the 2015 Program Guide
W hy do we go to the movies? It’s a bit odd when you consider it: Sitting in a roomful of strangers, in the dark for an hour or more, staring silently ahead at beams of light projected onto a white screen. After food, water and shelter, it’s been said our most basic human need is for storytelling, and movies are the ultimate means of sating that craving. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, in fact, proves this theory. Our movies typically don’t have blockbuster budgets, big name directors or actors, or fancy special effects. They are, however, imbued with memorable tales that expand our compassion for and understanding of our shared humanity. In this 15th annual AJFF, stories are once again the star of the show. Opening Night’s Above and Beyond takes us to the skies over Israel and the gutsy heroism of American military pilots who came to her defense. Films like 24 Days, Dancing Arabs, Dough, Horses of God, and Self Made tackle both the commonality and discord of Jewish-Arab relations. Apples from the Desert, Félix and Meira, A Place in Heaven, and Sacred Sperm portray tension amid religious and secular worlds. Chagall-Malevich, In Silence and The Outrageous Sophie Tucker honor a range of Jewish artists. Or, for a different taste of culture, try Deli Man and Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream. Our cinematic travelogue stops in 26 countries, including Uruguay in Mr. Kaplan, Greece in Magic Men, Romania in Closer to the Moon, and Ethiopia in Zemene. Israel’s unique storytelling style emerges in such critically-acclaimed new works as Anywhere Else, The Farewell Party, Zero Motivation and the Oscar-hopeful Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem. You can even bring the kids along for such family-friendly fare as Secrets of War and Belle and Sébastien. And don’t miss out on classics celebrating milestone anniversaries: Avalon, Hester Street and Czech Oscar-winner The Shop on Main Street. It all comes to a luminous close with an incomparable star of stage and screen in Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem. This is just a small sampling of the 65 films and 164 screenings on tap. Come feast on film, and join us in the nourishment of a good story. STEVE LABOVITZ KENNY BLANK MAX LEVENTHAL SPRING ASHER AJFF Board Chair AJFF Executive Director 2015 Festival Chair 2015 Festival Vice-Chair WELCOME E ach year the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has been special, but in this, the AJFF’s 15th year, we are celebrating a major milestone. Back in the fall of 2000, after more than two years of planning by a team of staff and volunteers of American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival premiered in theaters across Atlanta. The impetus for its birth was to advance AJC’s broad human relations mission. Specifically, we used the power of storytelling in film to nurture pluralism and to build bridges of understanding within the Jewish community and with AJC’s religious, ethnic and international partners. Seeded by those initial efforts and through the last fourteen years, AJFF has grown into a vibrant social and cultural force. The movies that AJFF has screened have entertained, enthralled and challenged viewers. The festival has sought out films that have provided opportunities for reflection, discussion and greater understanding of our world and its diversity of people and perspectives. From the beginning, AJFF has engaged a universal audience by exploring Jewish themes that resonate across cultural barriers. The history of AJFF is rich with films that probe family and love, war and peace, loss and healing, and the joy of human connection as well as the pain of failing to connect with the humanity of the other. That the festival’s rich fare has found such a fervent and faithful audience in Atlanta is the miracle of AJFF. This event has grown into one of the largest Jewish film festivals in the world. AJC is extremely proud of the unqualified success and impact of AJFF in our community. We realize the untapped potential of an independent AJFF as an enduring and illustrious institution in Atlanta’s cultural landscape. As a result, AJC’s leadership voted unanimously to spin off AJFF to stand on its own as a nonprofit enterprise. AJC will continue its core work in advocacy and community engagement. We will continue to work to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance democratic values around the world by building bridges of understanding across religious, ethnic and political divides. It is with great pride that this year we announce that AJFF, a world class project of AJC, has come of age and will be a partner in our important work. May you be inspired, enlightened and entertained as you view this year’s films, an exceptional slate meant to appeal to and enrich the widest audience. Remember, buy your tickets early… AJFF is always a sellout! LAUREN GRIEN DOV WILKER AJC Atlanta President AJC Atlanta Director AJFF BOARD AND STAFF BOARD PRESIDENT Steve Labovitz EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kenny Blank Rob Baskin Barry Berlin Sari Earl Sherry Frank Harris Konter Brad Levenberg Max Leventhal Genevieve McGuillicudy Linda Selig Mark Silberman Dov Wilker (ex-officio) ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Brad Pilcher COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Dawn Audano DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Lesli Greenberg GUEST COORDINATOR Dina Fuchs-Beresin EVENTS & TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR Rex Garrett OFFICE & BUSINESS MANAGER Jessica Reis PROGRAM MANAGER Shellie Schmals AJFF COMMITTEES 2015 FESTIVAL CHAIR Max Leventhal 2015 FESTIVAL VICE-CHAIR Spring Asher AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE CHAIR Jeff Nagel STEERING COMMITTEE Greg Averbuch Ron Barabas Andy Bauman Matthew Bernstein Paul Cha Carol Cooper COMMUNICATIONS CHAIRS Gayle Siegel Kendel White COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CHAIRS Debbie Neese Che Watkins Brennen Dicker Jan Epstein Sherry Frank Marianne Garber Lauren Grien Tom Karsch ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS Rosalyn Adler Ellen Arnovitz Saul Adler Susan Standel Toni Adler Backer Margot Alfie Bethany Baer Jeffrey Allen Dina Bailey Marc Altschull Missy Ball-Rivner Sandy Andron John Bare DEVELOPMENT CHAIRS Maury Shapiro Mark Silberman ACCESS GEN-Y NIGHT CHAIR Andrew Winston FILM EVALUATION CHAIRS Judy Marx Gabe Wardell OPENING NIGHT CHAIR Martha Jo Katz GEN-Y CHAIRS Adam Hirsch Jonathan Javetz Charles Judson Mark Kopkin David Kuniansky Sheri Labovitz Steve Labovitz David Lewis Michael Plasker John Barnard Marcy Bass Lauren Baylin Lauren Becker Bob Bell Robin Benardot Dana Bentata GUEST PROGRAMMING CHAIRS Jason Evans Catherine Lewis Cookie Shapiro Shelton Stanfill Chuck E. Taylor Dov Wilker Rhonda Bercoon Mindy Binderman Celeste Blagg Jody Blanke Debi Bock Craig Borkowf Ashley Bozarth Judy Bozarth Donna