Kathy Shayna Shocket has the inside scoop on Arizona's social scene and Celebrities.

Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival features "Dorfman in Love" on Valentine's Day. 

Although Dorfman in Love won't be released nationally until March, you can screen it on Valentine's Day in Scottsdale, Arizona, at Harkin's Camelview at 7 p.m. The delightful romantic comedy is part of this year's Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival. Mazel tov for the awards its garnered at several film festivals including Best Comedy at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival.

And Mazel tov to the independent movie's sole producer Leonard Hill and writer Wendy Kout. They cast two well known stars;  Sara Rue, who has a starring role on ABC-TV's show Malibu Country and heartthrob Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H, Oceans Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen)  ( I can just hear Elliot saying "Oy veiz mear,"  to my heartthrob comment. ) 

Sara plays Deb Dorfman, a nebbishy Jewish young professional who is under appreciated by her family. Elliott plays her recently widowed and dysfunctional father. And oy does he play it well. It's classic Elliott Gould  who delivers the wonderfully written Yiddishisms- just right, not too schmaltzy (Yiddish for overdone) as can happen in some films. 

When Deb offers to babysit the cat of her longtime crush, the Dorfmans find themselves transported from their comfortable suburban life in San Fernando Valley , California to the multi-cultural and unfamiliar world of revitalized downtown Los Angeles. 

 In fact, the story of how the film came to be could be another movie itself.  Len and Wendy  who had worked together decades earlier, bumped into each other by chance in downtown Los Angeles near the mixed use loft project Len, a former TV producer  turned developer had revamped. By the way, Wendy, a former television creator and Executive Producer (Anything but Love) and playwright ( Naked in Encino ) will be the guest speaker following the screening of the movie in Scottsdale. You can ask her about her  inspirations for the film, about the struggle she and Len had in order to keep their creative vision on a modest budget, and their journey into to their new big screen venture. 

You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy the film about people rediscovering themselves and opening themselves up to fall in love. The first 75 ticket holders who enter for the 7 p.m. screening in Scottsdale on Valentine's Day will receive a rose complements of Flora Unique Florist. (Adults $11.00 and students $5.00)

So grab someone you love (or could fall in love with) and ORDER SOME CHOCOLATE with that POPCORN  and ENJOY!

Kathy Shayna Shocket is a freelance Reporter, Photographer, and TV -Field Producer based in Phoenix, AZ. She has written and reported for prestigious publications such as TIME magazine, PEOPLE magazine,  MONEY magazine and the New York Times. You can reach her at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it