Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival returns with Suzanne Somers remembrance, Gene Wilder doc

A moving live concert experience, intimate Q&As and films that make you laugh and cry are all on the lineup of the upcoming 11th annual Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival.

The event runs March 9 through 13 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, and the 14 feature films and documentaries that will be screened cover a number of topics, including a Jewish electro-pop musical, a Chicago rabbi working to bring together Jews of all backgrounds and a timely chronicle of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack at a music festival in Israel.

Additionally, attendees will get a chance to hear from filmmakers about their projects, and see a special concert presentation of "Symphony of the Holocaust," a piece composed by violinist and Holocaust survivor Shony Braun.

Here's what to expect at this year's Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival.

What's on the lineup?

The festival kicks off with a champagne VIP event with Alan Hamel, husband of late actress Suzanne Somers, at 7:30 p.m. March 9. Somers was a longtime Palm Springs resident, best known for her roles in "Three's Company" and "She's the Sheriff." She died in October at the age of 76 after a long battle with breast cancer.

Hamel will share a special filmed performance, tell stories about his late wife and answer pre-submitted questions. Tickets for the evening cost $35.

The festival's screening schedule is as follows:

Sunday, March 10

• 11 a.m.: "Rabbi on the Block"

• 2 p.m.: "Less Than Kosher"

Monday, March 11

• 10 a.m.: "Israel Swings for Gold"

• 1 p.m.: "Home"

• 4 p.m.: "Matchmaking"

• 7 p.m.: "Symphony of the Holocaust"

Tuesday, March 12

• 10:30 a.m.: "All About the Levkoviches"

• 1 p.m.: "The Boy in the Woods"

• 4 p.m.: "Golda"

• 7 p.m.: "Shttl"

Wednesday, March 13

• 10:30 a.m.: "Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre"

• 1 p.m.: "No Name Restaurant"

• 3:45 p.m.: "The Goldman Case"

• 7 p.m.: "Remembering Gene Wilder" (closing night film)

Are there special events?

Plenty of post-screening Q&As and other events are planned throughout the film festival.

Attendees will have the opportunity to experience "Symphony of the Holocaust" as a live concert performance. The documentary tells the life of violinist and Holocaust survivor Shony Braun, who used his experiences in four concentration camps to compose "Symphony of the Holocaust." He went on to create more than 200 works on the violin, but he longed to play "Symphony of the Holocaust" at Auschwitz, hoping to fill the dark camp with the beauty of his music. Braun died before he could fulfill his wish, but his family and Armenian violinist Erik Ghukasyan took on the task, as is seen in the documentary.

Following the film screening, audiences will hear Braun's haunting composition, led by Dr. Noreen Green, founding artistic director and conductor for the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, Ghukasyan and an orchestra. A Q&A will follow with Green, director Greg DeHart and members of Braun’s family.

"Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre" is likely the most timely film that will screen at the festival. It is a one-hour documentary that chronicles the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas' surprise invasion of Israel from the Gaza Strip during the Supernova Sukkot Gathering on Oct. 7. More than 350 people were killed and many more were wounded during the attack. The film features eyewitness accounts from survivors and first responders, as well as real-time footage collected from multiple sources. Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs, an international organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism, will join for a post-screening Q&A.

Several filmmakers will be in the desert (or available via Zoom) to chat with audiences following film screenings. Saul Rubinek, known for his roles in "Unforgiven," "Hunters" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," stars in "Shttl," which tells the story of the inhabitants of a Yiddish Ukrainian village at the border of Poland, 24 hours before the Nazi invasion known as Operation Barbarossa. The award-winning actor will hold a discussion following the screening. Rabbi Tamar Manasseh and director Brad Rothschild of "Rabbi on the Block," which follows the charismatic rabbi and community activist from Chicago who wants African Americans and Jews to become closer allies, will also join for a virtual Q&A.

Additionally, Shaina Silver-Baird of "Less Than Kosher," Team Israel’s (the Israel National Baseball Team) Scott Burcham of "Israel Swings for Gold" and more will chat with audiences.

The festival's closing night film is "Remembering Gene Wilder," a heartfelt documentary about the beloved actor who starred in films such as "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "The Producers" and "Young Frankenstein." The film includes rare home videos, interviews with Mel Brooks, Carol Kane and his wife Karen Wilder and plenty of laughs from the funny filmmaker. Wilder died in 2016 from complications of Alzheimer's disease.

The film will be introduced by Executive Producer Julie Nimoy, daughter of the late Leonard Nimoy. After the screening, Karen Wilder and writer Glenn Kirschbaum will hold a discussion.

How can I get tickets?

Single film tickets cost $12, while an all-access pass costs $150. Tickets can be purchased at www.palmspringsjewishfilmfestival.org/buy-tickets

Where can I get more information?

To learn more about each film, watch trailers and other information, visit www.palmspringsjewishfilmfestival.org.

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Suzanne Somers to be remembered at Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival