Tzvia Shelef, the SVJFF's Executive Director
As the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival's Executive Director for over a decade now, Tzvia Shelef has had an impressive career in television and movie production. She has produced over 600 television commercials for a Saatchi & Saatchi in Israel and prior to her agency work, she served as an assistant director for numerous Israeli film productions, as well as Hollywood movies shot in Israel.
The most famous of these American films was the Steven Spielberg film, "Schindler's List" in which she was responsible for all coordination and logistics to help bring in the "Schindler survivors" from around the world for the final scene of the movie. She also worked on American "action" films whose stars included Chuck Norris and Ron Silver. Following her work in film, Tzvia joined Channel 2 in Israel, coordinating and producing drama and comedy television shows.
Once in the U.S., she was an executive producer for KQED public television in San Francisco, where she was involved in fundraising and sponsorships to pay for the production of shows. Aside from her professional accomplishments, Tzvia is passionate and enthusiastic about film, and as she told the audience at the 20th Annual Opening Night, she now has her "dream job". She continues to have excitement for each and every new Festival season with many wonderful volunteers and passionate film enthusiasts.
On a personal note, Tzvia was born in Canada before making aliyah with her family when she was six-years-old. She and her husband Reuven, live in Sunnyvale with their two children, Ron and Shir.
To contact Tzvia, please send an email to info@svjff.org.
Updated Jun 18, 2024