Bruckner Dyan Burnstein Lisa Cannon-Taylor Carl Capelouto Mike Century Steve Chervin VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF David Cohen Ruthie Cohen Gail Cohn Melissa Davis Dan DeWoskin Debbie Diamond Todd Doogan Sara Duke Sari Earl Melita Easters Sandy Edelman Ariela Ehrens Nanci Epstein Bob Evans Bobby Ezor Lindsey Fenton Holly Firfer Claire Fishman Gary Flack Jodi B. Fleisig Kevin Flink Barbara Frank Alissa Funk Judy Funk Audrey Galex Marcia Gamboa Dworetz Adam Gaslowitz Lea Gaslowitz Sara Ghitis Paul Glaze Hazel Gold Alexander Goldberg Jackie Goldstein Judith Goodman Jeanette Gregory Barbara Guillaume Ruth Hackner Allison Hahn Lori Halpern Guy Harari Amy Harris Jill Harris Miriam Haviv Janice Hellmann Ellen Herold Janie Hicks Marcie Hirshberg Bobbie Hollander Stan Hollander Avrohom Horovitz Barbara Horowitz Darla Jaben Jan Jaben-Eilon Karli Jackson Deborah Jacobs David J. Jacobson Jeri Kagel Sucheta Kamath Mario Karpuj Jonathan Karron Carole Kay Soumaya Khalifa Brian Kimmel Steven Kirson Devra Kolesky Walter Kolesky Ellen Koransky Jack Koransky Ray Ann Kremer Stephanie Kupor Cherie Kurland Gary Landau Ronni Landau Eden Landow Clara Lazar Michael Leibowitz Paulette Leibowitz Joan Lerner Hassia Levin Esther Levine Jerry Levine Noah Levine Sharon Levine Khoury Molly Levinson Susan Levy David Lewkowict Mark Lichtenstein Larry Liebross Lauren Light Nechama Lindenboim Amy Linton Bob Longino Nafeesah Madyun Melvin Marsh Genevieve McGillicuddy Eric Miller Caroline Moise Sarah Moosazadeh Margo Moskowitz Walt Myers Valerie Needle Edgar Neiss Melanie Nelkin Ellen K. Nemhauser Ellen W. Nemhauser Max Nemhauser Katrina Olschansky Scott Olschansky Lynn Oves Michael Perkel Emily Pins Billy Planer Matthew Rao Patty Reid Angela Rice Jerry Richman Linda Richman Scott Rivers Donna Robertson Christina Robinson Judy Robkin Maurice Rosenbaum Andrew Rosner Jill Rosner Dave Schechter Suzy Scheinberg Cathy Schiff David Selby Havi Shalit Sara Shapiro Marla Shavin Suganthi Simon Esti (Esther) Simons Maryanne Sirotko-Turner Norman Slawsky Matthew Smith Barbara Snow Deborah Spector Karen Spiegel Rebecca Stapel-Wax Yonit Stern Edye Summerfield Luci Sunshine Jan Swanson Martin Taffel David Taylor Corrinne Tiberti Alla Tsitsior Itai Tsur Ronnie Van Gelder Shayne Walsey Suzy Wasserman Robert Waterstone Shelby Watson Blake Weinberger Dana Weinberger Beth I. Weiss Beth M. Weiss Hedva Wiener Jonathan Winner Sue Winner Gil Wolchock Anita Woodfork Camille Yow Linda Zatlin Sydney Ziff Marvin Zimmerman Robert Zimmerman Ellyse Zindler Marsha Zipkin PROGRAM GUIDE LAYOUT AND DESIGN Brad Pilcher Jim Bowhall COPY EDITOR Judy Bozarth CONTRIBUTORS Dawn Audano Matthew Bernstein Kenny Blank Mark Cohen Lesli Greenberg PHOTOGRAPHY Allison Boaz Counse Broder David Selby Duane Stork PRINTING RR Donnelley CONTACT US P.O. Box 550529 Atlanta, GA 30355 404-806-9913 [email protected] SPONSORS PRESENTING The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Greenberg Traurig, LLP The Kendeda Fund MailChimp The Marcus Foundation, Inc. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER PNC Bank PRODUCER Molly Blank The Eliot J. Garber Foundation Edwin J. Gold Macquarium Intelligent Communications The Rich Foundation Stein Mart The Luci and Stan Sunshine Family Foundation DIRECTOR Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates Jacqueline Bentata In Memory of Victor Bentata Natalie and Matthew Bernstein The Billi Marcus Foundation BNY Mellon Wealth Management Ron and Lisa Brill Family Charitable Trust Donna and Michael Coles The Davis Academy The Epstein School HBO Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Joint Distribution Committee Kellee and Chad Rosenberg Merle and David Horwitz David L. Kuniansky, Real Estate Broker Northside Hospital Ramah Darom Sandy Springs Hospitality and Tourism Abe, Linda, Adam and Hana Schear Mark and Linda Silberman PJ Library In the City Camp Staff Zone Helen Marie Stern* The Weber School The Woodruff Arts Center The Zaban Family Judy Zaban Miller Carol and Larry Cooper Laura and Marshall Dinerman Sara and Robert Franco *Of Blessed Memory SCREENWRITER Abrams|Davis| Mason|Long| LLC Added Incentives Karen and Richard Jacobson Rosalyn and Saul Adler Ellen Arnovitz and Michael Plasker Atlanta Jewish Academy Atlantic Trust Bennett Thrasher Candy and Stephen Berman Bodker, Ramsey, Andrews, Winograd & Wildstein, P.C. Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany The Dubrof Group, LLC Ed Voyles Automotive Group Eternal Life – Hemshech Viki and Paul Freeman and Family Friends of the IDF Georgia Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office Georgia Production Partnership Goldman, Sachs & Co Goldstein, Garber & Salama, LLC Lynne M. and Howard I. Halpern Harry Norman REALTORS Dena and Josh Kimball Mark Kopkin Sheri and Steve Labovitz LEFKO Design + Build The Lovett School Barbara and Eddie Mendel Merlin Auto Group Metro Alloys, Inc. Bruce, Ozzie and Neil Berman, and Gary Kemp Dedi and Julian Mohr Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Barbara and Sanford Orkin Pathstone Family Office Allan Zachariah Piedmont National Family Foundation RAO Design Studio, Inc. Louise and Edwin Rothberg The Selig Foundation Cathy Selig Kuranoff and Steve Kuranoff Linda and Steve Selig Cookie Shapiro Siegel and Dolt Comprehensive Dental Care Alan and Deborah Sitkoff CELEBRITY Ackerman Security Systems Sheila and David Adelman Diane and Kent Alexander Mimi Zieman and Jeffrey Allen and Family Sandy and Goldie Andron Anonymous (2) Anonymous In Honor of the Atlanta lone soldiers serving in the IDF Nancy Apatov and Alan Beychok Dorita and Hal Arnold Dolores and Harold Arnovitz Beth and Joel Arogeti Kim and Hugh Asher Spring and Tom Asher Judy Aspes and Larry Liebross Teri and Steve Astren Cherie and Gary Aviv Shelli Bank and Michael Rosenzweig Diane and Richard Bardack Laura and John Barnard Marcy Bass and Scott Fisher Debbie and Andy Bauman BB&T SPONSORS AND DONORS WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE TO ALL OF OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS, WITHOUT WHOM THE AJFF WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. 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Hicks Stuart Harvey Hillman Homrich Berg Barbara Horowitz The Horowitz Family Pearlann, Jerry, Scott and Michelle Merle and David Horwitz Susie and Howard Hyman Deborah and Lou Jacobs Beth and David Jacobson Edwina and Tom Johnson Sucheta and Anantha Kamath Barbara and Alan Kaplan Susanne Katz and Philip Karlick Hope and Craig Kaufman Carole and Irving Kay Beth and Jeffrey Kess Sharon Levine Khoury Lori and James Kilberg Charles & Esther Lee Kimerling Charitable Foundation Kim Kimerling, Faye Kimerling, and Deborah K. 