Private Project

The Pirate Captain Toledano

When the Pirate Captain Toledano interrogates a stowaway on his ship, he finds that the young man is a refugee from the Spanish Inquisition. The stowaway wants to become a pirate to plunder Spanish ships. The Captain must decide whether to make the stowaway a pirate, or to make him walk the plank.

“The Pirate Captain Toledano” is the world’s first film set in the little-known world of Jewish piracy in the Caribbean.

  • Arnon Z. Shorr
    Director
  • Arnon Z. Shorr
    Writer
  • Stephen DeCordova
    Key Cast
    Veep, The Bold and the Beautiful, House, M.D.
  • Dan Shaked
    Key Cast
    Jobs, The Mysteries of Laura, Body of Proof
  • Will Beinbrink
    Key Cast
    Queen of the South, Nashville, Revolution
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    18,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Other
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    May 2, 2017
    World Premiere
  • IndieFEST Film Awards

    Award of Excellence, April 2017
  • Near Nazareth Festival
    Afula
    Israel
    May 23, 2017
    Middle East & Israel Premiere
    Best Historical Film
  • Action on Film International Film Festival
    Las Vegas
    United States
    August 17, 2017
  • Caribbean Film Festival & Market

    Bahamas
    Semi-Finalist
  • Global Impact Film Festival
    Washington, DC
    United States
    August 27, 2017
    Washington DC Premiere
  • DAE Studio Film Festival
    Darwen
    United Kingdom
    July 14, 2017
  • Oceanside International Film Festival
    Oceanside
    United States
    08/07/17
    San Diego County premiere
  • Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival
    Boca Raton, Florida
    United States
    March, 2018
    Palm Beach County premiere
  • The 5 Dollar 15 Minute Film Festival
    Wheeling, WV
    United States
    July 22, 2017
    West Virginia Premiere
    Overall Winner - 3rd Place
  • Tetova International Film Festival ODA
    Tetovo
    Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
    Macedonia Premiere
  • Lanett City Film Festival
    Lanett City, Alabama
    United States
    August 11, 2017
    Alabama Premiere
  • Helper Utah Film Festival
    Helper, Utah
    United States
    August 17, 2017
    Utah Premiere
  • Tioga Film Festival
    Tioga, North Dakota
    United States
    August 5, 2017
    North Dakota Premiere
  • Queen City Cinephiles Monthly Film Series
    Charlotte, NC
    United States
    August 18, 2017
    North Carolina Premiere
  • Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival
    Ft. Lauderdale, FL
    United States
    November 1, 2017
    Florida Premiere
  • G Awards International Short Film Festival
    Napoli
    Italy
    November 23, 2017
    Nominee: Best Actor, Stephen DeCordova
  • Nida Short Film Festival
    Nida
    Lithuania
    August 19, 2017
    Lithuania Premiere
  • Corti in Cortile Film Festival
    Catania
    Italy
    September 22, 2017
    Italy Premiere
  • Corti di Mare Festival di Cinema

    Italy
    September 1, 2017
  • Vancouver Golden Panda International Film Festival
    Vancouver, BC
    Canada
    December 4, 2017
    Canada Premiere
  • Crown Heights Film Festival
    Brooklyn, NY
    United States
    October 26, 2017
    New York Premiere
  • Rahway Reels: A Short Film Festival
    Rahway, NJ
    United States
    September 23, 2017
  • Outlaw Film Festival
    St. Joseph, MO
    United States
    November 2, 2017
    Missouri Premiere
  • Roselle Park Loves Shorts!
    Roselle Park, NJ
    United States
    September 23, 2017
    Nominee: Best Film
  • LA San Rafael Film Festival
    Los Angeles San Rafael
    Spain
    December 1, 2017
  • The Indie Vision Project's Screenwriting & Directing Competition
    Los Angeles
    United States
    December 1, 2017
  • AFC Global Fest
    Kolkata
    India
    November 11, 2017
    India Premiere
  • Festival Corto Corrente
    Fiumicino
    Italy
    November 10, 2017
    Premio MIglior Fotografia
  • Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
    Atlanta, GA
    United States
    Georgia Premiere
  • Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema
    Idyllwild, CA
    United States
    March 6, 2018
    Riverside County Premiere
    Nominee (Short Film Category): Best Short Film, Director, Editing, Cinematography, Screenplay, Original Score, Ensemble Cast
  • The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival Video Bar
    Eugene, OR
    United States
    May 2, 2018
  • I Filmmaker International Film Festival
    Marbella
    Spain
    February 20, 2018
    Spain Premiere
  • MystiCon Independent Film Festival
    Roanoke, VA
    United States
    February 23, 2018
    Virginia Premiere
  • Cap Spartel Film Festival
    Tanger
    Morocco
    April 4, 2018
    Africa Premiere
  • Jaipur Film World
    Jaipur
    India
    April 7, 2018
  • 12 Months Film Festival
    Cluj
    Romania
    March 11, 2018
  • Hothouse Theatre's Nottingham Film Festival
    Nottingham
    United Kingdom
    Semi Finalist
  • Gastro Film Fest
    Osijek
    Croatia
    July 8, 2018
    Croatia Premiere
Director Biography - Arnon Z. Shorr

Arnon is an Israeli/American modern-Orthodox Jewish filmmaker who lives and works in Los Angeles. His award-winning shorts and features have screened in festivals across the country.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My goal is primarily entertainment, not social activism. I’m an entertainer first. But I can’t wriggle free from the sense that as an entertainer, I still bear a responsibility to serve the people I entertain, to make them better for having been entertained. So I write a script, I raise some money, and I make a film about Jewish pirates. What more can I do?

(Excerpted from "Reclaiming a Jewish Narrative in the Face of Anti-Semitism". Full text here: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/reclaiming-a-jewish-narrative-in-the-face-of-anti-semitism/ )