Award-winning films on tap April 30 – May 7, with special pre-festival events on April 19 and 26

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival, presented by the Springfield Jewish Community Center, marks its 17^th anniversary with an eight-day festival program that officially kicks off April 30 and runs through May 7. Two special pre-festival screenings will take place on April 19 and April 26. PVJFF continues its tradition of bringing the best of independent Jewish film to Western Massachusetts, presenting 12 film screenings at seven venues throughout the three-county region.

PVJFF kicks off the lineup with two special pre-festival events: On Wednesday, April 19, PVJFF will co-sponsor the Hometown Premiere of Four Winters: A Story of Jewish Partisan Resistance in WWII at the Academy of Music.  Northampton-based director Julia Mintz will be in attendance to reflect on the film. On Wednesday, April 26, PVJFF will co-present the award-winning Israeli dramedy Karaoke with the Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival at UMass Amherst’s Flavin Auditorium.

This year’s festival includes an eclectic mix of films from all genres and for all generations, including comedies, dramas, documentaries, and a silent film with live musical accompaniment.  Insightful, thought-provoking Q&A sessions will follow many of the films, featuring writers, directors, and experts on an array of topics of cultural and historical significance.

“The Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival is a valued part of the arts and culture landscape in Western Mass,” says Sheri Alpert, Festival Director. “As we celebrate 17 years of extraordinary film programming, we are proud to share an expansive lineup that will stir emotions and inspire conversations. These films will stay with you.”

PVJFF officially opens on Sunday, April 30 with Fred Cavayè’s Farewell, Mr. Haffmann – a morally complex thriller about a Jewish jeweler in Nazi-occupied Paris, and the Faustian deal he must make with his employee in order to survive.

Other noteworthy films include Reckonings, a fascinating film documenting the secret negotiations that took place in 1952 between Jewish and German leaders about compensation for Holocaust survivors; March 1968, a powerful drama that tells the story of a young couple’s experiences getting swept up in the raging antisemitism and socio-political crisis of 1960s communist Poland; and The Ancient Law, a digitally restored gem from the silent era that will be presented with live music accompaniment by pianist Donald Sosin and klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals.

The festival closes with Prophets of Change, an inspiring documentary whichtells the story of Israeli and Palestinian musicians who unite to break a cycle of fear and distrust in this look at the universal language of song. The film’s director, Asaf Ben Shatrit, will appear via Zoom for a talkback after the screening.

Ticket prices are $12 for general admission, $11 for students and seniors (65+). Tickets can be purchased online at pvjff.org, by phone at 413.739.4715, or in person at the Springfield JCC. Tickets for films screenings at the Academy of Music, Amherst Cinema, and Greenfield Garden Cinemas can be purchased directly on those venues’ websites. Seating for all screenings is limited and early arrival is recommended. Tickets are sold at the door subject to availability; advance purchase is recommended as films do sell out.

The Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival is a nonprofit arts festival, presented by the Springfield Jewish Community Center with support from the following major sponsors: Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts, Totsy Foundation, Basketball Hall of Fame, Amherst Cinema, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. For more information, visit the Pioneer Valley Jewish Film Festival online at pvjff.org.