Sonoma County Jewish Film Festival
Since the Fall of 2000, the Jewish Community Center of Sonoma County has called Rialto Cinemas home for its annual Jewish Film Festival. Produced and programmed by the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Film Festival presents films about the Jewish experience, both past and present, here at home and around the globe. Over the years, this festival has become a cherished tradition, presenting captivating films that explore the rich tapestry of the Jewish experience, spanning both historical narratives and contemporary stories.
Rialto Cinemas teams with the JCC to present a monthly film series showcasing a diverse selection of films that celebrate Jewish heritage, culture, and identity.
Jewish Film Festival
Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause
Thursday, April 16 1 & 6:30pm
Not Rated
92 mins
Documentary
Raised in a Jewish household in Pittsburgh, Charles Grodin’s life embodied the concept of Tikkun Olam or “repairing the world.” The film not only celebrates Charles Grodin’s hilarious acting career, but also his remarkable, decades-long, successful fight to get wrongly convicted people — most of whom were mothers of color with young children — out of prison…MORE INFO
Thu, Apr 16
1:00, 6:30
Jewish Film Festival
The Last Spy
Tuesday, May 12 1 & 6:30pm
Not Rated
91 mins
Documentary
“The Last Spy” is the riveting biography of 102-year-old CIA spymaster Peter Sichel, telling for the first time the epic and unvarnished history of the US foreign intelligence service from the inside. With a good dose of wit and humor to boot, Sichel unpacks the obscured roots of conflicts that plague today’s world and the toll espionage took on his personal life…MORE INFO
Tue, May 12
1:00, 6:30
Jewish Film Festival
Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Szold
Tuesday, June 9 1 & 6:30pm
Not Rated
79 mins
Documentary
This heartfelt film brings long-overdue recognition to Henrietta Szold, a Jewish American humanitarian whose legacy includes advocating for binational cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. Born in 1860 in Baltimore, Szold was an avid student who assisted Jewish immigrants and established English-language night schools. A visit to Palestine in 1909, following a personal heartbreak, sparked her most lasting contributions: founding Hadassah to empower Jewish American women and provide aid to the region…MORE INFO
Tue, Jun 9
1:00, 6:30
Jewish Film Festival
Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm
Tuesday, July 14 1 & 6:30pm
Not Rated
77 mins
Documentary
Get ready to laugh and kvell with Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm as self-proclaimed international Yiddish-ish icons YidLife Crisis—comedy duo Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman—bravely step onto Swedish soil to unearth a hidden treasure trove of Jewish culture. From the moment they arrive in Stockholm, our heroes, like gefilte fish out of water, prepare for a big live show while unraveling the little-known history of Sweden’s Jewish community in their hilarious and heartfelt journey…MORE INFO
Tue, Jul 14
1:00, 6:30
Jewish Film Festival
The Floaters
Tuesday, August 11 1 & 6:30pm
Not Rated
101 mins
Comedy
THE FLOATERS follows struggling musician Nomi who accepts a last-resort job from her overachiever best friend Mara: mentoring misfit campers, the “Floaters,” at their childhood Jewish summer camp…MORE INFO
Tue, Aug 11
1:00, 6:30
Jewish Film Festival
The Stamp Thief
Tuesday, September 15 1 & 6:30pm
Not Rated
103 mins
Documentary
Seinfeld producer Gary Gilbert seeks to recover stamps stolen from victims of the Holocaust by a rogue Nazi officer. This real-life mission is part detective story, part heist film, and a small but powerful act of historical reckoning…MORE INFO