After two years of being held entirely online, the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF) announceD a limited return to in-theater film screenings with its upcoming 27th Annual Festival taking place Feb. 19 through March 5. The 2023 festival will feature both in-person and virtual screening components, each celebrating Jewish culture with an exciting lineup of films showcasing Jewish life, traditions, history, and heritage.
The longest-running film festival in the Valley, the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival enters its 27th year by presenting 24 feature-length Jewish films hailing from over a dozen different countries! Viewers will have the opportunity to travel from the beaches of South Florida to the ateliers of Paris; from a high rise in Tel Aviv to the rolling hills and lush acres of Monticello; from the backrooms and boardrooms of Germany to multiple villages and towns of wartime Europe.
Three carefully selected films will screen in-person at Harkins Theater locations in Scottsdale and Tempe from Sun., Feb. 19 through Mon., Feb. 20. Virtual screenings will begin Thurs., Feb. 23 and continue through Sun., March 5. All virtual showings will be available throughout the entire virtual festival timespan and will no longer be limited to a 72-hour screening window.
The return to limited in-theater screenings takes into consideration the desires of many festival attendees, says Tricia Beran, GPJFF co-executive director. “While many of our festival goers have made it clear they love the flexibility and ease of watching our festival films from home, we know that the in-person socializing and in-theater event energy are a key aspect of the festival.”
Over the last quarter of a century, the popularity of the film festival has grown alongside the Valley’s population. “The Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival has earned its place as a top cultural event for Jews and non-Jewish residents because our team of committed screening volunteers from across the greater Phoenix area spend hundreds of hours previewing films to find the most entertaining and eye-opening new films that delight and teach us about Jewish experiences,” says Sue Addato, GPJFF’s co-executive director.
Short films and bonus post-film content with filmmakers and experts on film subjects will accompany some screenings.
For more information on the festival or to purchase tickets, go to gpjff.org.