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Newman Vera and Stuart Newman Linda and Lynn Newport Paradies Family Maxine and John Perlman Barbara and Marty Pollock Paula and Marvin Rachelefsky The RADCO Companies Raiford Gallery Contemporary Art, Craft & Jewelry Eva and Robert Ratonyi Ruth Rauzin Patty and Doug Reid Ethel and Bob Reznik Linda and Jerry Richman Marlene and Stanley Rinzler Roger and Lynn Lieberman Ritvo Michael Robinowitz and Denise McLaughlin Dulcy and Jerry Rosenberg Ruth and Mark Rosenberg Jennifer and Joel Rosenfeld, MD Rachel and Andrew Rosner Robyn and Doug Ross Judy and Arnie Rubenstein Jacquie and Harvey Sacks Susan Arnovitz Saltz and David Saltz Lynn and Jan Saperstein Dr. Joel Schancupp, Podiatrist and Judy Schancupp Suzy and Paul Scheinberg Drs. Hal Scherz and Jeri Salit Joyce and Jay Schwartz Marlene J. Schwartz and Family Joyce and Henry Schwob Rabbi Ron and Jill Segal Tessa and Gary Shaban Diane and Fred Shaftman Staci and Maury Shapiro Eileen Sherman and Eric Singer Carol and Jules Sherwinter Irma Shulman-Weiner Ann and Marc Siegel Benjamin R. Sillins and Family Silver Facial Plastic and Rhinoplasty Center Leonard Silverstein and Ellen Frauenthal Linda H. Singer Susan and Jay Smith Barbara Snow Judy and Allen Soden Deborah Spector and Jeffrey Victor Dr. Eric Steenlage Judith and Mark Taylor Lisa and Chuck Taylor Michele and Kenneth Taylor Nora and Wayne Taylor Corrine Tiberti Ramie Tritt Family Foundation UBS Spiegel Calvin Group Mark Spiegel Ronni and Eric Udoff United Capital Emily Sanders, Managing Director Universal Fundraising Organization Sara Shapiro U.S. Trust, Bank of America Wealth Management The Van de Grift Family Veracor Chris Broyles and John Ellard The Wachter Law Firm Ronit Walker and Matt Bronfman Angie and Skip Weiland Marcia and Stewart Weinhoff Germaine and Bruce Weinstein Melinda and Steve Wertheim Gary L. White The Wine Shop at Parkaire Mr. and Mrs. Don Brown Mr. and Mrs. Mark Brown Sue and Dr. Jon Winner Winter Foundation Phyllis and Wayne Lazarus Judy and Dan Wolbe Chuck Wolf Woodward Academy Ilana and Andy Zalkin Amy and Todd Zeldin Ellyse and Warren Zindler Susan and Arnold Zweig EVENT 5 Seasons Restaurant and Brewery AAA Parking AJMF (Atlanta Jewish Music Festival) Allison Boaz, Aunt Bobo Photography Aria Binders Art Supplies and Frames Breadwinner Café Buckhead Life Restaurant Group Button It Up Café Sababa – Mediterranean Grill Doni and Ann Tomli Celebrity Cruises Classic Tents & Events Color Reflections Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast Counse Broders Photography Cover Ups Specialty Linens Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse Duane Stork Photography Fifth Group Restaurants Figo Pasta The Flying Biscuit Café For All Occasions & More FuegoMundo The General Muir Georgia Theater Company – Merchants Walk Stadium Cinemas Hancock Askew & Co., LLP Here to Serve Restaurant Group Hong Kong Star Chinese Cuisine II Jim White Designs SPONSORS AND DONORS Landmark Diner Lefont Theaters Marlow’s Tavern Metrotainment Bakery One Ring Networks Regal Entertainment Group Rumi’s Kitchen The Selby Law Firm, LLC Sprinkles Cupcakes Taylor English Duma LLP Ticket Alternative United Distributors, Inc. The Woodruff Arts Center MARKETING Actor’s Express Atlantic Station Big Screen Media Caren West PR Cool Blue Interactive Creative Loafing Encore Atlanta Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta MEDIA AM 1690 and Newstalk 1160 Atlanta Jewish Times Burnaway CBS Outdoor The Forward IN Sandy Springs & Dunwoody The Jewish Georgian Public Broadcasting Atlanta Reporter Newspapers MULITMEDIA PRODUCTION Cinema Concepts Crawford Media Services Savannah College of Art and Design TRAVEL Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlanta Buckhead Greg and Dana Averbuch Olympus Worldwide Chauffeured Services Helen Marie Stern Always in Our Memory 1956 – 2014 I t is with deep sorrow that we mourn the loss of long-time Atlanta Jewish Film Festival volunteer, Helen Marie Stern. After a long illness, Helen passed away Saturday, June 28, 2014 at the age of 58. Helen was many things – a devoted supporter of AJFF and the arts, a tireless volunteer with Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and Hadassah, an animal lover – but most of all she was our friend. Her spirit was the embodiment of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival: sharing stories, teaching others, and treating the world with care and compassion. In her capacity as a member of the AJFF Film Evaluation, Community Engagement and Development Committees, Helen always served from a seemingly limitless well of energy and generosity. Simply by being herself, Helen inspired the best in us, and a dedication to something beyond oneself. That selflessness is what we will remember most about her. We have established the Helen Marie Stern Memorial Fund to honor Helen’s spirit and support innovative new programming. Contributions can be made by contacting AJFF Development Director Lesli Greenberg at [email protected]. HELEN MARIE STERN MEMORIAL FUND Sandy and Dave Abrams Terri and Laurence Bagen Clara Feldman Judy and Daniel Goodman Mary Patton Higgins Wendy Lipshutz and Hank Aldort Nancy and Allen Mendenhall Gail Ostermann Joni and Murray Pelta Susan Arnovitz Saltz and David Saltz Judy Seaman Barbara Snow Etta Zimmerman Lucas addresses a Hollywood actor Josh tival audience. fes ted tiva cap Lesley Ann Wa rren attended the one of many gue sts over the ye festival as ars. nominated, & Oscar-le times. h, Emmy tip Judd Hirsc nded AJFF mul has atte Actress-screenwriter Jen the festival for Young nifer Westfeldt visited Professionals Night. FIFTEEN YEARS OF AJFF Film Selection Beginnings AJFF Founder Cookie Shapiro welcomes our first Opening Night audience. • 5 2000 AJFF Audience: 1,930 5 2002 AJFF Audience: 2,095 Symphony Gala for 10th Anniversary The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and TCM partner with AJFF to mark the 10th year. • 5 2010 AJFF Audience: 20,145 5 2003 AJFF Audience: 2,610 5 2004 AJFF Audience: 3,069 5 2005 AJFF Audience: 4,330 AJFF Gets An Oscar Intown Expansion The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) awards AJFF with a highly competitive festival grant. • The festival begins its intown expansion with the newly built Regal Atlantic Station. Tara Cinemas would later be added as well. • 5 2009 AJFF Audience: 17,135 5 2011 AJFF Audience: 26,080 A dozen or so volunteers comprise the early Film Selection Committee. Today, 150+ people prescreen 500+ entries annually. • 5 2008 AJFF Audience: 14,990 5 2007 AJFF Audience: 9,000 5 2006 AJFF Audience: 7,580 The Festival's Biggest Growth Spurt The Snow Storms AJFF embarks on its largest expansion to date. Opening Night moves to the historic Fox Theatre. East Cobb audiences welcome the festival to Georgia Theatre Company's Merchants Walk location. AJFF grows from three venues and 12 days, to six locations and 20 days. • Winter storms challenge AJFF to reschedule 18 screenings including Opening Night. Total attendance holds at record 31,000 despite paralyzing weather. • 5 2012 AJFF Audience: 30,000 5 2013 AJFF Audience: 31,000 5 2014 AJFF Audience: 31,000 SPONSORS AND DONORS THE FUTURE OF AJFF A