2025 AJFF Program Guide by atljewishfilm marketing

DEar AJFF FriEndS,

Welcome to the landmark 25th Silver Anniversary edition of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. What a journey it has been! We are thrilled to present another exemplary collection of cinematic stories showcasing global filmmaker artistry.

After a year of upheaval and division, it’s time to reunite around the proverbial Sabbath table for the big laughs of Bad Shabbos, our Opening Night film, an uproarious dark comedy and Tribeca Audience Award winner.

Historical dramas connect us to the past in The Glory of Life, a biopic of Kafka’s final romance; Never Alone, about a philanthropist protecting Jewish refugees; and Quisling: The Final Days, exploring a Nazi collaborator’s reckoning.

Bearing witness to October 7, 2023 are Of Dogs and Men, a hybrid docufiction, and October H8te and Torn, exploring the aftermath. More broadly, Israeli cinema dominates with a poignant marital drama, Bliss (Hemda); Eid, a Bedouin filmmaker’s debut; and Come Closer, Israel’s Oscar entry.

Explore some stand-out figures in Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, a portrait of the Nobel laureate; Centered: Joe Lieberman, about the senator's bipartisan career; plus a tribute to Jerry Lewis.

Women’s resilience is celebrated in Halisa, about a Haifa nurse’s impactful bond with a young mother; The Polish Women, a refugee’s fight against exploitation; Full Support, stories from a Jaffa bra shop; and activists aiding Refusenik Jews in Iron Ladies.

Music lovers will rejoice at Diane Warren: Relentless; Janis Ian: Breaking Silence; and Midas Man, a biopic of Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

Plunderer, The Spoils, and The Property explore reclaiming lost heritage, and animation dazzles in Legend of Destruction, a stunning retelling of the Jewish revolt against the Romans, and The Most Precious of Cargoes, a poignant fable of humanity.

We hope this quarter-century festival inspires, challenges, and moves you. Each film augments the larger story we share over 25 years. THANK YOU for joining and supporting us in fostering connection and understanding through the transformative power of film.

Reel Regards,

Kenny Blank AJFF Executive & Artistic Director

Dina Gerson AJFF Board President

James Anderson AJFF Vice President

Shalom,

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) has come a long way, from its humble beginnings in the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Atlanta’s conference room. AJC created a groundbreaking and unique organization, whose impact has been far-reaching, touching hearts and expanding minds.

As we gather to celebrate AJFF’s 25th Anniversary, we reflect on the incredible journey and milestones we've achieved and shared together. As the proud founder and partner of AJFF, AJC Atlanta is honored to welcome you to this year's festival.

For 25 years we have collaborated, innovated, and engaged with the pivotal and evocative medium of film to raise mindfulness, share stories, and create cultural awareness locally and beyond.

Established in 2000, AJFF was conceived as a vehicle for dialogue, to connect diverse ethnic, cultural, national, and religious communities. Little did we anticipate a moment as challenging as the one we find ourselves in today.

Following the horrific Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, the past 16 months have profoundly tested both the Jewish community and Israel. The challenges we face, marked by unprecedented levels of antisemitism, underscore the vital need for resilience and unity. We bear witness to the violence, threats, disturbing denials of Israel's right to exist, and attempts from the international community to diminish the severity of the attack. All those actions have indeed confirmed both the necessity and gravity of our mission at AJC and AJFF. Now, more than ever, our roles are critical: encouraging cultural conversations, fostering understanding, and building bridges.

Our resilience is a testament to our enduring strength. For over 2,000 years, the Jewish people have thrived as a diaspora community, with a story that must be shared. While revering the past, we look boldly to the future, and as we come together in February and March for the 25th AJFF, it is paramount that we proudly declare our Jewish and Zionist identity.

United In Solidarity,

Belinda Morris AJC Atlanta President

Dov Wilker AJC Atlanta Regional Director

Board of DirEctorS

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is proudly guided by a dedicated board of directors representing Atlanta’s vibrant arts, cultural, business, civic, and Jewish communities. Their invaluable commitment of time, expertise, and resources fuels our growth and innovation, helping us reach broader audiences and share powerful stories that inspire and connect.

Rabbi Peter Berg

Dina Gerson President

James Anderson Vice President

Eric Gabbai Treasurer

Rena Holland Secretary

Jason Evans

Ted Blum

Meghan Fisher

Julie Ann Crommett

Sherry Frank

Brennen Dicker

Robin Halpern

Jennifer Dorian

Jermaine Johnson

Sari Earl

Soumaya Khalifa

Matthew Knopf

Sheri Labovitz

Brad Lichtenstein

Gordon Mathis

Genevieve McGillicuddy

Steve Mensch z”l

Melanie Nelkin

Joel Neuman

Jill Savitt

Jeffrey Stepakoff

Kenny Blank Ex Officio

Dov Wilker Ex Officio

ProfESSional TEam

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is powered by passionate professionals who work year-round to craft an unforgettable festival experience. With the invaluable support of dedicated volunteers and generous donors, this small but mighty team brings AJFF to life, delighting and inspiring audiences all year.

Kenny Blank Executive & Artistic Director

Scot Albert Development Coordinator

Sarah Davenport Managing Director

Kaylin Berinhout Senior Manager of Education and Community Outreach

Steve Laine Financial Controller

Mark Putnam Jr. Communications & Marketing Director

Justin Gottlieb Senior Marketing Manager

Kenneth Laster Film Programming Manager

Rex Garrett Senior Program Director

Amy Arno Development Director

Anna Holland Executive Assistant

Amy L. Levin Guest Programming Manager

Liberty Lafferty Festival Production Coordinator

Taryn Jacobs Publicist

Dori Stegman Talent Producer

Chris Holland Production Manager

Dawn Watkins Donor Relations Manager

Jo-ann Lawrence Grants Manager

VoluntEErS PowEr Our MiSSion

A heartfelt thank you to the 300 dedicated individuals who filled over 400 volunteer positions, generously sharing their time and talent. Your efforts uplift, guide, and enrich every facet of the festival experience, making it truly extraordinary year after year.

Development

Fundraising frontliners boosting resources to expand our mission, create impactful programs, and deliver unforgettable events.

Festival Outreach

Community builders expanding audiences, fostering partnerships, curating speakers, and leveraging films to broaden impact.

Film Evaluation

Cinephiles reviewing, evaluating, and debating hundreds of submissions to ensure our festival reflects diverse tastes and voices.

Marketing

Creative professionals amplifying our message, building awareness, and connecting with audiences through press and promotion.

Mission

Civic leaders and educators forging connections across Atlanta’s social, cultural, and interfaith communities to engage year-round.

Steering

Community leaders guiding festival planning, addressing strategic needs, and serving as champions and ambassadors.

Development

Sherry Frank

Joel Neuman

Luci Sunshine

Festival Outreach

Audrey Galex

Eric Robbins

Maria Saporta

Festival Steering

Jason Evans

Julia Filson

25TH HONORARY FESTIVAL CHAIRS

Ingrid Saunders Jones

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Film Evaluation

Adam Hirsch

Tom Karsch

Judy Marx

Marketing

James Anderson

Rob Baskin

Jared Blass

Steve Denker

Jennifer Dorian

Danica Kombol

Deirdre Abrams

Denise Adelman

Lori Agin

Jeffrey Allen

Cindie Alter

Dwight Andrews

Margaret Anthony

Susan Standel Backer

Steven Band

Sandra Bank

Shelli Bank

Marcy Bass

Jill Beerman

Scottie Belfi

Bob Bell

Carrie Bellware

Julie Berenson

Candy Berman

Lauren Berman

Matthew Bernstein

Mission

Rabbi Brad Levenberg

Andy Bauman

Rabbi Peter Berg

Sari Earl

Meghan Fisher

Gordon Mathis

Melanie Nelkin

Victoria Raggs

Paul Wolpe

COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS

Sid Besmertnik

Amy Blafer

Craig Blafer

Jody Blanke

Adrienne M. Bloom

Craig Borkowf

Jennifer Bowers

Judy Bozarth

Aaron J. Braunstein

Beth Braunstein

Susan Bravman

Richard Bressler

Staci Brill

Dave Brothman

Stephen M. Brown

Donna Bruckner

Dyan Burnstein

John Carson

Valerie Chambers

Lauren Clark

Delilah Cohen

Lisa Cohen

Marcia R. Cohen

Seth Cohen

Nancy Conrad

Lenore Conroy

Elaine Coyne

Sandra Craine

Katherine Crosby

Delores Crowell

Beth Damon

Stanley Daniels

Harvey Danits

Shanti Das

Linda Davis

Daniel Deitch

Jane Diamond

Shelly Dollar

Martin Downing

Sara Duke

Opening Night

Leah Blum

Amie Herbert

Martha Jo Katz

25th Task Force

James Anderson

Steve Labovitz

Rabbi Brad Levenberg

Genevieve McGillicuddy

Olen Earl

Lauren Eisenman

Mira Emmett

Julia Emmons

Elise Eplan

Tamir Eplan-Frankel

Chris Escobar

Kathy Evans

Marla Falls

Jim Farmer

Jessica Feehan

Michael Feldman

Jeff Feldstein

Jeff Finkel

Geri Fitterman

Sue Frankel

Robin Friedrich

Sara Frooman

Lisa Furie

Nancy Galanti

Sheri & Steve Labovitz

Marcia Dworetz

Gamboa

Barry Gang

Adam Gaslowitz

Helene D. Gayle

Sara Ghitis

Hazel Gold

Alexander Goldberg

Nathaniel Goldman

Judy Goodman

Russell Gottschalk

Karen Grant

Sarah Grant

Aisha Greenlee

Lauren Grien

Charles Hacker

Lynne Halpern

Susan Heidt

Janice Hellmann

Ellen Herold

Marcie Hirshberg

Jeff Hopkins

Joi Hunter

Shannon Hutchinson

Michal Ilai

Cheryl Isaacs

Hildee Isaacs

Jan Jaben-Eilon

Karli Jackson

Shelbia Jackson

Michael Jacobson

Adina Jagoda

Jeff Jagoda

Asif Jessani

Tarece Johnson-Morgan

Bruce Kahn

Susanne Katz Karlick

Julie Katz

Sharon Khoury

Paul Kidder

Terry Kidder

James Kilberg

Steve Kleber

Sandra Kohlenberg

Devra Kolesky

Steven Korn

Benita Kornberg

Bobbi Kornblit

Ray Ann Kremer

Howard Kress

Cherie Kurland

Marcy Kushner

Lavon Lacey

Stephanie Ladden

Stephanie Lampert

Christine Landy

Kathie Larkin

Robert Lederman

Traci Lerner

Hassia Levin

Edward Levine

Sally Levine

Amy Levine-Samuels

Laura Levy

Nir Levy

Simonie Levy

Susan Levy

Sharon Lewin

Cheri Mason Lewis

Kathy Lewis

Jason Liebman

Nechama Lindenboim

Susan Loth

Nafeesah Madyun

Lynn Mandelbaum

Aviva Margolies

Santiago Margrez

Jon Marks

Robert Marmer

Jose Marquez

Mary Mattio

Juan Mejia

Yvette Moise

Kate Morgens

Leslee Morris

Christopher Moses

Sai Mukkamala

Brendan Murphy

Nichole Murray

Tracy Murrell

Debbie Neese

Ellen Nemhauser

Barbara Nesin

Donna Newman

Susan Newman

Nikki Novotny

Katelyn O'Dunne

Esther Panitch

Marcia Parker

Joel Pascaner

Keith Pepper

Susan Pepper

Ilana Peretz

Jody Pollack

Rhonda Povlot

Cheryl Preheim

D'Marcus (DJ) Pulce

Matthew Rao

Linda Richman

Scott Rivers

Ashley Rives

Judy Robkin

Shai Robkin

Esther Rosenfeld

Michael Rosenzweig

Andrew Rosner

Leah Rothman

Mike Rothman

Rachel Rothstein

David Rubinger

Anthony Mordechai

Tzvi Russell

Sarah Green Sachs

Scot Safon

Neil Sandler

Jennifer Sapp

Susan Schaer

Abe Schear

Hana Schear

Dave Schechter

Cathy Schiff

Sherri Daye Scott

Pam Sezgin

Randy Hyman Shapiro

Sara Shapiro

Joyce Shlesinger

David Shonkoff

David Silverstein

Hannah Simon

Melissa Simpson

Cathy Sinsheimer

Elaine Skibell

Erwin Skibell

Kate Smith

Barbara Snow

Ellen Softness

Phyllis Spielman

Rebecca Stapel-Wax

Steve Steinman

Joseph Sterling

Doug Strohl

Hyman Sukiennik

Anne Taetle

David Taylor

John Turner

Ronnie Van Gelder

Eddy Von Mueller

Cassandra Warren

Bob Waterstone

Shawn Watwood

Emily Webb

Mindy Weissman

Tommy Welch

Alison White

Hedva Wiener

Nicholas Wolaver

Anita Woodfork

Kim Wozniak

Susan Youngblood

Ilana Zalkin

Sandy Zusmann

FILM & MEDIA

F I L M & M E D I A

a t E MO RY UNIVE R SI T Y

a t E M O R Y U N I V E RS I T Y

The Department of Film and Media at Emory University offers a

The Department of Film & Media at Emory University teaches a suite of courses in scre

Our new minor in Film and Media Production includes classes in narrative and documentary production, cinematography, post-production and producing.

