The 31st Annual Vancouver Jewish Film Festival Unveils Award-Winning Movie Selections for Spring 2020

The longest running Jewish film festival in Canada will take place from February 27 through March 8, 2020 at the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre and Cineplex Fifth Avenue Cinemas and will feature 28 films from around the world, including a number of Canadian premieres. The 11-day festival will include special events including featured guest speakers, panel discussions, and a hosted reception for the opening and closing celebrations. 

Audiences from all walks of life are invited to experience inspirational filmmaking. This year’s film selections include a mix of award-winning dramas, comedies, and documentaries that highlight the diversity of Jewish culture and appeal to the need for global unity, human connection, and environmental sustainability. 

Among the films are three countries’ submissions for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film:

• Those Who Remained, directed by Barnabás Tóth from Hungary, tells the story of how two very different people can mourn the same losses; 
• Incitement, a thriller directed by Yaron Zilberman that delves into the mind of the man who assassinated Yitzhak Rabin; and
• Tel Aviv on Fire directed by Sameh Zoabi, co-written with Dan Kleinman from Luxembourg, is a charming, laugh-out-loud irreverent spin on the Arab-Israeli ups and downs of day-to-day existence.

Other award-winning and notable films include:

• When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, based on the autobiographical children’s book by Judith Kerr that recounts her family’s escape from pre-war Germany;
• Golda’s Balcony, The Film—which has received 20 Film Festival Audience Awards since its release in 2019—is a recreation for the screen of Golda’s Balcony, the longest-running one-woman show in Broadway history;
• Picture of His Life, executive produced by Nancy Spielberg, follows celebrated underwater photographer Amos Nachoum as he travels to Canada’s Arctic to photograph the disappearing polar bears;
• Sustainable Nation, a gripping documentary addressing the world’s water crisis; and
• Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band, by Canadian director Daniel Roher, revisits Canadian music icon Robbie Robertson’s early musical career with The Band.

The festival is a community-building initiative intended to connect audiences through film and storytelling. Robert Albanese, Executive Director of the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival says, “We remain true to our mission of showcasing the diversity of Jewish culture, heritage and identity through film; our festival is fundamentally about building connections among the various communities in Vancouver and celebrating exceptional filmmaking.”

For full event schedule and ticket information, please visit the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival website.