fter fourteen years of artistic vitality and stunning growth, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has embarked on a new journey as an independent nonprofit organization. AJFF will continue an active partnership with its founder, American Jewish Committee, centered on a shared commitment to Jewish life and intergroup understanding. To ensure a seamless transition to fiscal and programmatic independence, we have launched the "Lights! Camera! Take Action!" Campaign. AJFF gratefully acknowledges the supporters listed below who have generously invested in this celebrated community asset. CAMPAIGN CHAIR Kenny Blank CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Spring and Tom Asher Lisa Brill Michael J. Coles Carol Z. Cooper Lila and Doug Hertz David Kuniansky Steve Labovitz Michael Plasker Cookie Shapiro CAMPAIGN DONORS $100,000 + The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation The Kendeda Fund The Marcus Foundation, Inc. $50,000 - $99,999 Ron and Lisa Brill Family Charitable Trust Helen Marie Stern* $25,000 -$49,999 The Eliot J. Garber Foundation Douglas J. Hertz Family Foundation Andrea and Mike Leven The Rich Foundation $10,000 – $24,999 Argo Family Fund Spring and Tom Asher Natalie and Matthew Bernstein David Kuniansky Sheri and Steve Labovitz The Selig Foundation Cathy Selig Kuranoff and Steve Kuranoff Linda and Steve Selig Zaban Family Foundation Judy Zaban Miller Carol and Larry Cooper Laura and Marshall Dinerman Sara and Robert Franco $5,000 - $9,999 Ellen Arnovitz and Michael Plasker Donna and Michael Coles Sari and Olen Earl Mark Kopkin Linda and Mark Silberman $3,000 - $4,999 Viki and Paul Freeman Lynne M. and Howard I. Halpern Lynne and Jack Halpern Linda, Abe, Adam and Hana Schear Judith and Mark Taylor $1,000 - $2,999 Martha and Barry Berlin Nancy and Kenny Blank Lois Blonder Susan Booth and Max Leventhal Ruth and Mark Hackner Ellisa and Harris Konter Brenda and Mark Lichtenstein Dedi and Julian Mohr Marlene J. Schwartz and Family Cookie Shapiro The Luci and Stan Sunshine Family Foundation Up to $999 Dolores and Harold Arnovitz Dawn and Pete Audano Jamie and Rob Baskin Dina Fuchs-Beresin and Todd Beresin Lois Blonder Staci and Matt Brill Jan and Warren Epstein Sherry Frank Lesli Greenberg Henry & Etta Raye Hirsch Heritage Foundation Carole and Irving Kay Rebecca and Rabbi Brad Levenberg Genevieve McGillicuddy and Scott Henry Amy and Brad Pilcher Jessica Reis Shellie Schmals Staci and Maury Shapiro Barbara Snow *Of Blessed Memory For information regarding a tax-deductible gift, please contact Development Director Lesli Greenberg at [email protected]. PROFESSOR BERNSTEIN'S MUST-SEE FILMS I n its 15th year, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival again offers a copious array of extraordinary films that provide fresh perspectives on the place of Jews and Jewish history within our complex world. These cinematic jewels, from short films to the myriad feature-length documentaries and narratives, arrive here from numerous cultures and countries, having been selected by our diligent evaluation committee. The festival is a rare opportunity to see terrific movies, most of which would otherwise not be available to Atlanta audiences. It’s moreover the chance to watch these films with an enduring community of intelligent and intensely engaged movie-lovers. Given so many treasures, it’s hard to pick favorites. Dr. Matthew Bernstein is a professor and chair of the Film & Media Studies Department at Emory University. For a fine documentary on the young men and women who defend Israel, check out Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front. See Apples from the Desert and especially Félix and Meira for dramas about Orthodox Jews stepping into secular life. The Physician is a German-made but English language big-budget, sweeping, old-style spectacular about a Christian English boy who impersonates a Jew to study medicine in Middle Ages Egypt. Zemene movingly portrays a Jewish doctor and his ten-yearold Ethiopian patient. We have two documentaries on American food: Deli Man energetically and affectionately profiles the people behind the counter, while Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream recounts the endeavors of an . THE PROFESSOR S PICKS enduring family business. The Outrageous Sophie Tucker details the now forgotten but astonishing showbiz career of an Orthodox-raised Jewish entertainer who became “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas.” Comedies include the documentary Comedy Warriors: Healing through Humor, and the extremely funny, fish-out-of-German-and-Israeli-water, Anywhere Else. Bottom line, I urge you to view as many films as possible; here are my standout recommendations. hate crimes in France delivers a powerful emotional wallop. ABOVE AND BEYOND This account of mostly Jewish-American WWII veteran pilots, who at great risk decided to aid an air force-less Israel during its 1948 battles of independence, is exhil- ABOVE AND BEYOND 24 DAYS The 2006 news reports of the dire kidnapping of French-Jewish 25-year-old Ilan Halimi, just because he was Jewish and therefore presumably rich, were mind-boggling. Alexandre Arcady’s intense reenactment of that ordeal is an emotionally compelling, edge-of-your-seat police procedural. The suspense is unrelenting as Arcady cross-cuts among the African, Arab and white French kidnappers, the massive police search effort and the emotional unraveling of Ilan’s family that grows skeptical of the authorities’ methods and mindset. This outstandingly played, pulsating docudrama about a major crossroad in the history of French Jews and the definition of arating. With newsreels, interviews, photos, reenactments, and special effects from George Lucas’s renowned Industrial Light and Magic, Above and Beyond plays like a true-life Indiana Jones-style adventure story. The surviving pilots are born storytellers who recount with passion, humor and occasional well-placed Yiddish-isms, their maneuvers and derring-do (aeronautical, and even sometimes, sexual), their triumphs and their losses...a definite donot-miss. Other fine films about Israeli and/ or Jewish history include The Prime Ministers: The Soldiers and Peacemakers; 1913: Seeds of Conflict; and My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes. DANCING ARABS DANCING ARABS AJFF favorite Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride and Lemon Tree) works with first-rate actors and a brilliant script by Arab-Israeli author Sayed Kashua, who adapted his semi-autobiographical novel, to yield superb filmmaking. The smart, honorable, music-loving Palestinian teen Eyad (superb Tawfeek Barhom) endures ostracism and racist taunts when he enrolls in a prestigious Jerusalem boarding school, where he quietly “dances” between Arab and Jewish life and values, mastering the history of Israel’s 1948 triumphant battles with Arab states, yet delivering a devastating critique of Israeli literature’s image of the