To present films and provide meaningful programming with Jewish themes from around the world to audiences throughout the Greater Phoenix Community.
To nurture a cohesive and engaged Jewish community in the Valley of the Sun while cultivating broader awareness and appreciation of the richness and diversity of Jewish culture among all residents and visitors.
We honor the importance of Jewish heritage and storytelling.
We value the role our Festival plays in enriching the cultural life of the entire community.
We believe Jewish film helps illuminate identity, foster understanding, and reflect the shared values of resilience, creativity, and humanity.
By curating films that explore the past, present, and future of Jewish life around the world.
By welcoming participation from community organizations across the Valley.
By sharing the power of Jewish storytelling—and the arts more broadly—with the wider community.
The Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF) is proud to celebrate 30 years of showcasing exceptional international cinema that reflects Jewish life, culture, and identity.
Our roots trace back to the founding of the Phoenix Jewish Film Festival in 1996 by Phyllis and the late Sheldon Pierson, who envisioned a Jewish film festival for Arizona’s capital and largest city. In 2004, Gloria and Sid Israel launched the East Valley Jewish Film Festival with the same goal of bringing Jewish-themed films to their local community.
In 2009, these two beloved festivals united, forming the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival as it exists today. Since then, GPJFF has grown into one of Arizona’s premier cultural events—bringing compelling, thought-provoking, and entertaining Jewish cinema to audiences across the metropolitan Phoenix area.
The Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to showcasing global Jewish stories through film and building community through shared cultural experiences. For more than 30 years, GPJFF has been powered by an extraordinary community of volunteers whose passion, dedication, and countless hours have made the Festival possible. As we enter our fourth decade, GPJFF continues this proud tradition of volunteer leadership while adding professional staff support through a Managing Director role.
Voted Best Jewish Community Event in the Best of Jewish Phoenix in both 2025 and 2026, GPJFF is sustained by community support and funded through ticket sales, donations, advertising partners, and grants—from organizations including the Center for Jewish Philanthropy, the cities of Scottsdale and Chandler, and the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
Each year, GPJFF brings thousands of filmgoers together across the Valley, with recent Festivals welcoming more than 13,000 attendees to screenings and events, including sold-out opening nights. Many are seasonal residents who make GPJFF a cherished part of their Arizona winters.
Film selection is a year-round process. Our committees curate a dynamic mix of international dramas, comedies, documentaries, and docudramas, often enhanced by filmmaker Q&As, expert speakers, and engaging conversations.
Beyond our annual Festival, GPJFF presents special screenings and cultural collaborations that deepen our mission: to connect, inspire, and build community through the power of film.
Assistant Executive Directors
Secretary
* Past Executive Directors
Past Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festivals