In partnership with the Goizueta Business School, the Department also offers the Concentration in Film & Media Management, Southeast. This program gives students the skills and knowledge to navigate a career in the entertainment industry

New as of Fall 2022: a Minor in Film & Media Production. In partnership with the Goizueta Business School, the Department also offers the Concentration in Film & Media program in the Southeast.This program gives students the skills and knowledge to navigate a career in the entertainment industry

DEPARTMENT OF FILM & MEDIA

AT EMORY UNIVERSITY

Michele Schreiber, Chair michele.schreiber@emory.edu

WE INVITE YOU TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS and our programming. Please join Friends of Film & Media by phone 404.727.6400 or go to: html

WE INVITE YOU TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS and our programming. Please join Friends of Film & Media by phone 404-712-GIVE (4483) or go to:

109 Rich Building Atlanta, GA 30322 (404) 727-6761

FRAME BY FRAME: cELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF AJFF

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is founded by the American Jewish Committee, Atlanta Chapter.

Founding Director Judy Marx hands the reins to Kenny Blank, whose vision still guides AJFF today.

A first-of-its-kind symphonic concert of iconic Jewish film scores, marking the 10-year milestone

Snowmageddon wreaks havoc, forcing 18 screenings, including Opening Night, to be rescheduled.

A few volunteers prescreen submissions on VHS. Today, about 200 review some 500+ entries annually.

AJFF secures its first prestigious grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Opening Night finds a new home at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, infusing fresh marquee magic.

AJFF becomes an independent nonprofit, maintaining its valued partnership with American Jewish Committee.

AJFF makes history, becoming the world’s largest Jewish film festival, with nearly 40,000 attendees.

AJFF anchors at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and launches its first-ever Jury Awards

Filmmaker and Star Wars co-writer Lawrence Kasdan is the first recipient of the AJFF Icon Award

The 20th anniversary opens with Shared Legacies, tracing Jewish-African American ties in Civil Rights.

COVID forces the festival online, debuting at-home streaming and a Mercedes-Benz Stadium drive-in

Amid rising postOct. 7 antisemitism, Governor Brian Kemp delivers powerful Opening Night remarks.

As the pandemic ebbs, the festival returns to theaters, reuniting audiences while preserving streaming.

AJFF celebrates its 25th silver anniversary, launching the Kenny Blank Vision Initiative for year-round impact.

Making Our FEStival ShinE Bright

The Kenny Blank Vision Initiative

From an ambitious dream to a cornerstone of Atlanta’s cultural scene, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has flourished under the leadership of Executive & Artistic Director Kenny Blank. A bold $2.5 million growth campaign will now honor his legacy, to provide funding for new year-round initiatives that will expand our reach and impact, while advancing our mission to promote social and cultural understanding through film.

Education

Film-based learning using cinematic stories to engage students with today’s most critical issues, while inspiring the next generation of storytellers through a student filmmaker competition.

Access

Creating equitable access to film programming by removing physical and financial barriers, with expanded streaming, free screenings, and ADA-compliant initiatives for those with disabilities.

Community Relations

Embodying Atlanta’s spirit of diversity, using film to explore the intersection of Jewish life with people of all faiths and backgrounds, to foster bridge-building and dialogue within the community.

Innovation

Investing in the future of our nonprofit organization by strengthening infrastructure, enhancing technology, and securing financial sustainability to ensure long-term growth and success.

Filmmaker Fund

Providing direct financial support to emerging filmmakers and new film projects that explore the breadth of the Jewish experience, to create a pipeline of yet-to-be-told Jewish stories.

Annual Festival

Building on our 25-year flagship event to celebrate international cinema and Jewish culture, offering a world-class experience that solidifies our position as the preeminent Jewish film festival.

Kenny Blank, Executive & Artistic Director

A community of Support

PrESEnting SponSorS

= Founding Visionaries of the

include

PARTNERS

Am Yisrael Chai

ANU - Museum of the Jewish People of America

Ascending Capital Management

Atlanta International School

Bodker, Ramsey, Andrews, Winograd & Wildstein

Judy Bozarth, Writer/Editor

The Breman Museum

Button It Up

CIBC Private Wealth

Classic Tents & Events

Collective Moxie

Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany

Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast

Cool Blue Interactive

Corso Atlanta

Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care

Epicurean Atlanta

The Epstein School

Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta

The Galloway School

Georgia Film Office

Go Jeff Go, Inc.

Hyatt Regency Villa Christina

The Icebox

Jeckil Promotions

Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta (JF&CS)

Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta (JWFA)

Katybelle Films

Levy Pruett Carter

The Lovett School

Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA)

National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section (NCJW)

Northside Hospital

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Sandy Springs/Alpharetta

Pace Academy

The Paideia School

Peachtree Corners Magazine

Personal Care Physicians of Atlanta

RAO Design Studio, Inc.

Resurgens Orthopaedics

Siegel and Dolt Comprehensive Dental Care

Siegel Insurance, Inc.

SilverScreenCapture.com

Simply Buckhead Magazine

The Temple

Temple Sinai

Thomas Eye Group

Tyler Perry Studios

Veronica's Attic / Cecily Ross

Ed Voyles Automotive Group

Wealth Enhancement Group

The Weber School

Westminster

Winter Capriola Zenner, LLC

Woodward Academy

Yellow Petticoat Productions

MEmbErS

PRODUCER

$10,500+

The Harold and Nancy Abrams Family Foundation

The Asher Family Foundation

Spring and Tom z”l Asher

Johanna and Joey Asher

Kathy and Hugh Asher

Juliet and Michael Golden

Sheryl S. Blechner and Family

Terri Bonoff and Matthew Knopf

Louis N. Cassett

Foundation

Kathy and Jason Evans

Sari and Olen Earl

Edwin J. Gold

Shauna and Steven Grosswald / Mimi’s Fund

Susan and Ron Heidt

Horwitz and Zusman Families

Edwina and Tom Johnson

Labovitz Family

Sheri, Steve, Andrew, Ali and Laura

Andrea and Mike Leven

Barbara and Eddie Mendel

Morris Family Foundation

The Luci and Stan Sunshine Family Foundation

Zachariah Family Philanthropic Fund

DIRECTOR

$5,500+

The Gary and Sam Alexander Family Foundation

Diana Blank

Ron and Lisa Brill Family Charitable Trust

Bronfman Family

Ellen and Howard Feinsand

Viki Freeman and Family

Lea and Adam Gaslowitz

Dina Gerson

Carol and Bruce Green

Lynne and Jack Halpern

Heyman Family Foundation, Inc. = Founding Visionaries of the Kenny Blank Vision Initiative (as of Dec. 17, 2024)

A community of Support

DIRECTOR

Jewish National Fund

Mark D. Kopkin, President

Beth Gluck, Executive Director

Philip I. Kent Charitable Fund

David Kuniansky

Kathy and Mitch Lewis

Nikki Novotny

Barbara z”l and Sanford Orkin

Ilana and Richard Peretz

Ellen and Michael Plasker

Abe, Linda, Adam, Hana and Rider Schear

Joyce and Henry Schwob

The Selig Foundation

Cathy and Steve Kuranoff

Linda and Steve Selig

Mindy and David Shoulberg

Diane and Fred Shaftman

Sara Shapiro

Betty and Alan Sunshine

The Zaban Foundation

Carol and Larry Cooper

Laura and Marshall Dinerman

Sara and Robert Franco

Judy Zaban Miller

SCREENWRITER

$3,600+

Marc Alexander

Kathy and Hugh Asher

Marcy Bass and Scott Fisher

Candy and Stephen Berman

Curran-Dorfman Family Foundation

Leah Harrison and Michael Axelrod

Kilberg Family Foundation

Eva G. Lipman z”l and Lipman Family

Laura and Jeffrey Marcus

Lisa and Sam Marks

Caren and Michael Merlin

Karen and Andrew Much

Debbie and Lon Neese

OA Development

Tricia and Maurice Rosenbaum

Lauren and Tim Schrager

Michèle and Kenneth Taylor

Carol Wolf and Herschel Lawson

CELEBRITY

$2,500+

Diane and Kent Alexander

James L. Anderson

AJ Anonymous

Atlanta Foundation

Karen and David Balser

Shelli Bank and Michael Rosenzweig

Susan and Brian Banner

Jamie and Rob Baskin

Anne Basting and Brad Lichtenstein

Dr. Debbie and Councilman

Andrew Bauman

Janet Ellis Beerman

In loving memory of Victor Bentata

Leah and Ted Blum

Mindi and Richard Bressler

Amy and Mark Bubes

Jennifer and Graham Dorian

Jacquie and John Drucker

Dr. Ron Eichel

Ilene Engel

Suzy and Hadley Englehard

Ina and Harold Enoch

Lynn Epstein and Kenneth Stein

Stacey Hader Epstein and David Epstein

Robin Feldman and Chuck Edelberg

Judy and Stan Fineman

Meghan Fisher

Barbara Frank and Michael Jacobson

Julie and Eric Gabbai

Stephanie and Barry Gang

Raymond A. Giornelli

Linda Gold

Marcia Goldman

Lynn Goldowski and Sam Schwartz

Robin and Andrew Halpern

Cheryl Hecht and Lenny Thurschwell

Amie and Fred Herbert

Karen and Michael Himmelstein

Henry and Etta Raye Hirsch

Heritage Foundation

Lisa and Seth Greenberg

Michele and David Hirsch

Etta Rae Hirsch

Rena and Rick Holland

Cindy and Jeff Hopkins

Deborah and Lou Jacobs

The Johnson Family

Susanne Katz Karlick and Philip Karlick

Helen and Stan Kasten

Hope and Craig Kaufman

Karen Kerness and Rabbi Peter Berg

Sharon Levine Khoury

Kim Kimerling, Faye Kimerling and Debbie Schneider

Proudly Supports the 2025 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Am Yisrael Chai

A community of Support

CELEBRITY

Elissa and Harris Konter

Lois Kuniansky and Richard Eichholz

Rabbi Brad and Rebecca Levenberg

Julie and Billy Levine

Sharoni and Mike Levison

Renee and Alan Levow

Randi and Sid Levy

London-Rinzler Family

Catherine and Gordon Mathis

Genevieve McGillicuddy

Mensch Family

Melanie and Allan Nelkin

Carol and Bob z”l Nemo

Amy and Joel Neuman

In Fond Memory of

Anne Osofsky & Wendy Jodel

Pascaner Family

Susan and Steve Pepper

Piedmont National Family Foundation

Robin and Marc Pollack

Irene P. Rabinor

Councilwoman Jody Reichel and Ken Reichel

Patty and Doug Reid Family Foundation

Ethel Reznik

Michelle and Alan Rosenberg

Amy and Jeff Rubin

Carole and Marc Salzberg

Emily Sanders and Jon Margolis

Jill Savitt and Alexander Parker

Laura K. Schilling / Financial Innovations, Estate Innovations

Amy Selig and Jeffrey Stepakoff

Carol and Jules Sherwinter

Sara and John Shlesinger

Linda and Mark Silberman

Shari and Jay Steinberg

Marlene and Hyman Sukiennik

Judith and Mark Taylor

Cathy and Peter Toren

Barbara Williams, MD

Mimi Zieman and Jeffrey Allen and Family

FAN

$1,500+

Cindy and Kevin Abel

Judith Alembik

Jacquelyn Allen and Barry Phillips

Anonymous

Tina and Jake Arbes

Beth and Joel Arogeti

Wendy and Dale Bearman

Sharon and David Brothman

Kelly Caudle and Brennen S. Dicker

Rita and Fred Chaiken

Delilah and Steven Cohen

Jean and Jerry Cooper

Linda and Richard Davis

Ben and Karen Deutsch

Chloe Barzey Donaldson and Ralph Donaldson, Jr.

