

Archived

December 4, 2022

The issue of antisemitism as subject for cinema has always been hotly contested. Professor Eric Goldman’s in-depth examination of these films proves quite revealing.

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November 6, 2022

In honour of Holocaust Education Week 2022, TJFF is proud to partner with the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre to screen this riveting cinematic adaption of Jean-Philippe Daguerre’s Molière Award-winning play.

Archived

November 10, 2022

to November 13, 2022

Using entirely archival footage, Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa meticulously reconstructs and visualizes the historical context of this event.

Archived

October 23, 2022

to October 26, 2022

The plight of the Kurdish people living under Syrian rule is highlighted with a satiric edge in Mano Khalil’s masterful autobiographical film.

Archived

October 2, 2022

to October 13, 2022

A beautifully-rendered and sensitive love story set in Italy during the holiday of Sukkot.

Archived

September 11, 2022

to September 18, 2022

A tribute to the late groundbreaking television journalist, producer and documentarian Patrick Watson, with an online screening of three Jewish-themed episodes of his much-lauded series Witness to Yesterday.

Archived

August 28, 2022

The story of the extraordinary Dutch war hero Truus Wijsmuller, who saved more than 10,000 people during WW2. 

Archived

April 10, 2022

to April 13, 2022

Persian Lessons is a unique and spellbinding drama by Ukrainian Jewish director Vadim Perelman (The House of Sand and Fog).

Archived

June 9, 2022

to June 26, 2022

TJFF2022 features the best in Jewish-content film from Canada and around the world including International, Canadian and Toronto Premieres.

Archived

March 7, 2022

to March 9, 2022

To mark the passing of theatre icon Martha Henry last year, we present a double-bill of two of her early performances from the first decade CBC television. 

Archived

February 24, 2022

to February 27, 2022

With great affection, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Daniel Raim captures the humor and drama of director Norman Jewison’s quest to re-envision the beloved stage hit as a wide-screen epic.

Archived

February 3, 2022

to February 6, 2022

The story of Tamar Manasseh, the African American rabbinical student who is leading the fight against senseless killings on the south side of Chicago.

Archived

December 2, 2021

to December 5, 2021

An exploration of antisemitism in France, from its origins in the Middle Ages to today, and how the situation in France speaks for its rise around the world. 

Archived

November 18, 2021

to November 21, 2021

A charming comedy from Israel, featuring a terrific cast that includes Shlomo Bar-Aba (Footnote), Dov Glickman (Shtisel), and Joy Rieger (Past Life).

Archived

October 14, 2021

to October 17, 2021

Celebrated Canadian playwright and filmmaker Jason Sherman goes to Israel to search for the tree that was planted there in his name on the occasion of his bar mitzvah at Toronto’s Beth Tikvah Synagogue forty years ago.

Archived

September 9, 2021

to September 12, 2021

To honour the Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, TJFF presents a heartwarming Israeli classic about a High Holiday miracle.

Archived

June 13, 2021

to June 14, 2021

A heartfelt drama inspired by a true story. An unlikely duo in Paris join forces to tackle systemic neglect towards those marginalized by society.

Archived

June 4, 2021

to June 6, 2021

Co-writer and co-director Aviva Armour-Ostroff, well known in the Toronto theatre community, delivers a mesmerizing lead performance in this dynamic film about politics, religion, the mental health care system, and parenting.

Archived

June 3, 2021

to June 6, 2021

The little-known and inspiring story of how a group of Jewish immigrants helped shape Toronto into one of the most successful multicultural cities in the world by creating affordable, quality, rental housing for post war immigrants. (Closed Captioning available)

Happening Now

May 1, 2021

to December 31, 2024

FilmMatters, is the Toronto Jewish Film Foundation’s educational outreach programme for elementary – secondary school students and teachers across the GTA. 

Archived

May 6, 2021

to May 15, 2021

A look at films that have illuminated one of history’s most traumatic events, featuring a carefully curated collection of iconic films as well as our discussions with filmmakers, historians, experts and exclusive introductions.

Archived

June 3, 2021

to June 13, 2021

TJFF 2021 features over 60 films, including International, Canadian and Toronto Premieres, all accessible for viewers in Ontario.

Archived

April 22, 2021

to April 25, 2021

Academy Award nominee Dror Moreh (The Gatekeepers) expertly chronicles the behind-the-scenes story of how the United States came within reach of pulling off the impossible—securing peace between Israel and its neighbours.

Archived

March 17, 2021

to March 24, 2021

The Consulate General of Israel in Toronto & Western Canada is pleased to announce the participation of internationally-acclaimed filmmaker Yonatan Nir in an exclusive moderated discussion on his debut documentary film Dolphin Boy.

Archived

March 8, 2021

to March 9, 2021

An honest and beautiful movie with breathtaking cinematography about Hagit, a young woman with a cognitive disability, who is challenged with employment, love, marriage, family involvement and housing. etc…

Archived

March 10, 2021

to March 14, 2021

The Toronto Jewish Film Foundation and The Montreal Israeli Film Festival are thrilled to invite you to an exclusive sneak peek at the long-awaited new season!

Archived

February 27, 2021

to February 28, 2021

An illuminating exploration of how political, financial and messianic interests intersect, ultimately reshaping American policy towards Israel and the Middle East. 

Archived

February 7, 2021

A special screening and Zoom Panel Discussion as Toronto filmmaker Gabrielle Zilkha revisits her critically-acclaimed 2016 documentary.

Archived

February 1, 2021

to February 3, 2021

Morley Torgov is an award-winning writer, who brought to life stories about Jewish communities in small-town Ontario with humour, warmth and a critical eye.

Archived

January 21, 2021

to January 22, 2021

Set against the beauty of Montreal, this is a sensitive love story that will delight fans of the miniseries Unorthodox.

Archived

October 30, 2020

to November 1, 2020

Equal parts Abba, disco and camp, the Swedish international pop group sensation, Army of Lovers, is the subject of this rollicking, upbeat documentary.

Archived

November 1, 2020

to November 2, 2020

During the Civil Rights era, Jewish leaders worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King to advance racial equality.

Archived

October 25, 2020

Back by popular demand, professor Marc Lapadula returns to TJFF to examine some of the memorable work by filmmakers.

Archived

October 22, 2020

to October 25, 2020

Acclaimed director Eytan Fox returns to TJFF with a poignant depiction of the transformative power of love through a cross-generational encounter.

Archived

October 29, 2020

to October 31, 2020

TJFF presents an eclectic collection of wonderful new shorts films from around the world, produced in the Yiddish language.

Archived

October 22, 2020

to November 1, 2020

Featuring over 50 Films, including 4 North American Premieres, 19 Canadian Premieres and 10 Toronto Premieres International, Canadian and Toronto Premieres!

Archived

September 22, 2020

to September 24, 2020

To honour the Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, TJFF is proud to offer this special online screening and Zoom Q&A.

Archived

August 27, 2020

A panel discussion as part of The Honest Ed’s Experience with Lulu Wei, Itah Sadu, Franca Longobardi, and Ken Greenberg, Gene Mascardelli.

Archived

August 25, 2020

to September 2, 2020

TJFF and OJA present a special screening series celebrating the life and legacy of Jewish impresario Ed Mirvish and his beloved discount store, Honest Ed’s, a landmark for generations of immigrants upon their arrival in Toronto.

Related Exhibitions