Film screening of ‘Peace By Chocolate’ fundraises for Ukraine

The Desert Film Society screened "Peace By Chocolate" to raise funds for the war-torn country.

The screening was at the Palm Springs Cultural Center’s Historic Camelot Theatre.

"Peace By Chocolate" has not had a theatrical release. All of the ticket sales and contributions were donated to Alight, a campaign providing support families affected by the war in Ukraine.

To donate and help Ukrainian families in need click HERE.

"We can't ignore what's what's happening around the world, just because we're happy and peaceful," said Jeffrey Kramer is on the DFS board of directors. "It's our opportunity to take what we know and love and reach out and give a little piece to a few families that are struggling to find a little bit of peace of security at this point."

The goal was to raise $5,000 at the Palm Springs premiere.

"Well, we've got all the refugees from Ukraine trying to settle in other places. And these are things they will be facing," said DSF executive director Beth Fromm.

Jonathan Keijser’s narrative feature film debut, "Peace By Chocolate, is based on a true story of a family who immigrated to Canada after their chocolate factory was bombed in the Syrian war.

It had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2021. After a critically acclaimed launch, it went on to play over 25 film festivals worldwide, including the A-list Cairo International Film Festival, Heartland Film Festival, Calgary & Whistler Film Festivals.

During its festival run, the film picked up over 12 awards, including multiple honors for Best Juried Film, Audience Award for Best Feature, and Best Director from a panel of Academy® members.