Lori and Todd Edlin

Janice and Richard Ellin

Barney Epstein

Jan and Warren Epstein and Family

Elisa and Bobby Ezor

Geri and Richard Fitterman

Jody and Ramon Franco

Sherry Frank

Myrna and David Garron

Marc Gary

Stacey and Ronnie Geer

Neil Gerson

Faith Goldberg and Scott Horowitz

Ellen and Paul z"l Goldstein

Judy and Daniel Goodman

Ilene and Adrian Grant

Karen Zeitlin Grant

Lauren and Jim Grien

Nanci and Bob Halper

Amy and Paul Harris

Janice and C. M. Hellmann

Terri Heyman and

Marc Cohen

Marcie Hirshberg

Pearlann Horowitz

Lana Imerman and Lenny Silverstein

Adina and Jeff Jagoda

Sharla and Brian Kahn

Marissa and Michael Kaiser

Beth F. Kantor

Barbara and Alan Kaplan

Amy and Lenny Katz

Martha Jo and Jerry Katz

Dena and Josh Kimball

Devra and Walter Kolesky

Lanie and Steven Korn

Bobbi Kornblit

Susan Kupferberg and Richard Mitchell

Stephanie and Brad Ladden

Stephanie and Warren Lampert

Lazarus and Rothstein Family

Michelle and Rob Leven

Hassia and Barry Levin

Sharon Lewin and Donald Billinkoff

Brenda and Mark Lichtenstein

Ellen and Bruce Lindemann

A community of Support

FAN

continued

Polly Marchbanks and Harry Keyserling

Jackie and Anthony Montag

Andi and Gordie Morse

Susanne F. Muntzing Family

Carolyn Oppenheimer

Beth and Gregg Paradies

Bruce and Penina Richards

Linda and Jerry Richman

Jennifer and Joel Rosenfeld, MD

Rachel and Andrew Rosner

Judy and Arnie Rubenstein

Lynn and Jan Saperstein

Rachel and Larry Schonberger

Marlene J. Schwartz

Danny Shapiro

Staci and Maury Shapiro

Joyce L. Shlesinger

Lisa and Michael Siegel

Susan Siegel and Family in Memory of Phil

Cathy and Robert Sinsheimer

Elaine and Erwin Skibell

Eric S. Steenlage, MD

Cynthia and Howard Steinberg

Beth and Edward Sugarman

Denise and Mitchell Tanzman

Stephanie and Mark Teichner

Mary Claire Thompson

Pamela and Ricky Tinter

Lara and Josh Tolchin

Joyce and Ramie Tritt Family Foundation

Fay Twersky and Jill Blair

Mack Wilbourn

Suzanne Bunzl Wilner

Sue and Dr. Jonathan Winner

Ilana and Andy Zalkin

Melanie and Scott Zucker

SUPPORTER

$360+

Stephanie and Marshall Abes

Laura Adams and Andrew Feiler

Dorita and Hal Arnold

Irene Aronin

Cherie and Gary Aviv

Sharon and Bob Bell

Martha and Barry Berlin

Lauren and Daniel Berman

Heleen and Arnold Berry

Laurie and Sid Besmertnik

Mindy and Warren Binderman

Joanne and Ed Birnbrey

Rita and Dr. Arthur Bodner

Craig Borkowf

Betsy and Tom Boyle

Perla and Miles Brett

Dr. Harold Brody

Cheryl and Rick Caplin

Roxanne and Jeff Cashdan

Maria Cason and Kevin Gross

Elissa Checov

Phyllis M. Cohen

Gail Cohn and Dr. Harvey Danits

Sandra and Lewis Craine

Sandra Cutler and Gary Lotner, MD

Brenda and Stanley Daniels

Benjamin Daugherty

Dorian Denburg and Frank LaSorsa

Karen and Steve Denker

Ronnie Deutchman

Jane Diamond and Tommy Peterson

Jill and Ivan Diamond

Sara and Marshall Duke

Sheryl and Steve Eisenberg

Susan and Bernie Eisenstein

Mira Emmett and Mike Rothman

Suzy and Hadley Engelhard

Sheila Faber and Dr. Kenneth Lazarus

Marla and Bailey Falls

Julia Filson

Amy Fox

Catherine and Steven Fox

Kathleen and Drew Frank

Robin and Darrin Friedrich

Roz Fuchs

Nancy and Ronnie Galanti

Audrey Galex and Dave Schechter

Scott Garner, PhD

Cheryl Gaslowitz

Scott Geller

Sara Ghitis

Anne and Brad Gillman

Paul H. Glickstein

Hazel Gold

Alexander Goldberg

Roberta and Jonathan Golden

Susan Gordon

Russell Gottschalk and Mimi Hall

Libby and Nathaniel Gozansky

Linda and Jeffrey Graubart

Susan and Marc Greenberg

Bea and Bob Grossman

Marlene and Mark Haber

Kathy and Tom Haynes

Ellen and David Herold

Hannah and Udi Hershkovitz

Allan M. Hess

Kurt and Sharon Hess

Meg Heyer

Sarah and Harvey Hill

Nancy Hirsch

Sharon Hochdorf

Jan Jaben-Eilon

Julie Jacobson and Dov Wilker

Kirsten and Michael Jacobson

= Founding Visionaries of the Kenny Blank Vision Initiative (as of Dec. 17, 2024)

A community of Support

SUPPORTER

continued

Vicki and Jeff Jacobson

Leah and Larry Kaplan

Cynthia and Ronald Katz

Nancy and David Katz

Marianna B. Kaufman and Diana M. Aleman

Soumaya Khalifa

Terry and Paul Kidder

Marilyn Kimball

Natalie and Jeff Kirsh

Danica Kombol and David Lewis

Helen and Steve Kraus

Marcy and George Kushner

Kathie and Steve Larkin

Natasha Lebowitz

Brenda Leder

Charlotte Lee and Ron Turbayne

Ann and Fred Levin

Vivan and Allan Levine

Amy Levine-Samuels and Jeffrey Samuels

Miriam Strickman Levitas

Bev and Marc Lewyn

Barbara Lincoln and Gary Rosenshein

Leslie and Aaron Lipson

Rita and Bill Loventhal

Tobi and Gilbert Lyons

Norma Marx

Dana and David Meline

Mickie and Mark Merlin

Dana and Robert Miller

Sai Mukkamala

Robyn and Joey Nemeroff

Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser

Susan and Randy Newman

Lori and Allan Peljovich

Keith Pepper

Roberta Petterson and Matthew Hilk

Lynn Podber

Jody Pollack

Dr. Geoffrey and Marilyn Posner

Rhonda and Scott Povlot

Brenda and Mark Rappaport

Lynn and Lewis Redd

Thomas Reynolds

Scott T. Rivers

Esther and Joseph Rosenfeld

Patti and Thomas Rudi

Jacquie and Harvey Sacks

Julia and Leonard Sacks

Sue and Ivan Samuels

Susan and Rabbi Neil Sandler

Cindy and Ken Schick

Nancy and Dave Schmidt

= Founding Visionaries of the Kenny Blank Vision Initiative (as of Dec. 17, 2024)

Ellen and Eric Schwartz

Joyce and Jay Schwartz

Francie and Barry Schwarz

Julie Segal and Mark Warner

Rabbi Ron Segal

Pamela Dorn Sezgin

Sheryl Shade and Matt Mazer

Tobyanne and Arnold Sidman

David Silverstein

Barbara G. Snow

Ellen and Danny Softness

Cindy Solomon

Deborah Spector and Jeffrey Victor

Amber Steele

Karen Sumers and Jeffry Finkel

Anne and Alan Taetle

Arlene and David Taylor

Elaine and David Taylor-Klaus

Gail Tescher

Dede and Bob Thompson

Ronnie van Gelder

Jill Vantosh

Hedva and Keith Wiener

Rina Wolfe

Stacy and Kevin Wolff

Robin and Sandy Zusmann

FEStival Information

IN THEATER

February 19 - March 6, 2025

Arrival

• Arrive 30 minutes before showtime (suggested).

• Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

• Add tickets to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet prior to arrival.

Sellouts

• Contact the Box Office at 678-701-6104 for last-minute ticket availability.

• Join the standby list at the theater for available seats at showtime.

Exclusives & Restrictions

• Some films may be exclusive to in-theater or streaming. See listings.

• In-theater and streaming options may sell out due to capacity limits.

• Streaming codes are single-use per household and cannot be shared.

• A Georgia billing address is required to purchase streaming tickets. Not available outside the U.S.

STREAMING

March 7-16, 2025

• Stream via the Virtual Cinema app on Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, or Apple TV.

• Alternatively, stream on your computer, laptop, or tablet at watch.AJFF.org

Safety & Security

AJFF is dedicated to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment with security personnel and law enforcement professionals on-site. Attendees’ belongings may be inspected, and entry may be denied or individuals removed for inappropriate or disruptive behavior. Please avoid bringing large bags to the event.

Enhanced security is made possible through the generous support of the LiveSecure grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

TickEt PricES & Info

IN-THEATER PRICING

and Weekends (Reserved Seating) .............................................................

after 5:00 PM and all weekend shows

up to 5:00 PM

SPECIAL EVENT PRICING

Christopher J. Lewis Book Signing

Bring your own book or purchase $18 book in advance; limited copies available onsite

VIRTUAL CINEMA PRICING

How to ORdEr

General On-Sale Date

Wed., Feb. 5 at Noon

Member Pre-Sale

• Tier 1 (All Sponsors & $2,500 “Celebrity”- Level Members & Above): Begins Wed., Jan. 22

• Tier 2 (All Sponsor & Member Levels): Begins Wed., Jan. 29

Reminder to Members

Reserve your complimentary tickets before the general on-sale begins! Details at AJFF.org/memberlogin

Order Online or by Phone

Order online at AJFF.org or by phone at 678-701-6104. (Phone orders incur a $2.50 fee.)

Box Office Hours

10:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily

Extended to 8:00 PM on:

• Wed., Jan. 22 (Tier 1 Member Pre-Sale)

• Wed., Jan. 29 (Tier 2 Member Pre-Sale)

• Wed., Feb. 5 (Public On-Sale)

• Wed., Feb. 19 (Opening Night)

HOW YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR TICKETS

An email will be sent from which to download your tickets to your mobile device. You may also download to your phone via “My Account” on AJFF.org.

All tickets should be added to Google or Apple wallet prior to arriving at the venue.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway Atanta, GA 30339

PARKING

Free parking generously provided by AAA Parking in on-site decks and surface lot.

The Springs Cinema & Taphouse

5920 Roswell Rd.

Sandy Springs, GA 30328

PARKING

Free parking available in the surface lot in front of the theater and on the upper shopping center level behind it.

Georgia Theatre Company Merchants Walk

1301 Johnson Ferry Rd. Marietta, GA

PARKING

Free parking is available in the surface lot outside the theater and in the Merchants Walk shopping center.

The Historic Plaza Theatre

1049 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

Atlanta, GA 30306

PARKING

Free parking with validation in front of and behind the theater. Free and paid street parking and limited free parking at Druid Hills Presbyterian Church. Paid parking in the deck at 675 N. Highland Ave. NE.

Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center

1 Galambos Way

Sandy Springs, GA 30328

PARKING

Free parking generously provided by Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center in on-site decks. The closest entrance is off Mount Vernon Hwy, with an additional entrance on Galambos Way.

Tara Theatre

2345 Cheshire Bridge Rd. NE

Atlanta, GA 30324

PARKING

Free parking is available in the surface lot outside the theater and in the Cheshire Square Shopping Center.

Atlanta Premiere

See page 92

Midas Man

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

See page 108

Tatami Atlanta Premiere

”In convErSation”

Conversation Is a Cornerstone of Our Mission

Join us for “In Conversation,” featuring curated Q&As and audience talkbacks—live and via Zoom— that bring our mission to life. Engage with film artists, experts, community leaders, and fellow moviegoers in meaningful discussions that deepen your festival experience. These are films you’ll want to talk about!

Stay Current with “In Conversation”

IN THEATER Q&A

Included with Screening

International cinema artists and special guests converge in Atlanta, offering exclusive in-theater opportunities to hear their stories—shared live or through pre-recorded Q&As.

CITYBAR TALKBACKS

Free to All

Inside the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, CityBar hosts engaging discussions where big themes, ideas, and movie-inspired topics come to life.

VIRTUAL LOBBY

Free to All • Registration Required

Zoom conversations, inspired by our film lineup, offer an easy and convenient platform to participate in meaningful community exchanges from the comfort of home.

Dates and times TBA. Visit AJFF.org/inconversation or the AJFF Mobile App for real-time updates on “In Conversation” programs, guest speakers, and more.

”In convErSation”

LIVE IN THEATERS Free to All

Behind the Gold:

Unveiling Oscar Secrets and Insider Buzz

Live at CityBar • Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center

Discover the buzz behind this year’s Oscars as Academy members reveal stories and insights from behind the scenes of Hollywood’s biggest night.