Arab. This and Eyad’s Jewish appearance to authorities are two of the many paradoxes informing his story. As the ironies accumulate, so does great melancholy, in this carefully modulated, humane and heartbreaking portrait of the ties that bind and divide. about prejudice, intermarriage and the multiracial face of contemporary France — the polar opposite of 24 Days. THE FAREWELL PARTY It’s said that comedy allows us to deny our eventual mortality, but here’s a film that embraces both comedy and the ethical dilemmas surrounding euthanasia. The opening scene immediately establishes that self-styled inventor Yehezkel (Ze’ev Revach) has a whimsical penchant for playing God. His assembled team of retired experts (a gay veterinarian who knows drugs and his married ex-cop lover who knows the law) devises a humane method to help a suffering friend die. Their competence vies with frequent ineptitude, and unintended consequences ensue. Strong performances all around, and nimble, adroit shot framing, editing and comic timing make this unique film a true highlight of the festival. GETT: THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM GETT: THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM DOUGH and SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS Cultures and religions clash in a major way when an observant, old-school Jewish London baker (Jonathan Pryce) reluctantly takes on teenaged Muslim refugee Ayash (Jerome Holder) as his apprentice. Dough underlines how much they have in common (ritual prayers; the world closing in around each), while Ayash’s drug dealing “mixed” with baking gives way to hilarious scenes, with terrific British pros in supporting roles. In the same comic vein, Serial (Bad) Weddings, an absolute favorite, is a riotous farce The creative team and cast that delivered To Take a Wife and The Seven Days have reunited in this astonishing third portrait of the despondent Viviane (co-writer/director Ronit Elkabetz) and her passive-aggressive, religiously observant but crushingly possessive husband Elisha (Simon Abkarian). If you think American divorce proceedings are difficult, Gett really puts things in perspective: the Orthodox court’s judges will make your head spin as they routinely side with men, and pose intimate, arbitrary questions to Viviane, her secular attorney and her often amusing friends and family called as witnesses. Elkabetz, often silent, remains an explosive screen presence, while festival favorite Sasson Gabai turns in an award-winning performance as Elisha’s brother/attorney. The pared down setting — here, just . THE PROFESSOR S PICKS a courtroom and corridor — and carefully controlled shot compositions, mimic and confirm the suffocation and anguish that Viviane experiences. This top-notch drama is Israeli filmmaking at its finest. THE FAREWELL PARTY THE GO-GO BOYS This lively documentary from director Hilla Medalia (last year’s Dancing in Jaffa), provides a brisk, witty, up-close-and-personal look at an Israeli filmmaking duo. In the 1980s and early ’90s they briefly dumbfounded Hollywood with a string of wildly successful “B” action movies and high art entries (vintage clips aplenty) before a crash-and-burn. The late, gregarious showman, producer/director Menachem Golan, in all his glorious bluster, addresses everything but his late-career flameout, as does his quiet, younger cousin Yoram Globus, the financier charged with funding Golan’s schemes. Not only could they complete each other’s sentences, they “signed each other’s checks.” As Hostel director and Inglourious Basterds star Eli Roth admiringly tells us, “They brought us ninjas, Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson and breakdancing.” You may not be a devotee of their films, but you will applaud these chutzpah-charged movie moguls. FESTIVAL SURVIVAL GUIDE The 2015 AJFF is a cinematic smorgasbord: 23 days, 65 films, and more screenings than ever, 164 to be exact. With a plethora of opportunities to view films, and even more seating capacity than in the past, it all may seem slightly overwhelming. Fear not, intrepid movie fans: this survival guide should maximize your festival fun to the fullest. TIP #1 AVOID SELLOUTS BY PLANNING IN ADVANCE Tickets go on sale Sunday, January 11. Some screenings will start to sell out quickly, so plan in advance and secure your tickets sooner rather than later. TIP #2 SCOUT OUT OTHER SCREENING OPTIONS If the screening you want is sold out, check the film listings for other dates, times and locations. We offer multiple showings of our most popular movies. If all else fails, you can put your name on the standby list, by signing up in person at the theater on the day of the screening; we will release any unoccupied seats at show time. Note, as well, that some films will receive encore screenings on February 18 and 19. See page 50 for more information. Continued on page 23 HORSES OF GOD This potent, utterly involving film renders in intimate detail how aimless Muslim youth can grow up extremely poor, without father figures, in a North African slum, and be lured into becoming so-called horses of god, that is, members of Islamic terrorist groups that offer a sense of (utterly destructive) purpose. In its evocation of that milieu; in its first-rate cinematography; in director Nabil Ayouch’s masterful buildup of suspense; and in the believable, compelling performances of the non-professionals, Horses of God is a more contemplative (and far less violent) version of the Brazilian blockbuster, City of God. on a journey to his Hungarian hometown, a brash, young Turkish woman (Katharina Durr, excellent), becomes absorbed, as we do, in his life story and endeavors. LITTLE WHITE LIE Lacey Schwartz’s autobiographical documentary proves once again Tolstoy’s wisdom: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The Schwartz’s heartache is certainly distinctive. Lacey’s parents lie or are in denial about her THE LAST MENSCH Swiss-born film and television star Mario Adorf achieved prominence in the 1970s when New German Cinema director Volker Schlöndorff cast him as a villain in The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum and The Tin Drum. Adorf, now 84, is the focus of this skillfully acted, deeply moving and unusual tale of MR. KAPLAN paternity, yet, as evidenced in home movies, provide her a loving home. Interviews with her extended family demonstrate unconditional affection. As Lacey confronts her parents, who bravely appear on camera, and as she adeptly and unreservedly recounts her difficulties discovering she is not white but biracial, she compels us to think hard about how we define ourselves and the dynamics of contemporary race relations in America. THE LAST MENTSCH a Holocaust survivor who, having fled and repressed his Jewish past for decades, now ironically struggles to prove to the religious authorities that he will belong in a Jewish cemetery. His initially snarky companion MR. KAPLAN Humiliation, desperation and self-righteousness