The Toronto Jewish Film Festival (TJFF) returns for its 33rd year, showcasing more than 80 films from around the world right here in the 6ix.
Running from June 5 – 15, the long-running festival returns with a mix of thoughtful documentaries, virtual access, engaging feature films and deep local roots.
The ticketed in-person screenings stretch across the city, while a curated selection of films will also be made available online to the audience, as part of the festival’s ongoing hybrid model aimed at widening its reach.
This format aims to expand access while preserving the heart of the festival: community, conversation, and cultural exchange.
The festival was founded by Helen Zukerman, the festival’s artistic director, who was inspired after attending the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival more than three decades ago and realized Toronto needed one too.
Jeremie Abessira, who has been programming for TJFF for over 13 years, said this year’s lineup might be the most exciting yet. From horror shorts to documentaries on cultural preservation, the programming reflects the depth of Jewish life worldwide.
“From the get-go, there was a big audience that was interested, and it became a staple in the city, and it has since grown to the size it is today,” Abessira told Now Toronto. “It’s a Jewish film festival for everyone, where the idea is to expand on what Jewish culture is, and to build bridges with other communities.”
Abessira described the festival as a cultural lens—one that welcomes audiences of all backgrounds.
“As being one of the biggest Jewish film festivals in the world, and certainly the biggest showcase of Jewish film in Canada, it plays a very important role as a window into Jewish culture for Jews and non-Jews, and anyone interested to learn. I think we really try to show as much of a diverse image, and a wide range of scenes and genres in film. From thriller to biopic, documentary, to drama and comedy. Of course, there is kind of a little bit of everything. And it’s also to show the power of film to invite dialogue and understanding of Jewish culture, Jewish history and Jewish people,” Abessira said.
A key focus of this year’s festival is international star Sasson Gabay, named TJFF’s 2025 Artist-in-Residence. The Israeli actor, whose multilingual performances have spanned everything from The Band’s Visit to Shtisel, will attend in person for a special conversation for the TIFF-selected feature Bliss.
With current global tensions in mind, the festival also includes films that confront the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
One of Abessira’s recommendations is “The Other,” screening on June 11, which explores dialogue and reconciliation between Jews and Palestinians in Israel and showcases an initiative promoting peace. The screening is then followed by a panel discussion.
“Hopefully, the festival can be used as a reference point for people to learn more about the complexity of the conflict,” Abessira explained. “Because we offer opportunities for conversation. We have filmmakers coming to talk about films dealing with the subject. We have quite a few films which are touching on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but hopefully, bringing a more in-depth look at what’s happening and the situation around it.”
Other must-sees include Of Dogs and Men, a Venice Film Festival selection with the director attending in person, and Rule of Stone, a documentary exploring the architecture of Jerusalem and the communities living within it.
Toronto’s own Jewish stories are also in the spotlight. Films like Kensington Market: Heart of the City capture the vibrancy and fragility of beloved neighbourhoods in the face of change. Other local highlights include a free double-feature of Harry Rasky’s Nobody Swings on Sunday and Barry Avrich’s Against All Odds, which tells the story of Mount Sinai Hospital’s rise as a pillar of Jewish community care.
Whether you’re drawn to deep documentaries, nostalgic comedies, or politically charged films, this year’s festival invites audiences to discover Jewish stories in all their diversity and dimension.
For the full schedule and to buy tickets, visit tjff.com/lineup-2025.