Klezmer to Contemporary: The Soundtrack of Jewish Culture

Live at CityBar • Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center

Explore Jewish culture’s musical journey from soulful klezmer to modern icons like Diane Warren, Janis Ian, and Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

AJFF at 25: A Celebration of Community

Live at Tara Theatre

Free Ticket Required

Celebrate 25 years of AJFF as leaders past and present reflect on unforgettable moments, the festival’s legacy, and exciting plans for the future.

LIVE ON ZOOM Free to All • Registration Required

Stolen Masterpieces: The Lasting Toll of Nazi Plunder

Live via Zoom

Explore the gripping history and enduring impact of Nazi art theft, revealing its cultural and legal relevance in today’s world.

October 7: Cinema in the Face of Conflict

Live via Zoom

Examine how October 7, 2023 reshaped Israeli cinema, igniting powerful storytelling amidst resilience, global backlash, and the realities of war.

Dates and times TBA. Visit AJFF.org/inconversation or the AJFF Mobile App.

SUbJEctS & ThEmES

CINEMATIC ISRAEL

COMEDIC CHARMS

OF THE PRESENT

CULTURAL MOSAIC

Guns &

Cheers to

SUbJEctS & ThEmES

EMOTIONAL JOURNEYS

HER STORY UNVEILED

FEEL-GOOD TALES

(Hemda)

Come Closer

HOLOCAUST & WAR STORIES

LIFE PORTRAITS

ROMANTIC TALES

Theodor

NarrativE FEaturE

The Narrative Feature Award goes to the feature-length fiction film that exceeds all others in total artistry, direction, script, cinematography, acting, and overall storytelling.

Quisling: The Final Days

NARRATIVE FEATURE JURORS

Sid Ganis

Producer & Past President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Sid Ganis co-founded Out of the Blue Entertainment with his wife, Nancy Hult Ganis, after a career as an executive at Sony Pictures, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Columbia. In 2005, he was elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and also served on Marvel Entertainment and Film Independent’s boards.

Radu Mihăileanu

Filmmaker

Radu Mihăileanu, a Romanian-born French director and screenwriter, was born in Bucharest in 1958 and fled to Paris in 1980 to attend film school. He worked as an assistant director before gaining acclaim with Betrayal (1993), Live and Become (2005)— winner of the AJFF Audience Award and Berlinale prizes—and The History of Love (2016).

Daniel Rosen

Student, Emory University

A native Atlantan and Emory junior, Daniel Rosen is majoring in Film & Media and minoring in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. He’s an avid film buff and, despite their defeats, loves the Atlanta Hawks. He’s in Emory’s improv comedy troupe, Rathskellar, and attended the 2024 Telluride Film Festival Student Symposium.

Bad Shabbos

Bliss (Hemda)

Never Alone

Pink Lady

DocumEntary FEaturE

The Documentary Feature Award goes to the feature-length non-fiction film that exceeds all others in total artistry, direction, script, cinematography and overall storytelling.

and Times

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE JURORS

June Beallor

Filmmaker

An award-winning filmmaker, June Beallor collaborates with highly influential individuals, weaving history, social issues, and activism into her work. As an architect of the Shoah Foundation, she worked with Steven Spielberg to collect over 50,000 testimonies from genocide survivors, witnesses, and liberators, preserving their stories for posterity.

Roberta Grossman

Executive Director & Co-Founder, Jewish Story Partners

An award-winning filmmaker and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Writers Guild of America member, Roberta Grossman’s films on social justice and Jewish history include Vishniac (2023), Who Will Write Our History and the Netflix Original Documentary Seeing Allred in 2018, Above and Beyond (2014), and Hava Nagila (2012).

Jacob McKee

Student, SCAD Atlanta

As a Film & Television MFA candidate at Savannah College of Art and Design, Jacob McKee began in theatre, but film was always his first love. He’s a writer, director, and producer whose work includes the shorts Ennui, and An Actress Prepares. As a queer filmmaker, he’s passionate about bringing LGBTQ+ stories to the forefront of the film industry.

ADA – My Mother the Architect

Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse!

Diane Warren: Relentless

Plunderer: The Life

of a Nazi Art Thief

Riefenstahl

Torn

Short Film

The Short Film Award goes to the film (run time of 40 or fewer mins.) that exceeds all others in total artistry, direction, script, cinematography, acting, and overall storytelling.

SHORT FILM JURORS

We Have Sinned Before You

Christopher Lewis

Charity Director/Film Historian

Emulating his filmmaker-comic dad Jerry Lewis, Christopher Lewis’s philanthropic passions include the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, plus a wheelchair charity that’s given 800,000 chairs to people globally. Since 1997, he and Paramount Pictures have remastered and released some of Jerry’s films for home entertainment.

Jared Mass

Founder and Principal, Chalkdust Animation Studios

Jared Mass is an industry veteran focusing on animation. As former vice president of Paramount Pictures he oversaw films including SpongeBob SquarePants and Sherlock Gnomes, and brought Clifford the Big Red Dog to the studio. He also served as head of Reel FX Animation Studios and executive produced Netflix’ Super Giant Robot Brothers.

Student, Georgia State University

Georgia native Rachel Calhoun is a third-year GSU creative writing student with a film studies minor. Her passion for storytelling began long before she discovered her love for film. Her glittery childhood notebook overflowed with story ideas that lived vividly in her imagination, and an internship has provided a glimpse into a film industry career

Rachel Calhoun

No Harm Done

Revived

The Sacred Society

The Source of All Beauty

The Story of Bodri

EmErging FilmmakEr

An Emerging Filmmaker Award will be awarded to a rising creative talent, whose film shows exceptional skill and artistry.

EMERGING FILMMAKER JURORS

Lawrence A. Mirisch

Motion Picture Agent/Producer

Lawrence Mirisch, founder and president of The Mirisch Agency, brings over 40 years of distinguished experience as an agent, executive, and filmmaker. Representing an acclaimed roster of producers, directors, cinematographers, film editors, and production and costume designers, his clients boast numerous prestigious industry credits.

Sammie Purcell

Associate Editor/Entertainment Reporter/Film Critic, Rough Draft Atlanta

Besides her work with Rough Draft, Sammie Purcell co-hosts WABE’s How Do You Atlanta with Mike Jordan, and the film podcast Crash Zoom with Aaron Strand. After attending Vanderbilt University as an undergrad, she earned a master’s in journalism from Boston University. From Smyrna, Sammie is honored to serve as an AJFF juror.

Charlie Wolfe

Graduate, Georgia Film Academy

Charlie Wolfe is a freelancer and intern at Georgia Public Broadcasting while seeking work in film and television where he can apply his certification in film production. He has a background in visual arts and costume design, and studied abroad in Peru, Canada, and Japan. His ultimate goal is to work in prop and costume making or to be an actor.

Tom Nesher (Come Closer)

Yousef Abo Madegem (Eid)

Michal Cohen (Full Support)

Sophie Artus (Halisa)

Maya Dreifuss (Highway 65)

Pinhas Veuillet (Nor By Day, Nor By Night)

Building BridgES

The film best exemplifying AJFF’s mission, informed by founder American Jewish Committee, to promote understanding among diverse groups.

BUILDING BRIDGES JURORS

Moshe “Moosh” Lencer

Director

of Campus Affairs, American Jewish Committee

As AJC’s director of campus affairs, Moosh Lencer, originally from Israel, brings over a decade of experience in Jewish education, leadership development, and community engagement. Since 2015 in the U.S., he’s gained expertise in advocacy and mentorship, and has consulted with organizations to foster cultural understanding and combat antisemitism.

Condace Pressley

WSB-TV Director of Community and Public Affairs

Condace Pressley, an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and journalist, brings a rich tapestry of experience and commitment to community, including serving on boards like United Way of Greater Atlanta, Cobb Community Foundation, and Leadership Atlanta. In all her roles, she has tirelessly defended diversity and inclusion in media.

Sofia Barbosa Slivinskis

Student, Emory University

A sophomore at Emory and from Bazil, Sofia Slivinskis is pursuing a psychology degree and another in film and media with a management focus. She’s loves exploring how psychology, media, and storytelling intersect, and finds her linguistic skills useful in advocacy for underrepresented voices in the entertainment industry.

Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round

The Blond Boy from the Casbah

Centered: Joe Lieberman

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

The Most Precious of Cargoes

Sabbath Queen

Human RightS

Awarded to the film that best captures the perseverance and strength of those whose sense of justice guides them in the face of bigotry, inequality, and persecution.

HUMAN RIGHTS JURORS

Brad Lichtenstein

Producer/Director/Founder, 371 Productions

Brad Lichtenstein founded 371 Productions to tell unknown social justice and civil rights stories. With 3 Emmy nominations and a win for When Claude Got Shot, his latest film, American Coup (co-directed with Yoruba Richen), debuted on PBS American Experience His Andrés Lives and There Are Jews Here were at AJFF in 2000 and 2017.

Carlton Mackey

Assistant Director, Community Dialogue and Engagement, High Museum

At the High Museum, artist and educator Carlton Mackey uses complex visual culture to foster dialogue, challenge norms, and engender empathy on societal issues. He’s also the creator and co-director of the Emory University Arts and Social Justice Fellowship Program that frames public discussions and strengthens self-awareness through art.

Olivia Hardy

Student, Georgia Film Academy

Olivia Hardy is a post-production student at the Georgia Film Academy. She’s been interested in film since age 12, with it all stemming from her passion for crafting stories and writing. Originally from Tennessee, Olivia went to school for film studies in Boston for a year, before deciding to pursue editing in post-production in Atlanta.

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

Iron Ladies

October H8te

Of Dogs and Men

The Polish Women

Sapir

OpEning Night

Bad Shabbos

Atlanta Premiere

Dir: Daniel Robbins • USA • 2024 • 84 mins • English

Cobb Energy PAC Wednesday, Feb. 19

Gala (Invite Only) • 5:00 PM

Program & Film • 7:30 PM

Hot on the heels of its Tribeca Audience Award win, this darkly uproarious, star-studded comedy transforms a tense Upper West Side Shabbat dinner into an unhinged circus of chaos and calamity. David (Jon Bass) and his fiancée Meg (Meghan Leathers), who is converting to Judaism, invite her devout Midwestern Catholic parents to meet his outspoken, sharptongued Jewish family for the first time. Already fraught, the evening takes a disastrous turn when a guest suffers a suspicious mishap in the bathroom—a seemingly unlucky accident that spirals into a, frantic coverup, pushing the dysfunctional household to its breaking point.

At the center of the chaos is David’s neurotic mother, Ellen (Kyra Sedgwick), whose peevish antagonism and relentless kvetching keep everyone on edge. His good-natured father, Richard (David Paymer), struggles to maintain order, but long-simmering sibling rivalries only add more fuel to the tribal fire. When the unsuspecting future in-laws finally arrive, the valiant doorman (Method Man) steps in with ludicrously off-the-wall fixes, escalating the madness to new heights.

Steeped in Shabbat rituals (some wildly improvised on the spot) and infused with a quintessential Big Apple vibe, this screwball romp blends sidesplitting slapstick and biting satire to celebrate the messy, unpredictable spectacle of domestic mishigas and interfaith clashes. Writer-director Daniel Robbins and co-writer Zack Weiner’s canny crowdpleaser, brought to life by a stellar ensemble cast, will leave audiences in stitches, thinking, “Only in New York, only on Shabbat!”

Young ProfESSionalS Night

When Do We Eat?

20th Anniversary

Dir: Salvador Litvak • USA • 2005 • 94 mins • English, Hebrew with subtitles

A riotous all-star cast turns a family’s traditional Passover Seder into a rollicking rollercoaster of chaos and hallucinatory hilarity. At the table’s head is Ira (Michael Lerner), a blowhard who somehow juggles his Christmas ornament empire with hosting “the world’s fastest Seder.” His perfectionist wife Peggy (Lesley Ann Warren) goes overboard to lure their newly religious son Ethan (Max Greenfield) to join the bedlam, pitching a full-on backyard biblical tent for added flair.

The guest list? Peak absurdity: rebellious stoner Zeke (Ben Feldman), sex surrogate daughter Vanessa (Shiri Appleby), her sister Nikki (Meredith Scott Lynn), a lesbian with a bone to pick, coquettish cousin Jennifer (Mili Avital), and, of course, Grandpa Stuckman (Jack Klugman) who’s equal parts wisdom and grump. When a furtive, one-eyed Israeli dinner guest (Mark Ivanir) shows up, and Ira accidentally doses himself with psychedelics, he morphs into a modern-day Moses hell-bent on leading this coo-coo clan to the promised land of forgiveness.