are a dangerous brew, especially accompanied by incompetence, poor impulse control and an inability to swim. In this sharply observed, beautifully filmed Uruguayan comedy with a somber undertow, . THE PROFESSOR S PICKS 76-year-old Jacob Kaplan (an excellent Héctor Noguera) is determined to make something of his meaningless life. Accompanied by his Sancho Panza, a humiliated, sloppy ex-cop with huge issues of his own, Kaplan’s self-styled Simon Wiesenthal-like efforts to capture a suspected Nazi criminal are hilarious, and even include a Spaghetti Western-styled showdown. Jacob may be a wreck, but the film is pitch-perfect. NIGHT WILL FALL Akin to the shocking power of Alain Resnais’s 1955 landmark documentary Night and Fog, the mesmerizing Night Will Fall will grip you as it relates Britain’s plan to produce a film to be shown in post-war Germany and worldwide. With input from Billy Wilder and supervised overall by Alfred Hitchcock, the disturbing graphic images of liberated death camps speak for themselves, yet the interviews with both soldiers who held the cameras, and some of the people they photographed and freed, add an essential dimension to this Holocaust FESTIVAL SURVIVAL GUIDE continued from page 21 TIP #3 PICK FILMS BASED ON GENRE OR SUBJECT MATTER Can’t figure out what to see? You can cross-reference films by genre or subject matter to find what suits your tastes and interests. Family-friendly options are also indicated. See pages 68-69 for more information. TIP #4 BE PREPARED FOR A FESTIVAL ATMOSPHERE NIGHT WILL FALL history. Carefully crafted, with understated narration and fitting musical accompaniment, this is a resounding rejoinder to Holocaust deniers worldwide. Large, very energetic crowds make AJFF an exciting place to be. The buzz and mounting anticipation in the theater lobby are all part of the film festival experience. Arrive early, visit with your friends, and above all, maintain a good sense of humor. Theater doors will open 30 minutes before showtime, and our friendly ushers will seat everyone as quickly and smoothly as possible. Late arriving ticket-holders cannot be guaranteed a seat. Continued on page 25 RAISE THE ROOF RAISE THE ROOF Here’s an extraordinary venture: a multiyear, multinational endeavor to re-erect a grand wooden Polish synagogue that rivals “the greatest wooden architecture anywhere in the world,” including a vibrantly colored painted ceiling replete with animals and Hebrew texts. The engaging and thoughtful team leaders, Rick and Laura Brown, specialize in such educational reconstruction projects. They recruit experts in woodworking, painting, architecture and Polish-Jewish history to direct students and recreate a workshop employing medieval builders’ tools (not chainsaws). Best of all, this is a briskly paced detective tale to find out “not just how it was built, but who built it and why.” In doing so, the team recovered more than an object, they recovered a world. while in exile abroad, and later helped write South Africa’s new constitution, designed its Truth and Reconciliation Committee, and served an inaugural term on its new Constitutional Court. Even after both a jail term and a devastating 1988 car-bombing, he truly embodies Gandhi’s ideal of non-violent protest and Nelson Mandela’s pursuit of reconciliation. Sachs’s commitment to justice, dignity and egalitarianism for all South Africans places him in the pantheon of democracy’s supreme champions and great Jewish jurists. THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM In this adaptation of the one-man play, Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears, 90-year-old singer, musician and actor Theodore Bikel affirms his connection to his greatest cultural inspiration, celebrated Yiddish writer Sholom Aleichem. Born in Vienna, and having fled Nazis in childhood, Bikel’s story is enhanced by artistes, including Fiddler on the Roof lyricist Sheldon Harnick, who describe Bikel’s civil rights activism and musical, theatrical and cinematic triumphs, including 2000 stage performances as Fiddler’s Tevye. The film’s heart, however, resides in its passionate, multifaceted tribute to vanishing Eastern European culture that SOFT VENGEANCE: ALBIE SACHS AND THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA We’ve screened many inspiring documentaries about individuals who made a major difference in the world; this is one of the best, ever. Interviews, historical footage and steadfast narration by Alfre Woodard, bring to light the amazing story of Albie Sachs. This Jewish South African lawyer and member of the African National Congress remained committed to the cause of freedom SOFT VENGEANCE . THE PROFESSOR S PICKS Aleichem’s stories captured, and which enabled Eastern European Jews to survive 19th century poverty and persecution. This is an overwhelmingly rich celebration of Aleichem, Bikel and Jewish heritage. ZERO MOTIVATION Fans of black humor will savor this award-winning mix of Private Benjamin and M*A*S*H*, which satirizes the Israeli De- FESTIVAL SURVIVAL GUIDE continued from page 23 TIP #5 HELP MAKE AJFF A PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE We aim to keep your wait on queuing lines as short and orderly as possible, and we thank you for exercising patience and common courtesy with your fellow festival-goers. Once inside the theater, please use moderation in reserving seats only for those in your immediate party. Seats are occupied on a first-come, first-served basis. Ushers are available to assist in finding a seat or resolving any issues. ZERO MOTIVATION fense Forces (and all military bureaucracies), and is one of this year’s best comedies. In a world where staple-gun-ownership epitomizes stature, the two anti-heroes, Zohar and Daffi, members of an all-female corps that trades foul-mouthed insults, scheme to avoid work as non-combat paper pushers on an IDF desert base. In this world of absurdist comic logic, disastrous actions have unpredictably happy consequences. First-time feature director Talya Lavie demonstrates a sure hand with droll staging and editing, and a highly ironic use of classical waltzes. To paraphrase from an Adam Sandler film, you don’t mess with this Zohar. For an even more outre Israeli comedy, see the surreal, inventive and quietly feminist Self Made. TIP #6 TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL DINING OPTIONS Film festivals give us permission to indulge in an all-day movie marathon. Theaters provide plenty of tasty snacks and drinks. For a bigger bite to eat, reward one of our nearby restaurant partners with your patronage. See pages 40-45 for more information. TIP #7 CATCH AJFF FILMS AFTER THE FESTIVAL CLOSES It’s not too late to see a movie you might have missed, even after the festival wraps. A number of these titles will eventually be released on DVD or Video-On-Demand. Some even return to the big screen for a theatrical release. THE (LONG) PROCESS OF PROGRAMMING THE FILM FESTIVAL Most people are