Victoria International Jewish Film Festival
Captivating Cultural Cinema
Celebrate 10 Years!
Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas Street
November 2-7, 2024
more info!
10th Annual VIJFF
The 2024 VIJFF will be held at the Vic Theatre and online from November 2nd to 7th. The VIJFF’s mix of evening & matinée film events—many with live music and nosh—are free of charge.
Among VIJFF film events is a Sunday afternoon all-ages (12+) screening of a particularly warm, audience-pleasing film, Running on Sand. Bring (grand-)children to see captivating cultural cinema!
And in celebration of 10 years of the VIJFF, a special reception in the Courtney Room of the Magnolia Hotel will be held!
Police and private security services have been confirmed at the Vic Theatre for the duration of the festival.
November 2-7, 2024
Films and Events
The Shadow of the Day
Watch The Trailer
Date: Saturday, November 2 + Online November 3 to 7
Doors/Music: 7:00pm
Film: 7:45pm
Music: Georgiy Matviyiv & Mariia Smolinska
Nosh: Italian Cookie Duo from The Italian Bakery
The Shadow of the Day is a love story set in Italy’s late 1930s pre-WWII atmosphere, between a fascist sympathizing WWI veteran and Anna, a young woman with a dangerous secret.
Running on Sand
Watch The Trailer
Date: Sunday, November 3 + Online November 3 to 7
Doors/Music: 12:30pm
Film: 1:15pm
Music: The Marauders of Funk
Nosh: Babka from Mensch Catering
Running on Sand is a charming comedy of ‘mistaken identity’ that rewards viewers who suspend disbelief for its light-hearted story of an Eritrean refugee’s brief career in Israeli pro soccer.
Special Event
VIJFF 10 Year Celebration
SOLD OUT
Venue: Courtney Room at the Magnolia Hotel
Date: Sunday, November 3
Time: 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Lounge in comfortable chic with friends, connect with community, and, with a glass of bubbly and light bites, celebrate 10 years of captivating cultural cinema!
Remembering Gene Wilder
Watch The Trailer
Date: Sunday, November 3
Doors/Music: 6:30pm
Film: 7:15pm
Music: The Elliot Freedman Group
Nosh: Selected Gourmet Cakes from Darling Cake Co.
A loving tribute to comic actor Gene Wilder, shining a light on his enigmatic roles and his working relationships with filmmaker Mel Brooks and actor-comedian Richard Pryor.
Matinée Screening
Canada Program – SOLD OUT
The Fast Runner
Watch The Trailer
Date: Monday, November 4
Doors: 1:15pm
Film: 2:00pm
Centred on a young girl who has lost her father to Nazi violence, The Fast Runner is a humanistic story of hope and selfless compassion overtaking confusion and anger.
Matinée Screening
CanaDa Program – SOLD OUT
Crossing the River
Watch The Trailer
Date: Monday, November 4
Doors: 1:15pm
Film: 2:00pm
Crossing The River sets out the incredible lives of the world’s oldest living Holocaust survivor siblings, the Winnipeg-based Fink siblings.
Matinée Screening
Canada Program – SOLD OUT
Less Than Kosher
Watch The Trailer
Date: Monday, November 4
Doors: 1:15pm
Film: 2:00pm
A delightful musical comedy, somewhere between Shiva Baby and The Jazz Singer, about a modern young woman’s unorthodox Jewish life.
Special Event
Canada Program – SOLD OUT
In Conversation
Date: Monday, November 4
Doors: 1:15pm
Film: 2:00pm
Following the Canada Program, experience a conversation with directors David Bercovici-Artieda (The Fast Runner) and Allan Novak (Crossing the River).
The Way to Happiness
Watch The Trailer
Date: Monday, November 4
Doors/Music: 6:30pm
Film: 7:15pm
Music: Eryn Sharpe Trio
Nosh: Apple Almond Crossaint from La Patisserie Daniel
Charmingly full of nostalgia, as both homage and past pain, The Way To Happiness centres on memory and desire through a Kindertransport Holocaust survivor’s recollections and renewal.
The Blond Boy from the Casbah
Watch The Trailer
Date: Tuesday, November 5
Doors/Music: 6:30pm
Film: 7:15pm
Music: Avram McCagherty Trio
Nosh: Raspberry Pistachio Cake from La Roux Patisserie
A passionate filmmaker presents his childhood in Algiers during the country’s civil war in the 1960s. As he wanders through the city, the filmmaker immerses us in the moments of happiness, laughter, and tears of his youth.
Matinée Screening
All About the Levkoviches
Watch The Trailer
Date: Wednesday, November 6
Doors: 1:30pm
Film: 2:00pm
Unexpectedly widowed Hungarian boxing coach Tamás reconnects with his estranged son, an orthodox Jew, who has brought his own son to mourn their mother & grandmother.
seven Blessings
Watch The Trailer
Date: Thursday, November 7
Doors/Music: 6:45pm
Film: 7:30pm
Music: Cascadia Strings Trio
Nosh: Baklava from Syriana Restaurant & Catering
Warmly, with humour based in family and family misunderstandings, Seven Blessings revolves around eventful Jewish Moroccan wedding gatherings in a family dramedy about fury, forgiveness, and food.
Short Films
The Peacock That Passed Over
Online: November 2 to 7
Playing with: Remembering Gene Wilder and Seven Blessings
With diverse whimsy, The Peacock That Passed Over considers a Leeds community’s response to a peacock’s having taken up residence at a synagogue.
Shabbos Goy
Online: November 2 to 7
Playing with: The Blond Boy from the Casbah and All About the Levkoviches
Despite not being Jewish, Terry Neville protects, maintains and lives above a synagogue. His poignant story and funny perspective will surprise and intrigue.
Principles
01
INTER-CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
02
DIVERSITY AND ITS INTERSECTIONS
03
CINEMA AESTHETICS
Thanks!
Donate to the VIJFF!
Donations support the VIJFF beyond the few grants it receives. Donors of $36 or more receive a charitable tax receipt. VIJFF movie lovers our, super-appreciated donors of $180 or more, receive special benefits.
Contact