Directed by Salvador Litvak and co-written with his wife Nina, this laughfilled free-for-all was shot on a shoestring budget in just 30 days. The film’s over-the-top Passover tent, designed by Emmy-winner Bernt Capra, is as colorful as its characters. With irreverent humor, larger-than-life antics, and a surprisingly warm heart, this madcap comedy proves that even the most dysfunctional families can find redemption—if they don’t kill each other first.

Plaza Theatre

Saturday, Feb. 22

Party • 6:30 PM

Program & Film • 8:00 PM

Young ProfESSionalS Night

Kick back for a night of mingling, flowing drinks, and tasty bites.

TICKETS

$50 General Admission

$36 for AJC ACCESS & Young Leadership Division (YLD) Members, Community Partners

Includes party, film program, post-film Q&A with filmmaker

AJFF25 SPONSOR

School FIELD TRIP

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

Atlanta Premiere

Sandy Springs PAC

Thursday, Feb. 27 at 11:00 AM

Tara Theatre

Friday, Feb. 28 at 11:00 AM

ScHOOL FIELD TRIP

Sandy Springs PAC

Thursday, Feb. 27 at 11:00 AM

Open to students, educators, and general audiences, reflecting our commitment to inspire learning and dialogue.

TICKETS

$16 General Admission

Special School Group Pricing: AJFF.org/fieldtrip

Free parking compliments of Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center

cloSing Night

Cheers to Life

Atlanta Premiere

Dir: Cris D’amato • Brazil • 2025 • 103 mins • Portuguese with subtitles

A disillusioned young woman’s dreary life takes a surprising turn when a long-lost locket exposes family secrets, in this Brazilian dramedy brimming with warmth and whimsy. Jessica (Thati Lopes), laden by obligations, works at an antiques shop and has little time for herself. One day, she finds a locket identical to the one left by her late mother. Intrigued by its mysterious origins, she teams up with Gabriel (Rodrigo Simas), magnetic yet inscrutable, who might—or might not—be her cousin, to trace the locket’s history. They journey to Israel where they encounter comedic missteps, chance revelations, generations-old family stories, and ultimately reconnection with long-lost relatives.

What starts as a simple search for answers blooms into an earnest exploration of identity, love, and belonging. Among Israel’s vibrant streets and historic landmarks, Jessica finds more than she ever expected: a deeper understanding of her heritage, a surprising romantic encounter, and a renewed sense of purpose. Gabriel, too, finds his outlook altered as they embrace life’s twists and turns.

Blending humor with poignancy, this life-affirming road movie celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the serendipitous ways family and love shape our lives. Featuring standout performances by a charming ensemble cast, this vibrant tale captures the universal quest to reconcile with the past while forging a hopeful future—and discovering fulfillment and happiness that complete one’s life.

Sandy Springs PAC Wednesday, Mar. 5

Program & Film • 7:00 PM

cLOSING NIGHT

Celebrate with the Jury Award winners and a delightful dessert reception, a sweet finale to your in-theater festival journey.

TICKETS

$25 special ticket price celebrates AJFF 25th Anniversary

Includes Jury Awards, film program, dessert reception

Free parking compliments of Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center

Words and Music by Gerry Gofﬁn, Carole King, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil

Book by Douglas McGrath

JERRY LEWIS: AN ARTIST’S LEGAc Y, A SON’S TRIBUTE

Celebrate the brilliance of Jerry Lewis with two unforgettable screenings that showcase his artistic range. From the troubled production of The Day the Clown Cried —the notorious lost Holocaust movie that haunted him for years and explored in the new documentary From Darkness to Light —to the comedic genius of The Bellboy, now in a stunning digital restoration, audiences have a rare chance to experience Jerry’s work on the big screen. Join Jerry’s son, Christopher J. Lewis, for an engaging Q&A and book signing, offering a personal glimpse into his father’s life and lasting influence.

The Bellboy

Jerry Lewis’s directorial debut is a collection of ingenious screwball sight gags and homage to silent screen comedy, featuring one of his all-time greatest performances.

Includes Christopher J. Lewis Q&A

From Darkness to Light

Explore Jerry Lewis’s troubled Holocaust project, The Day the Clown Cried, and the tortured creative process behind this abandoned boondoggle of Hollywood legend.

Includes Christopher J. Lewis Q&A

Christopher J. Lewis Book Signing

Jerry Lewis on Being a Person

Written by his son, Jerry Lewis on Being a Person offers an intimate, heartfelt portrait of the legendary comedian, philanthropist, and film star, with personal insights and never-before-told stories. Join Christopher J. Lewis for a book signing during screenings of The Bellboy and From Darkness to Life (details to be announced) and the chance to get an autographed copy of this exclusive memoir.

IN-THEATER EXCLUSIVE

Tara Theatre Saturday, Mar. 1 8:00 PM

See pg. 68 for more details

IN-THEATER EXCLUSIVE

Tara Theatre Sunday, Mar. 2 11:00 AM

See pg. 78 for more details

BOOK SIGNING

Bring your own book or purchase $18 book in advance; limited copies available onsite.

ADA - My Mother the Architect

Cinema & Taphouse Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1:00 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Yael Melamede • Israel, USA • 2024 • 81 mins • English, Hebrew with subtitles

One of the world’s top female architects opens up in this intimate biography, highlighting a pioneering Israeli visionary who navigated ambition vs. sacrifice, leaving a lasting mark on her nation’s civic landscape. A reserved figure little known outside Israel, Ada Karmi-Melamede’s architectural legacy reflects modernism rooted in local heritage, giving physical form to her country’s democratic ideals through works like the Supreme Court of Israel, Ben-Gurion Airport, and the Open University campus. Through the lens of her filmmaker daughter, their complex relationship—shaped by admiration, distance, and tension—evolves into a dialogue about drive, motherhood, and identity, exploring themes of place, home, and state. Jerusalem International Film Festival Best Cinematography winner.

Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round

4:15 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Ilana Trachtman • USA • 2024 • 90 mins • English

A sit-in by Howard University students on a segregated carousel in Maryland sparks an unlikely Black-Jewish alliance, igniting national headlines and a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Following their act of defiance at Glen Echo Amusement Park in the summer of 1960, Black activists and descendants of Holocaust survivors marched side by side, picketing to confront discrimination. They faced arrests, violent counter-protesters, media scrutiny, and the American Nazi Party, drawing in congressmen and a Supreme Court challenge to the arrests. Vivid firsthand testimonies and historical footage contextualize the lasting impact of this transformative yet little-known moment—one of the nation’s first organized interracial protests in the fight for equality.

Springs

Sandy Springs PAC Sunday, Mar. 2 at

Sponsored by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

GTC Merchants Walk

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1:00 PM

Plaza Theatre

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 4:00 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Molly Bernstein, Philip Dolin • USA • 2024 • 98 mins • English, Polish with subtitles

The life and career of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman are vividly illustrated in this penetrating biography, showcasing how his trailblazing graphic novel Maus redefined the medium. Deeply influenced by his Holocaust-survivor parents and personal tragedies, Spiegelman’s oeuvre boldly confronts themes of trauma, historical memory, and identity with uncompromising honesty. From his early days co-creating underground comics to his provocative, iconic New Yorker covers, he steadily pushed boundaries, legitimizing comics as a serious art form. Rich illustrations, personal archives, incisive interviews, and sharp analyses illuminate Spiegelman’s artistic process, his enduring influence, and his outspoken fight against censorship and fascism’s resurgence in today’s political landscape.

The Bellboy

65th Anniversary • Dir: Jerry Lewis • USA • 1960 • 72 mins • English

Mar. 1 at 8:00 PM

Jerry Lewis cements his reputation as a cinematic innovator and comedic genius with this landmark directorial debut about a klutzy bellboy at Miami Beach’s Fontainebleau Hotel. The endearingly clumsy Stanley stumbles from one ridiculous situation to another, turning mundane tasks at the swanky resort—delivering luggage, fielding reception desk calls, or chasing runaway dogs—into laugh-out-loud chaos. Loosely connected vignettes serve up riotous sight gags, playful silent-era nods, audacious self-referential twists, and celebrity cameos, all narrated with a sly wink by Walter Winchell. A marvel of efficiency, the film was shot in just four weeks at the Fontainebleau, pioneering Lewis’s video assist system that revolutionized filmmaking with instant scene playback.

Tara Theatre

Sponsored by Northside Hospital

The Bibi Files

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 4:50 PM

Tara Theatre

Monday, Mar. 3 at 3:00 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Alexis Bloom • USA • 2024 • 115 mins • Arabic, English, Hebrew with subtitles

This hard-hitting exposé investigates Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption scandal, suggesting his personal ambition and political survival come at the expense of democratic principles. Using never-before-seen leaked police interrogation tapes of Netanyahu and his family, along with in-depth interviews with political insiders and journalists, Netanyahu’s ongoing legal battles over bribery, fraud, and breach of trust are traced. His autocratic impulses and alliances with far-right factions reach an apex in his controversial handling of the Gaza conﬂict. As Netanyahu’s actions fuel global condemnation, this unﬂinching inquiry depicts a leader who reshaped the nation in his image, leaving Israeli society highly polarized and its government’s reputation in tatters.

Blind at Heart

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Friday, Feb. 21 at 11:00 AM

Tara Theatre

Wednesday, Mar. 5 at 7:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Barbara Albert • Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland • 2024 • 136 mins • German with subtitles

Set in 1920s Berlin, a bright, determined young medical student conceals her half-Jewish heritage as the city succumbs to Nazism in this gripping historical drama. The radiant young Hélène (Mala Emde) arrives in the decadent Weimar-era capital with dreams of becoming a doctor, but her aspirations are shattered when her fiancé dies during a protest at the Reichstag. Struggling with grief and the burden of her secret, she accepts a forged Aryan identity through marriage to a fervent Luftwaffe officer (Max von der Groeben), and spirals into a mode of self-preservation fraught with moral compromise. Adapted from Julia Franck’s award-winning novel, this richly textured portrait of resilience and identity lays bare the sacrifices and impossible choices that define survival.

Bliss (Hemda)

GTC Merchants Walk

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 7:15 PM

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 2:30 PM

Sandy Springs PAC

Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Shemi Zarhin • Israel • 2024 • 125 mins • Arabic, Hebrew with subtitles

This tender observational drama explores the fragile equilibrium of an older couple’s relationship as they navigate love, aging, and family obligations. Celebrated Israeli actors Sasson Gabai and Asi Levy costar as Sassi and Effi who, despite a large age gap and daily struggles—Sassi’s impotence and his son’s debts— maintain emotional balance rooted in humor and devotion. Their lives are shaken when two young men—a grandson returning from Europe and a former student of Effi’s—reopen old wounds and create new tensions. With Israeli Academy Award-nominated lead performances, director Shemi Zarhin’s meditative examination of the human desire for bliss gains poignancy, as filming locations in northern Israel, including Zarhin’s hometown, were ravaged in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The Blond Boy from the Casbah

Springs Cinema & Taphouse Friday, Feb. 21 at 11:40 AM

GTC Merchants Walk Sunday, Feb. 23 at 4:15 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Alexandre Arcady • France • 2024 • 128 mins • French with subtitles

A celebrated filmmaker returns to Algiers with his young son in a bittersweet semi-autobiographical dramedy, reflecting on the loss of his multicultural community during the Algerian War of Independence. Having emigrated to France with his family years earlier, Antoine (Léo Campion) reconnects with his roots in a neighborhood of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Nostalgic memories flood back—school, friends, his Sephardic upbringing, and his early fascination with cinema—as he presents his new film, an account of his childhood shaped by the unrest that ultimately forced them to flee. As father and son bond over shared history, this sentimental sojourn, adapted from Alexandre Arcady’s memoir, is brought to life on the vibrant streets of Algiers, evoking a bygone time.

Sponsored by Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta (JF&CS)

Sponsored by Discover Dunwoody

S h a y n e & t h e U r b a n E n t e r p r i s e s t e a m o n 2 5 y e a r s o f m o v i e m a g i c !

Centered: Joe Lieberman

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Jonathan Gruber • USA • 2024 • 77 mins • English

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 12:00 PM

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 PM

Joe Lieberman, a genuine statesman who championed bipartisanship through his 40-year career, is showcased in this vivid chronicle. From breaking barriers as the ﬁrst Jewish vice presidential candidate alongside Al Gore in 2000, to his pivotal role in post-9/11 intelligence reforms, his controversial stance on the Iraq War, and his key votes on landmark legislation, Lieberman’s resolute principles often placed him at the center of political storms. Rooted in the Democratic Party, but often crossing the aisle, he prioritized unity over division. With unparalleled access, candid interviews with colleagues, friends, and family capture Lieberman’s independence, humor, and enduring legacy, inspiring civic responsibility and elevating discourse following his untimely 2024 passing.

Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause

World Premiere • Dir: James L. Freedman • USA • 2025 • 93 mins • English

Theater Sunday, Mar. 2 at 4:40 PM

Charles Grodin’s extraordinary life and career as an actor-comedian and broadcast personality take center stage in this rich and multifaceted portrait of a consummate performer who infused humor with heart. A master of dry wit and deadpan delivery, Grodin captivated audiences with beloved performances in The Heartbreak Kid, Midnight Run, and countless sharp-witted late-night TV appearances. In his later years, Grodin quietly turned his focus to champion meaningful causes, using his platform as CNBC talk show host to advocate for justice and pressing social issues. Through a treasure trove of ﬁlm and TV clips, insightful interviews, and heartfelt reﬂections, this vibrant tribute remembers a singular talent who left an indelible mark on both entertainment and humanity.

Sponsored by Helen Marie Stern Fund

Tara

Sponsored by SilverScreenCapture.com

Come Closer

Plaza Theatre

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1:00 PM

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Tom Nesher • Israel • 2024 • 107 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

Israel’s official Oscar submission is a poignant journey of self-discovery, in which a young Tel Aviv woman’s world unravels after the sudden death of her beloved brother. Eden (Lia Elalouf, in a mesmerizing debut) thinks she knew everything about her brother Nati —until a frantic search finds a secret girlfriend. As Eden stalks and befriends Maya (Noa Koler), hoping their shared love will keep Nati’s memory alive, their bond deepens into a complex, sensual relationship, blurring the lines between healing and heartbreak. Writerdirector Tom Nesher, daughter of influential filmmaker Avi Nesher, brings a bold new voice to Israeli cinema with this haunting tale of love and loss, inspired by family tragedy, which earned 12 Israeli Academy Award nominations, winning Best Film and Best Director.

Diane Warren: Relentless

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Bess Kargman • USA • 2024 • 91 mins • English

Diane Warren’s extraordinary path to becoming one of the most proliﬁc and celebrated songwriters of all time takes center stage in this heartfelt ode to an unmatched artistic legacy. Born into a modest Jewish family in Van Nuys, she leveraged her rebellious, outsider spirit into a passion-fueled career, defying the odds for success in a male-dominated industry. With countless Oscar nods and every conceivable industry award, Warren has written mega-hits for superstars Cher, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, and Beyoncé. Melding her candid reﬂections and signature humor with insights from collaborators and behind-the-scenes moments, this intimate portrait reveals Warren’s unconventional creative process, personal challenges, and famous fortitude that propelled her to iconic status.

Sponsored by Motion Picture Association, Inc.

Sandy Springs PAC Sunday, Mar. 2 at 1:50 PM

Sponsored by PNC Bank

Eid

Sunday, Mar. 2 at 2:00 PM

North American Premiere • Dir: Yousef Abo Madegem • Israel • 2024 • 90 mins • Arabic, French, Hebrew with subtitles

In this groundbreaking, sensitive portrayal of Bedouin life, a young theater artist struggles to pursue his dreams within the constraints of his traditional society. Eid (Shadi Mar’i), a construction worker from Rahat, grapples with childhood trauma while secretly writing a play with the help of an actress in Paris. As his parents arrange an unwelcome marriage, he withdraws emotionally and strikes a deal to preserve his freedom. Torn between desire and cultural expectations, Eid faces pressure that threatens to stifle his voice. The first major feature by a Bedouin-Israeli filmmaker, this potent story of self-discovery won top prizes at the Jerusalem Film Festival, with Shadi Mar’i becoming one of the few Arab-Israelis to win Best Actor at the Israeli Academy Awards.

From Darkness to Light

Theatre Sunday, Mar. 2 at 11:00 AM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Eric Friedler, Michael Lurie • Germany, USA • 2024 • 108 mins • English, French, Italian with subtitles

Never-before-seen footage reveals the tortured creative process and haunting failure behind comedy legend Jerry Lewis’s mythical, abandoned Holocaust project. Lewis starred in and directed The Day the Clown Cried, a misguided 1972 Swedish-French endeavor in which he played a hapless German clown imprisoned by the Nazis and coerced into leading Jewish children to the gas chambers. Never completed or released, the maudlin film embarrassed Lewis who kept silent about it for years. Extensive research uncovered long-lost materials that are now restored and given context. Interviews with cast and crew, and insights from filmmaker Martin Scorsese and actor Harry Shearer, and Lewis himself, offer fascinating reflections on the delusional nature of one of cinema’s most infamous follies.

Tara Theatre

Tara

Full Support

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 11:00 AM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Michal Cohen • Israel • 2024 • 68 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

In a boutique bra shop nestled in Jaffa, Israeli women of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds find connection and catharsis while seeking the perfect fit. Against the backdrop of a multicultural city, fitting rooms become intimate sanctuaries where shoppers of all ages embrace vulnerability, baring not just their bodies but their souls. Through candid confessions with their bosom buddies, customers and shop owners alike find empowerment in deeply personal, sometimes heart-rending, and often humorous reflections on womanhood, and their love-hate relationship with their bodies. This Israeli Best Documentary Academy Award nominee celebrates every curve, contour, and stretch mark, offering a refreshing take on the universal bonds that unite women across cultures and generations.

The Glory of Life

GTC Merchants Walk

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 11:00 AM

Sandy Springs PAC

Sunday, Mar. 2 at 7:00 PM

Tara Theatre

Thursday, Mar. 6 at 12:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Judith Kaufmann, Georg Maas • Germany • 2024 • 98 mins • German with subtitles

Set against the picturesque Baltic Sea coast in 1923, this tender drama captures Franz Kafka’s final year, transformed by the redemptive power of love. The fragile writer (Sabin Tambrea), battling tuberculosis and an overbearing family, finds an unforeseen connection with Dora Diamant (Henriette Confurius), a spirited young woman working at a Jewish community center. Their romance blooms into a profound partnership, carrying them through Berlin to an Austrian sanatorium where Kafka confronts his mortality with newfound peace. With evocative cinematography and touchingly nuanced performances, this adaptation of Michael Kumpfmüller’s acclaimed novel offers an incandescent departure from the literary icon’s existential legacy, to celebrate a fleeting chapter of joy and intimacy.

Sponsored by RootOne

Guns & Moses

Plaza Theatre

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 11:00 AM

GTC Merchants Walk

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1:30 PM

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 7:50 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Salvador Litvak • USA • 2025 • 93 mins • English, Hebrew with subtitles

A charismatic Chabad rabbi in the High Desert unexpectedly becomes a gunslinger after a ﬁerce attack on his close-knit community. Rabbi Mo Zaltzman (Mark Feuerstein) abhors violence, but when his synagogue is riddled with bullets and a congregant assaulted, he reluctantly steps in as a protector, guided by a Holocaust survivor (Christopher Lloyd) with a shadowed past. As the local sheriff (Dermot Mulroney) toils to solve the case, Mo converts into an improbable hero. Confronting enemies and moral dilemmas, Mo’s pursuit tests his faith and resilience, unraveling a larger conspiracy. Inspired by real events, this tongue-in-cheek, neoWestern thriller fuses intense action with a striking aesthetic, redeﬁning the Jewish hero and challenging the myth of redemptive violence.

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Friday, Feb. 21 at 2:40 PM

Tara Theatre

Sunday, Mar. 2 at 7:25 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Sophie Artus • Israel • 2025 • 102 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

A beautiful, emotionally complex Israeli drama unfolds as a nurse longing for her own child becomes entwined in a young mother’s crisis, leading to a risky decision with life-altering ramifications. In her 40s, single, and facing infertility, Sarah works at a health center in Halisa, a multiethnic, impoverished Haifa neighborhood. When she treats Anya, a young mother in dire circumstances, an unexpected bond forms. Anya, desperate, leaves her baby with Sarah and disappears, forcing both women to confront painful realities and a chance to give each other what they need most. With earnest performances by Noa Koler and Dana Berkovich, this sympathetic portrayal of motherhood and sacrifice was nominated for five Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.

Halisa

Highway 65

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8:10 PM

Tara Theatre

Friday, Feb. 28 at 1:40 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Maya Dreifuss • Israel • 2024 • 102 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

In this twist-ﬁlled Israeli crime drama, a tenacious female police detective risks everything to solve the unsettling, high-stakes case of a missing woman. After her stubborn ways cost her a prestigious Tel Aviv job, Daphna (Tali Sharon) is reassigned to dusty, sweltering Afula, a town where petty crimes and intrusive questions about her childless status consume her. When a deﬁant former beauty queen and army widow disappears, her powerful family raises suspicions, driving the fearless Daphna to seek answers at any cost, despite facing resistance and indifference. Nominated for eight Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Film and Best Director, this taut whodunit captivates until the very end, offering a searing exploration of justice and the personal cost of integrity.

His Own Way: The Cinema of Avi Nesher

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3:15 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Yair Raveh • Israel • 2024 • 118 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

One of Israel’s most celebrated filmmakers reflects on his five-decade career, a compelling view of the mélange of his personal life with his artistry. From breakout film The Troupe to iconic titles like Turn Left at the End of the World and The Matchmaker, to recent hits Image of Victory and The Monkey House, Nesher has earned critical and commercial acclaim. This incisive portrait celebrates Nesher’s lasting influence and how his films mirror Israel’s social shifts by exploring identity, culture, and the nation’s evolving spirit. Via movie clips, behind-the-scenes B-roll, and interviews with collaborators, family, scholars, and Nesher himself, he shares the memories, personal stories, and painful losses that shaped his films: a candid glimpse into the inner world of a true auteur.

I Dance, but My Heart Is Crying

Tara Theatre

Tuesday, Mar. 4 at 7:00 PM

East Coast Premiere • Dir: Christoph Weinert • Germany, Switzerland • 2024 • 90 mins • English, German with subtitles

A forgotten chapter of cultural history is resurrected through the recovery of lost music composed by GermanJewish artists in Nazi Berlin. Between 1933 and 1938, two Jewish-run record labels, Semer and Lukraphon, produced vibrant recordings ranging from liturgical music to Yiddish folk songs, klezmer, and cabaret tunes. This legacy was obliterated during Kristallnacht, as Nazi mobs destroyed precious cultural artifacts, including master discs used to press records, and original lyrics and sheet music. Over 70 years later, passionate musicologists unearthed this treasure, now reimagined and performed worldwide by the Semer Ensemble in concert. This extraordinary musical revival honors the lives of Jewish artists whose legacies endure despite the Holocaust’s devastating losses.

Iron Ladies

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 6:00 PM

Tara Theatre

Friday, Feb. 28 at 4:15 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Aoife Kelleher • France, Germany, Ireland • 2024 • 51 mins • English

At the height of the Cold War, a gutsy group of British Jewish women deﬁes the Soviet Union to champion the rights of persecuted Refusenik Jews seeking liberty in Israel. Known as “the 35s,” these extraordinary housewives and mothers organized daring protests, smuggled aid behind the Iron Curtain, and partnered with a covert Israeli agency supporting Soviet Jewry. Risking life and liberty, their clandestine missions galvanized international support, secured the release of key dissidents, and paved the way for the liberation of over a million Soviet Jews. Through interviews, archival footage, and vivid storytelling, this inspirational campaign spotlights the transformative power of grassroots activism, celebrating the resilience and strength of those who refuse to be silenced.

Sponsored by The Breman Museum

Sponsored by National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Varda Bar-Kar • USA • 2024 • 110 mins • English

Sandy Springs PAC Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 PM

A Jewish Jersey teen rises above personal and professional challenges to become a pioneering singersongwriter who reshaped the folk and pop scenes with her fearless artistry. Janis Ian came of age in the ‘60s and ’70s, performing her original songs at New York City gigs alongside future music legends. At just 14, she recorded her boundary-breaking debut hit, “Society’s Child,” an interracial romance song that sparked controversy during the Civil Rights Movement. From early life on a chicken farm to a Grammy-winning career, Ian overcame racism, misogyny, homophobia, and debilitating health struggles. Archival creative materials, dramatic recreations, and candid interviews highlight her musical trajectory, turbulent life story, and indelible impact on advocacy for marginalized communities.

Legend of Destruction

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Gidi Dar • Israel, USA • 2024 • 93 mins

Cinema & Taphouse

English, Hebrew with subtitles

The harrowing saga of the Great Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire comes to life through mesmerizing paintings and an all-star voice cast, a landmark cinematic achievement. Set 2,000 years ago in ancient Israel and based on Talmudic legends, Jerusalem becomes a powder keg of civil unrest and religious fervor. As Roman oppression and corruption spark rebellion, a civil war erupts, leading to the Second Temple’s destruction and forever reshaping Jewish history. Uniquely told through 1,500 still paintings and powerfully voiced by Oscar Isaac, Elliott Gould, Evangeline Lilly, and others, this breathtaking animated work was nominated for 7 Israeli Academy Awards, winning Best Art Direction and Music, and delivering a timely warning about factionalism and extremist ideologies.