surprised to discover the effort involved in programming each year’s festival. HALF-A-YEAR OF FILM VIEWING WHAT FILMS WE PROGRAM (AND WHY) F ilms, of course, are the heart of every great film festival, but equally significant is the balancing of those films. What subjects should be explored, and how do we keep the lineup fresh and appealing? Part of the AJFF mission is to spark dialogue, introspection and empathy, not just within the Jewish community, but with moviegoers of all faiths and ethnicities. The festival often exhibits films that some consider challenging, or even controversial. The discussions these universal stories engender help individuals and communities understand one another, even when they seemingly share little in common. Of course, films must also meet the highest standards of artistic excellence. AJFF not only entertains, but is proud to offer fare that may be provocative, edifying, inspiring, exciting, or any combination thereof. If we don’t, we are not doing our job! Well before each festival lineup is announced, we start the annual work of evaluating 500+ film entries. Over a six-month period, a committee of film aficionados carefully evaluates each and every submission, weighing such criteria as artistic merit and mission relevance. PICKING THE BEST OF THE BEST Once the committee narrows down the pool of film submissions to a set of final contenders, the festival director is charged with the complex task of curating a well-balanced and diverse lineup. FOSTERING DISCUSSION A highlight of any film festival is the opportunity to discuss the movies with fellow audience members and friends. AJFF makes it possible to hear directly from filmmakers, actors and other artists who bring these stories to life. Post-film Q&As also often include conversations with scholars, journalists and other experts who provide context and deeper insight into a film’s subject matter. OPENING NIGHT WEDNESDAY JANUARY 28 GALA at 5:00 PM FILM at 7:30 PM TICKET PRICES RED CARPET VIP $300 Opening Night Gala with food tasting, open bar, live entertainment and film. GEN-Y RED CARPET VIP $150 Age 39 and under. GENERAL ADMISSION $18 Includes film only. A $3 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Facility Fee applied to all General Admission tickets. Free parking for Opening Night provided compliments of ABOVE AND BEYOND The untold true story of a ragtag band of volunteer airmen who mobilized in the skies above Israel to fight for the fledgling nation’s survival. • Film details on page 72 Join us for the Atlanta Premiere of Above and Beyond, an inspiring story of bravery and heroism. Before the film, enjoy tastings and libations at the AJFF Opening Night Gala. FEATURING THESE TOP CHEFS AND PURVEYORS FROM ATLANTA AND ISRAEL… GEN-Y NIGHT PRESENTED WITH THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 COCKTAILS at 6:00 PM FILM at 8:00 PM 24 DAYS The kidnapping and torture of a French-Moroccan Jew are dramatized in this white-knuckle thriller questioning race relations in contemporary France. • Film details on page 71 PRESENTED WITH ART PARTY CELEBRATING JEWISH COMEDY ALL-STARS ART AND SUPPLIES PROVIDED BY The black background above is included to show white version only, not to be included in logo. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 8:00 PM at AJFF teams up with Creative Loafing and local artists Catlanta, Blockhead ATL, Clunky Robot, and Crazy Monkey Trucker for an immersive experience. Featuring collectible art by MailChimp, special art drops, and film-themed photo booths. Online at AJFF.org • 31 CLOSING NIGHT THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM The 2015 AJFF comes to a joyous close with this enchanting musical biography celebrating two beloved cultural icons. • Film Details on page 134 FILM at 6:50 PM and 9:15 PM with DESSERT RECEPTION Generously provided by - since 1997 - TICKETS $18 Includes both the film and the dessert reception. FESTIVAL VENUES 2800 COBB GALLERIA PARKWAY ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30339 P ar 5 ay I-7 kw . wy Pk ria alle Co b b Cum berla nd vd. . Rd ill M rs e k G bb Co A Bl Free onsite parking in deck and surface lot provided compliments of AAA Parking. Additional parking is available at the Galleria office park across Akers Mill Road. 85 nd I-2 rla be Cum PARKING DETAILS Blvd. 261 19TH STREET NW ATLANTA, GA 30363 treet 17th S Interstate-75/85 Atlantic Drive State Street Free parking is available in the underground parking deck with four-hour validation for theater patrons. Valet is located on State Street, just past Target. Market Street 19th Street PARKING DETAILS FESTIVAL VENUES 1301 JOHNSON FERRY ROAD MARIETTA, GA 30068 R M rc han t East Cobb Dr. ) 20 (1 ad o R ll we e sW alk D r. hn Jo Free parking is available outside the theater entrance and in the surrounding Merchants Walk Shopping Center. os PARKING DETAILS n so r Fe ry Rd . 3950 1ST STREET ALPHARETTA, GA 30009 400 Avalon Blvd. 1st Street GA- 2nd St. t es ay rkw Pa e d si 3rd Street Free parking is available in decks and surface lots. Valet is also available for theater patrons. W PARKING DETAILS Old Milton Parkway PARKSIDE SHOPPING CENTER 5920 ROSWELL ROAD NE ATLANTA, GA 30328 i od ive le Al n NE Ro ad e t Cl dy Sp rin gs C ircl e o ftw Dr d oa San d In on lR m NE el m Ha e sw Free parking is available outside the theater entrance and in the surrounding Parkside Shopping Center. iv Dr Ro PARKING DETAILS t rs at e- 28 5 FESTIVAL VENUES 91 BROAD STREET SW ATLANTA, GA 30303 Str ee t t M Pe ac htr ee Str ee t et ee tre S tr Ma rtin Lu the rK Bro ad Str ee t Fo rsy th Sp ell gS tch Parking is available at a lot across the street, as well as at several parking decks within two city blocks. The Five Points MARTA station is also two blocks up Broad Street. Five Points MARTA Station rin PARKING DETAILS Mi ing Jr. Dri ve 2345 CHESHIRE BRIDGE ROAD ATLANTA, GA 30324 Chesh 85 e- Sh e r i da d. nR tat ers Lindb erg Int Free parking is available outside the theater entrance and in the surrounding Cheshire Square Shopping Center. e Rd. ire Bridg PARKING DETAILS h Dr. Lavist a Rd. th Str ee t Pe ac h eS tre et M tr e Arts Center MARTA Station 16 ay enter W Arts C Multiple parking decks are available, including the Woodruff Arts Center parking garage on Arts Center Way, and the Boys and Girls Club Parking Garage directly across Peachtree Street. Spring Street PARKING DETAILS West Peachtree Street 1280 PEACHTREE STREET NE ATLANTA, GA 30309 15th Street THESE RESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE TO THE FESTIVAL, FEEDING OUR VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF. PLEASE THANK THEM WITH YOUR PATRONAGE. COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE COBB ENERGY CENTRE •SCHLOTZSKY'S 2980 Cobb Parkway • FIGO PASTA 2941 Paces Ferry Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30339 770-434-4444 • figopasta.com The original Italian fresh pasta place, as warm and inviting as your own kitchen. Dozens of combinations of home-made, freshly prepared pastas, sauces, salads and paninis, plus wine, beer, cocktails, and other selections. All prepared fresh every day. • SOUTH CITY KITCHEN Suite 208 Atlanta, GA 30339 770-612-8044 • schlotzskys.com Schlotzsky's Sandwiches are served on the BEST BUNZ IN TOWN!! Drop by to find out why. 10% off with ticket stub through March 22nd. REGAL ATLANTIC STATION • 5 SEASONS RESTAURANT AND BREWERY 1675 Cumberland Parkway SE Smyrna, GA 30080 770-435-0700 vinings.southcitykitchen.com 1000 Marietta Street NW Atlanta, GA 30318 404-875-3232 5seasonsbrewing.com Welcome! Southern food takes on an upscale twist in the suburbs at South City Kitchen Vinings. Favorites like buttermilk fried chicken (voted best in Cobb County!) and creamy banana pudding share the spotlight with an extensive beer selection and adventurous wine and cocktail lists. 