Springs

Live and Become

Tara Theatre

Monday, Mar. 3 at 7:00 PM

20th Anniversary • Dir: Radu Mihăileanu • Belgium, France, Israel, Italy • 2005 • 143 mins • Amharic, French, Hebrew with subtitles

The anguished saga of an Ethiopian boy airlifted to Israel during the 1980s Operation Moses to escape persecution and famine, unfolds in this sweeping epic. After his mother sends him to Israel under false pretenses, Shlomo arrives posing as a Jewish orphan. Taken in by a liberal Jewish family, he bears the burden of living a lie and struggling with racism, while navigating love, family, and belonging. Three superb actors portray Schlomo at different ages, with Yaël Abecassis poignantly playing his adoptive mother. Writer-director Radu Mihăileanu’s emotionally charged exploration of immigration, assimilation, and self-identity won the French Best Screenplay César, the Berlinale Audience Award and Ecumenical Jury Prize, as well as the AJFF Audience Award.

Matchmaking 2

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7:00 PM

Sandy Springs PAC Thursday, Feb. 27 at 1:55 PM

Tara Theatre

Wednesday, Mar. 5 at 12:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Erez Tadmor • Israel • 2024 • 109 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

The delightful sequel to the 2022 Israeli box office hit rom-com, follows a love-struck bachelor in a Jerusalem yeshiva pressured to find his soulmate before it’s too late. At 28, Baruch (Maor Schwietzer) is “over the hill” in the ultra-Orthodox world, where most are married by now. When he meets Shira (Omer Nudelman), the gorgeous, brainy daughter of his tough matchmaker (Irit Kaplan), sparks fly during a chance Sabbath encounter. But winning her over isn’t easy, especially with matchmaking meddling, personal doubts, and societal expectations. With humor and heart, director Erez Tadmor gives modern Orthodox dating a playful twist, blending love’s challenges with sharp insights on identity, prejudice, and the clash of secular and religious values…equally enjoyable for newcomers and fans of the original film.

Midas Man

Plaza Theatre

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 1:45 PM

Sandy Springs PAC

Saturday, Mar. 1 at 1:00 PM

Tara Theatre

Monday, Mar. 3 at 12:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Joe Stephenson • United Kingdom • 2024 • 112 mins • English

Set against the kaleidoscopic backdrop of Swinging Sixties London, this stylish musical biopic explores the genius and demons of the trailblazing Jewish manager hailed as the “ﬁfth Beatle.” Brian Epstein’s visionary efforts propelled The Beatles’ meteoric rise to global stardom, from smoky Liverpool clubs to dazzling performances that deﬁned a generation. Amid the heady swirl of fame and ongoing cultural revolution, he navigated societal pressures, solitude, and the hidden struggles of life as a closeted gay man. Jacob FortuneLloyd as Epstein delivers a raw, authentic depiction in this bittersweet portrait, blending mod-inspired visuals, an evocative soundtrack, and a sensitive exploration of the seismic shifts Epstein ignited—and the toll they exacted on him.

Moses Ezekiel: Portrait of a Lost Artist

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Steven Pressman • USA • 2024 • 56 mins • English

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3:55 PM

The largely unknown life and legacy of a Jewish-American sculptor are reexamined through his surprising role in shaping Confederate iconography. Virginia-born Moses Jacob Ezekiel, a former Confederate soldier, gained international fame for his monumental works, including the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Yet, his sculptures have faced renewed scrutiny as hundreds of Confederate monuments, some serving as beacons for white supremacists, have been removed across the United States in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and protests against systemic racism. This timely exploration examines Ezekiel’s artistic achievements and controversial contributions, offering a lens into the enduring debate over historical memory and cultural reckoning.

Sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, LLP

The Most Precious of Cargoes

GTC Merchants Walk

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3:50 PM

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 1:10 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Michel Hazanavicius • Belgium, France • 2024 • 81 mins • French, German, Russian with subtitles

A childless Polish peasant couple’s lives are transformed when they rescue a Jewish infant cast from an Auschwitz-bound train, in this exquisitely animated fable of hope and humanity. Deep in a snowbound forest, the woodcutter’s wife ﬁnds the baby and, despite her husband’s protests, takes her in, placing them in constant danger within a community steeped in fear and prejudice. Their plight intertwines with the baby’s father, who endures death camp horrors after sacriﬁcing everything to save her, leading to an emotional climax. This adaptation directed by Oscar-winner Michel Hazanavicius of Jean-Claude Grumberg’s acclaimed novel, earned top Cannes and Annecy nominations, its austere hand-drawn animation accented by magical realism and Alexandre Desplat’s stirring score.

Never Alone

GTC Merchants Walk Saturday, Feb. 22 at 6:20 PM

Sandy Springs PAC Friday, Feb. 28 at 1:55 PM

Tara Theatre

Saturday, Mar. 1 at 5:45 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Klaus Härö • Austria, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Sweden • 2024 • 85 mins • Finnish, German, Swedish with subtitles

A prominent Jewish leader in Helsinki becomes a beacon of hope, risking all to protect his community from Nazi tyranny, in this little-known true tale of courage and conviction. Once a safe haven, Finland is drawn into an uneasy alliance with Nazi Germany, imperiling both its Jewish residents and asylum seekers. Enter Abraham Stiller, a conscientious businessman and philanthropist determined to shield refugees from the Gestapo. As tensions rise and Jewish families are sent to labor camps, Stiller confronts Finnish authorities, amid moral dilemmas and personal sacriﬁce. Featuring a nuanced central performance by Ville Virtanen, this humanitarian hero’s struggle unfolds in Finland’s grim wartime atmosphere, enhanced by meticulous production design and evocative cinematography.

Sponsored by Am Yisrael Chai

FULTON COUNTY ARTS & CULTURE

“Fulton County continues to be a major supporter for artists and art organizations in the county”

- David Manuel, Director of Fulton County Arts & Culture

Nor by Day, Nor by Night

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Thursday, Feb. 20 at 3:20 PM

Tara Theatre

Saturday, Mar. 1 at 1:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Pinhas Veuillet • Israel • 2024 • 90 mins • French, Hebrew with subtitles

A French-Sephardic family in Israel faces heartbreak as they confront prejudice and the clash between ethics and religiosity while struggling to integrate into an insular ultra-Orthodox community. When Raphael (Adam Hatuka Peled) is rejected by a prestigious yeshiva in Bnei Brak due to his Sephardic background, his father Shmuel (Shmuel Vilozny), a devout handyman, fights back, while his mother Ahuva (Maayan Amrani) seeks a peaceful solution. The conflict leads to shunning, culminating in a tragedy that echoes through the family and Haredi community, shaking the foundations of their shared faith. With emotionally rich performances and cultural nuance, this poignant drama weaves a story of parental sacrifice and the yearning for belonging in a world both isolated and unforgiving.

October H8te

7:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Wendy Sachs • USA • 2024 • 100 mins • English

This searing exposé reveals the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel fervor after October 7, their spread across colleges, social media, and American streets, and the hypocrisy of those who ignore or justify hatred and violence. A disturbing timeline follows Hamas’s deadly attacks as protests spiral into overt antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric. American campuses become battlegrounds as terrorist proxies gain a grip, Jewish students face rising hostility, and a culture of silence by university leaders is exposed. Also examined is the world’s denial of the sexual violence Hamas inﬂicted on Israeli women. This unﬂinching mosaic of raw footage, personal accounts, and expert interviews raises alarm about the fragility of a society where truth and democracy are under attack.

Tara Theatre Thursday, Feb. 27 at

Sponsored by Consulate General of Israel to the Southeastern United States

Of Dogs and Men

Springs Cinema & Taphouse Sunday, Feb. 23 at 7:55 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Dani Rosenberg • Israel, Italy • 2024 • 82 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

Set and filmed in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, this quietly harrowing docudrama follows a teenage girl returning to her kibbutz to find her lost dog amid the ruins. Still reeling from the devastation, 16-year-old Dar walks the remnants of her once-peaceful community, witnessing firsthand the tragedy unfolding in Gaza just across the border. On her search, she has fleeting encounters with kibbutz residents, soldiers, forensic pathologists, volunteers, and a teacher, each forcing into view the war’s indiscriminate toll and its silent horrors. Shot at Kibbutz Nir Oz just weeks after the assault, filmmaker Dani Rosenberg uses a small crew, non-actors, and improvised dialogue to authentically capture the rawness of the post-attack landscape.

Pink Lady

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2:10 PM

Tara Theatre Thursday, Mar. 6 at 4:30 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Nir Bergman • Israel, Italy • 2024 • 106 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

Unveiling hidden desires in Jerusalem’s cloistered ultra-Orthodox community, this nuanced character study explores a young marriage in peril, unraveling under extortion and crises of faith. Bati (Nur Fibak), a seemingly blessed yet naive wife and mother, is shattered to learn her husband Lazer (Uri Blufarb) is being blackmailed over intimate photos with a male Torah study partner. Desperate to save her marriage, she tries to “cure” him but is ultimately forced to confront her own desires. With moments of levity amid sensitive, character-driven storytelling, Nir Bergman’s restrained direction gains depth from strong performances and writer Mindi Ehrlich’s lived experience in the Hasidic world, boldly addressing taboo topics from a uniquely female perspective.

Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 PM

Tara Theatre

Tuesday, Mar. 4 at 2:55 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Hugo MacGregor • USA • 2024 • 115 mins • English, French, German with subtitles

Stolen paintings, historical crimes, and a detective-like quest converge in this investigation of a Nazi art dealer who profited from looted masterpieces as Jewish families fight to reclaim their cultural heritage. Once an obscure art dealer, Bruno Lohse rose to prominence in Hermann Göring’s inner circle, orchestrating history’s most infamous art thievery. Filmed over five years across seven countries, historian Jonathan Petropoulos uncovers the web of theft and complicity that shielded Lohse from justice, as Jewish families share their battles to recover these stolen treasures and preserve their ancestors’ legacies. Exposing the unregulated art market’s disregard for provenance, this scathing critique confronts the enduring injustices and lasting human cost of these crimes.

The Polish Women

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1:00 PM

Tara Theatre

Tuesday, Mar. 4 at 12:00 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: João Jardim • Brazil • 2024 • 125 mins • Portuguese with subtitles

A Jewish mother fleeing war-torn Poland seeking a better life, finds herself trapped in a brutal prostitution ring in 1917 Rio de Janeiro. Rebecca Shein (Valentina Herszage) arrives in Brazil with her son, hoping to reunite with her husband, only to learn of his death. Desperate to stay, she is deceived into working in a brothel where exploitation and abuse are daily horrors. Forced, in her fight for dignity and freedom, to betray her beliefs, her resilience becomes a symbol of hope as she refuses to give up protecting her son and reclaiming her life. With standout performances and immersive period design capturing the grim Rio underworld, this gripping drama exposes the overlooked historical injustice of the white slave trade that ensnared thousands of Polish Jewish women.

www.daffodilproject.net www.daffodildash.org

The Property

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Monday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 PM

Sandy Springs PAC

Friday, Feb. 28 at 11:00 AM

East Coast Premiere • Dir: Dana Modan • Israel, Poland • 2024 • 108 mins • English, Hebrew, Polish with subtitles

A grieving Israeli grandmother reluctantly travels with her granddaughter to Warsaw’s wintry streets to reclaim property lost during the war, exhuming buried memories and hidden truths. Struggling with the recent loss of her son, fiercely proud Regina (veteran comic actress Rivka Michaeli) bears the emotional weight of the trip, while independent Mika (Sharon Strimban) longs to learn her family history. As Mika unexpectedly bonds with a charming Polish tour guide (Piotr Pacek), Regina reconnects with old flame Roman (Andrzej Seweryn). What begins as a quest to reclaim a family flat becomes a deep journey of self-discovery and reconciliation. Dana Modan’s touching adaptation of her sister Rutu Modan’s award-winning graphic novel is nominated for four Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay.

Quisling: The Final Days

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 11:00 AM

Tara Theatre

Thursday, Feb. 27 at 2:40 PM

Sandy Springs PAC

Saturday, Mar. 1 at 7:00 PM

Southeast Premiere • Dir: Erik Poppe • Norway • 2025 • 140 mins • Norwegian with subtitles

Norway’s traitorous wartime puppet leader and Nazi collaborator confronts the tormenting weight of postwar culpability in this riveting drama of moral complexity. As infamous former minister Vidkun Quisling sits in his dark cell awaiting trial for treason and war crimes, chaplain Peder Olsen is dispatched to lead the deﬁant politician toward contrition. Shifting between the prison, courtroom, and domestic dynamics of two very different marriages, Quisling’s unrepentance tests the pastor’s guilty conscious and deep faith. Filmmaker Erik Poppe’s penetrating, visually striking psychological study, discomfortingly relevant today, features tour de force performances by Gard B. Eidsvold as a cauldron of outrage and arrogance, and Anders Danielsen Lie as the empathetic pastor.

Sponsored by Corso Atlanta

Be a part of our mission to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to safeguard individual rights and freedoms. We Focus On Advocacy Issues: Reproductive Health & Justice; Voting Rights; Gun Safety; Maternal & Child Healthcare; Judicial Nominations; and Justice and Gender Equity in Israel Community Services: Atlanta Jewish Coalition for Literacy (We tutor in six Title 1 schools); Refugee & Immigrant Resettlement; Food Insecurity; Feminine Healthcare Insecurity; Teen Contraception Education

Riefenstahl

Cinema & Taphouse Sunday, Feb. 23 at 5:10 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Andres Veiel • Germany • 2024 • 115 mins • English, French, German with subtitles

This chilling portrait explores the contentious legacy of master German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, whose genius, inextricably linked to Nazi propaganda, occupies an uneasy place in cinema history. Best known for films like Triumph of the Will and Olympia, Riefenstahl’s visually seductive works glorified Aryan ideals of physical perfection and collective power. Yet, her troubling associations with Hitler, Goebbels, and the Nazi regime cast a long shadow. Damning newly uncovered private films, letters, and recordings expose her lifelong attempts to rewrite history and deny culpability. This confrontational, timely meditation on art, politics, and morality raises unsettling questions about how powerful imagery can serve toxic ideological agendas… with devastating consequences.

Sabbath Queen

Theatre Sunday, Feb. 23 at 4:45 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Sandi Simcha Dubowski • USA • 2024 • 105 mins • English, Hebrew, Yiddish with subtitles

A daring, deeply personal odyssey unfurls as an Orthodox rabbi forges a groundbreaking path as a queer father, drag queen, and spiritual leader. Amichai Lau-Lavie, scion of a storied Ashkenazi rabbinic dynasty, grapples with the weight of ancestral expectations while launching a bold new vision of faith and identity. Torn between tradition and transformation, he reinvents himself as both a subversive artist and founder of Lab/Shul, an experimental, inclusive congregation reimagining ancient rituals for a modern world. Spanning two decades, this Tribeca Best Documentary nominee unfolds through vérité footage, archival material, and candid interviews, to offer an intimate view of Lau-Lavie’s struggles, triumphs, and the profound intersections of identity, gender, and spirituality.

Springs

Plaza

Sapir

Tara Theatre

Thursday, Mar. 6 at 2:30 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Liran Atzmor • Israel • 2024 • 70 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

Breaking barriers as the first transgender referee in professional football, a Haifa woman inspires with her unwavering resolve to live authentically while navigating personal and professional challenges. First a soccer player, Sapir Berman quickly ascended to officiate in Israel’s Premier League, excelling for years before bravely coming out as a woman. Amid scrutiny from fans, colleagues, and the media, she balances the physical, emotional, and psychological demands of refereeing top-tier football with the taxing process of gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy. Offering intimate access to her life on and off the pitch, this poignant glimpse celebrates her resilience, defiance of conventions, and role as a beacon of equity and inclusion in global sports.

Soda

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Friday, Feb. 21 at 2:10 PM

GTC Merchants Walk

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8:30 PM

Sandy Springs PAC

Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 3:10 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Erez Tadmor • Israel • 2024 • 96 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

In 1950s Israel, a beautiful seamstress joins a community of Holocaust survivors, captivating a former partisan and igniting whispers about her rumored past as a Nazi collaborator. When Eva (Rotem Sela) arrives at a coastal kibbutz, Shalom (Lior Raz), a WWII resistance ﬁghter and factory foreman, is rapt by her beauty and vitality. As the tight-knit residents wrestle with their scars and secrets, Shalom is torn between his passion for enigmatic Eva and his duty to uncover the truth about her past. Tensions mount as talk of Eva’s role as a Kapo spreads, forcing an impossible choice on Shalom. This visually arresting, melancholic drama interweaves themes of love, guilt, and survival, inspired by ﬁlmmaker Erez Tadmor’s grandfather’s life.

Sponsored by Resurgens Orthopaedics

The Spoils

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Monday, Feb. 24 at 3:30 PM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Jamie Kastner • Canada • 2024 • 104 mins • English, German with subtitles

A long-delayed exhibition featuring works once owned by a prominent German-Jewish art dealer unravels the complexities of Nazi-looted art and the moral questions surrounding restitution. Originally planned for 2018 at the Düsseldorf City Museum, the tribute to Max Stern was postponed for years due to disputes over ownership of stolen works. Stern’s estate focuses on two pivotal cases involving recompense of signiﬁcant paintings—each marked by tense negotiations, legal battles, and public controversies that engaged lawyers, city ofﬁcials, and even Düsseldorf’s former mayor. Through archival footage and provocative interviews, this incisive inquiry delves into broader ethical dilemmas and enduring scars of historical wrongs that still reverberate through the art world.

Tatami

Plaza Theatre

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 7:40 PM

Springs Cinema & Taphouse

Monday, Feb. 24 at 12:40 PM

Sandy Springs PAC Sunday, Mar. 2 at 11:00 AM

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Guy Nattiv • Georgia, Iran, Israel • 2025 • 103 mins • English, Farsi with subtitles

In this searing political sports thriller, a female Iranian judo champion and her coach face a harrowing ultimatum in a championship match against an Israeli opponent. Set during the Judo World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, rising star Leila (Arienne Mandi) is on the brink of victory when the Iranian regime intervenes, ordering her to forfeit to avoid a potentially humiliating loss. Her coach, Maryam (Amir Ebrahimi), joins her in an agonizing decision: withdraw under false pretenses to protect family in Iran or risk everything and defy the regime. This groundbreaking ﬁrst-ever collaboration between Israeli and Iranian co-directors pairs stark black-and-white visuals with kinetic camerawork to amplify the adrenaline of competition and expose authoritarian rule.

Theodor

Atlanta Premiere • Dir: Ami Ella • Israel • 2024 • 120 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

Sandy Springs PAC

Saturday, Mar. 1 at 4:05 PM

Tara Theatre

Wednesday, Mar. 5 at 2:40 PM

Blending stirring music and striking visuals, this sweeping cinematic adaptation of the Hebrew-language Israeli Opera production captures the transformative journey of Theodor Herzl, visionary of modern Zionism. Set against the backdrop of European antisemitism, a dual timeline portrays a mid-age Herzl (Oded Reich) reflecting on the pivotal decisions of his younger self (Noam Heinz), exposing ideological battles, internal struggles, and the toll of his relentless mission to found a Jewish homeland. Filmed during Tel Aviv performances after the October 7 attacks, the emotional impact is further intensified as audiences are drawn closer to both the performers and Ido Ricklin’s evocative staging, intensified by Yonatan Cnaan’s rich musical score.

Saturday, Mar. 1 at 3:20 PM Torn Southeast

A grassroots campaign to raise awareness about hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 attacks, ignites a volatile ideological battle on the streets of New York. Designed by Israeli artists Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid, the hostage posters become lightning rods, sparking confrontations between pro- and antiIsrael activists. As skirmishes escalate, the city becomes a battleﬁeld of raw emotion and entrenched ideology, where putting up and tearing down posters symbolically reﬂects the weight of solidarity and division. Through vérité footage from social media and TV news, paired with activist, hostage family, and community voice interviews, this galvanizing account unveils both the motivations driving a paper proxy war and the raw power of public symbols.

Sponsored by The Molly Blank Fund

Tara Theatre

www.weberschool.org

ShortS Program 1

Proof of Concept

Inner Sparks, Inherited Echoes

From personal yearning to ancestral rituals, identities evolve through cultural memory and tradition.

A budding filmmaker humorously pokes fun at family dynamics and the struggle to fund her film, in this Upper West Side meta-riff on the movie business and trials of creating a short film.

Revived

After a night out in Jerusalem, a stranded yeshiva student and bartender search for a missing bag in the dimly lit alleyways, forging an unexpected connection that links their fates.

Tracks: Stumbling Stones Amsterdam

Springs Cinema & Taphouse Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1:20 PM

Southeast Premiere

Dir: Max Cohn, Ellie Sachs • USA • 2023 • 6 mins • English

Atlanta Premiere

Dir: Uriya Hertz • Israel • 2024 • 16 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

Stolpersteine memorial stones glimmer along Amsterdam’s canals, honoring Holocaust victims, in this poetic and captivating exploration of memory, art, and the power of remembrance.

The Sacred Society

Sand animation illustrates Jewish burial traditions in which devoted volunteers caringly prepare bodies, finding deep spiritual meaning and comfort in this ancient ritual of reverence.

No Harm Done

A week after his birth, a new mother wrestles with her son’s circumcision, over questions of tradition, family chaos, and personal beliefs, in this quirky, poignant slice of French life.

Southeast Premiere

Dir: Maclovia Martel • USA • 2023 • 11 mins • Dutch, English with subtitles

Southeast Premiere

Dir: Benny Zelkowicz • USA • 2024 • 12 mins • English

Southeast Premiere

Dir: Sarah Stern • France • 2023 • 18 mins • French with subtitles

Proof of Concept

ShortS Program 2

The Client

Hearts, Heritage & Kinships Converge

Human ties are revealed in moral compassion, hidden shrines, daily bread, and fraught family reckonings.

An Israeli human rights lawyer must care for her Palestinian client’s young daughter, despite bureaucracy and cultural divides, in this tender story of empathy and connection.

Orphaned Burial Grounds

Overgrown Jewish cemeteries in rural Britain become places of connection and purpose, as progeny lovingly restore unkempt graves, preserving fragile legacies and overlooked heritage.

The Cave Synagogue

In Uganda, a Jewish elder and his sons retrace hidden paths to a cave where prayers were once secretly whispered, preserving faith and resilience through music, memory, and tradition.

We Should Eat

During a school identity project, a multiethnic family, played by a cast of familiar faces, navigates their quirks and food choices, sparking witty revelations about identity and heritage.

We Have Sinned Before You

On Yom Kippur, a family’s seemingly innocent game unearths long-buried secrets, sparking raw reckonings that explore parenting, forgiveness, and the fragile bonds that hold them together.

Springs Cinema & Taphouse Saturday, Feb. 22 at 6:20 PM

Atlanta Premiere

Dir: Noa Gusakov • Israel • 2023 • 17 mins • Arabic, Hebrew with subtitles

North American Premiere

Dir: Jonathan Weinberg • United Kingdom • 2024 • 5 mins • English

East Coast Premiere

Dir: Peter Decherney • Uganda, USA • 2024 • 8 mins • English, Luganda with subtitles

Southeast Premiere

Dir: Shaina Feinberg • USA • 2024 • 9 mins • English

North American Premiere

Dir: Ifat Nener Orgad • Israel • 2024 • 20 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

The Cave Synagogue

ShortS Program 3

The Holiness

Carrying Light Forward

In faltering observance, dwindling enclaves, thwarted hopes, and old memory, quiet faith endures.

A couple’s prudent façade of religious devotion shatters when their teen daughter catches them breaking Sabbath rules, exposing buried hypocrisies and deeply straining family bonds.

The Last Jews of Guantánamo

In a remote Cuban enclave, a devout yet dwindling Jewish community clings to faith and traditions, preserving a vibrant legacy amid the warmth, isolation and fragility of their island home.

The Source of All Beauty

In this poignant tale of rebellion and resilience, a young ultra-Orthodox Israeli woman’s happiness is jeopardized by both her father’s intransigence and the secret she harbors.

The Story of Bodri

A nostalgic animated tale captures a German child’s joyful days with her dog as their world unravels, reflecting human choices and fortitude through the lens of Holocaust memory.

Springs Cinema & Taphouse Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3:15 PM

North American Premiere

Dir: Daniel Moreshet • Israel • 2025 • 17 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

Southeast Premiere

Dir: Yael Bridge • Cuba • 2024 • 13 mins • Spanish with subtitles

East Coast Premiere

Dir: Rachel Lévy • Israel • 2023 • 20 mins • Hebrew with subtitles

North American Premiere

Dir: Stina Wirsen • Sweden • 2023 • 13 mins • Swedish with subtitles

The Story of Bodri