5 Seasons is Atlanta's locally owned and operated and nationally award-winning restaurant and brewery featuring local, organic foods, hand-crafted beer, seasonal cocktails, brunch and more. Rated one of Atlanta's top restaurants in numerous lists and publications, with three great locations. Have a great night! WHERE TO EAT • BOCADO BURGER 887 Howell Mill Road Atlanta, GA 30318 404-815-1399 • bocadoatlanta.com Good ingredients and commitment matter! Independently owned, we pride ourselves on sourcing the best ingredients from partners who preserve the heritage in farming practices. Our burgers and salads are made to order with care; thank you for waiting. •ECCO 40 7th Street NE Atlanta, GA 30308 404-347-9555 • ecco-atlanta.com A nationally recognized restaurant that flawlessly delivers cosmopolitan flair and the inviting warmth of your favorite neighborhood hangout at the same time. The menu features the best in locally sourced seasonal European cuisine, specializing in both satisfying entrees perfect for one and delicious smaller dishes that encourage sharing and grazing by family and friends. • FIGO PASTA 907 Marietta Street Atlanta, GA 30318 404-963-7950 • figopasta.com See description under Cobb Energy Centre. • THE PIG & THE PEARL Atlantic Station 1380 Atlantic Avenue NW Atlanta, GA 30363 404-541-0930 • thepigandthepearl.com From the team behind The Shed at Glenwood and 3 Parks Wine comes Atlantic Station's newest smokehouse and raw bar. Enjoy a menu full of flavor — including beef, poultry and vegetarian dishes. •STRIP Atlantic Station 245 18th Steet NW Atlanta, GA 30363 404-385-2005 • h2sr.com/strip Atlanta’s place to be when you are craving both style and substance! This multilevel steak house with lively bars and patios on each level brings new meaning to the world of steak houses. • WEST EGG CAFÉ 1100 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 404-872-3973 • westeggcafe.com Southern comfort in a modern world. An independent restaurant, bakery and coffeehouse with a vintage design evocative of Westside Atlanta’s historic industrial corridor, serving breakfast all day, plus lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch; and comfort sweets and locally-roasted Batdorf & Bronson coffee. GTC MERCHANTS WALK •BAGELICIOUS 1255 Johnson Ferry Road Marietta, GA 30368 770-509-9505 As Atlanta fills up with more and more really good New York-style bagel joints, Bagelicious is among the best, and it’s certainly tops in its bustling East Cobb area. REGAL CINEMAS AVALON 12 MERCHANTS WALK (CONT.) REGAL AVALON • HONG KONG STAR 4719 Lower Roswell Road Marietta, GA 30068 770-509-2129 • hongkongstarmenu.com Since the grand opening of our original location in Acworth in June 2002, our mission has always been to provide a wonderful dining experience that stands out from the rest. Our goal is to provide excellent food in an exotic, stress-free environment, which is both affordable and enjoyable for everyone. • MARLOW’S TAVERN Merchants Walk Shopping Center, 1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA 30068 770-977-7747 • marlowstavern.com Meet me at Marlow's...where you’ll be served fresh flavorful takes on your favorite dishes, cocktails crafted by hand with the most creative of spirits, and the most welcoming atmosphere outside your own front door. • 5 SEASONS RESTAURANT AND BREWERY 3655 Old Milton Parkway Alpharetta, GA 30005 770-521-5551 5seasonsbrewing.com See description under Atlantic Station. • BOCADO BURGER Avalon 2200 Avalon Boulevard Alpharetta, GA 30009 678-248-5223 • bocadoatlanta.com See description under Atlantic Station. • MARLOW’S TAVERN Avalon, 3900 1st Street Alpharetta, GA 30009 678-248-5230 marlowstavern.com See description under Merchants Walk. •SCHLOTZSKY'S 2980 Cobb Parkway Suite 208 Atlanta, GA 30339 770-612-8044 • schlotzskys.com See description under Cobb Energy Centre. WHERE TO EAT LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS • 5 SEASONS RESTAURANT AND BREWERY The Prado, 5600 Roswell Road Sandy Springs, GA 30342 404-255-5911 5seasonsbrewing.com See description under Atlantic Station. • BREADWINNER CAFÉ 220 Sandy Springs Circle Sandy Springs, GA 30328 404-843-0224 breadwinnercafe.com Breadwinner Café has a simple menu of homemade soups, creative salads and gourmet sandwiches that together create a trio great for lunch. Bring in your AJFF movie ticket for the day or following day to receive 20% off your meal. • CAFÉ SABABA 4639 North Shallowford Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338 678-705-8268 • cafesababa.net Awesome, fun and cool culinary experience with fresh, authentic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, including grilled chicken, fish, beef and lamb. • CAFÉ SUNFLOWER 5975 Roswell Road Sandy Springs, GA 30328 404-256-1675 • cafesunflower.com Award-winning vegetarian offerings since 1994. • FIGO PASTA 1140 Hammond Drive Atlanta, GA 30328 770-698-0505 • figopasta.com See description under Cobb Energy Centre. • THE FLYING BISCUIT CAFÉ 5975 Roswell Road Sandy Springs, GA 30328 404-252-1182 • flyingbiscuit.com Lovers of breakfast and breaded sideitems have been flocking to the Flying Biscuit for years, with its quirky décor, friendly service and menu of traditional classics. • FOR ALL OCCASIONS AND MORE 5200 Northland Drive Atlanta, GA 30342 404-953-8157 foralloccasionsandmore.com Atlanta’s top full-service kosher catering at its finest, so you can play host and get the most! LEFONT (CONT.) • MELLOW MUSHROOM •FUEGOMUNDO The Prado 5590 Roswell Road Sandy Springs, GA 30342 404-256-4330 • fuegomundo.com Its motto is “a healthy taste of South America,” and it delivers gluten-free, organic, vegan-friendly, dairy-free, fully kosher options. It’s not your typical Latin restaurant, but it’s arguably the best. • HAMMOCKS TRADING COMPANY 7285 Roswell Road Sandy Springs, GA 30328 770-395-9592 hammockstradingcompany.com With a menu that features oysters on the half shell, ceviche, steaks, and great salads, Hammocks is where southern coastal seafood meets Baja California! • LANDMARK DINER 3652 Roswell Road NE Atlanta, GA 30305 404-816-9090 landmarkdiner.com Truly a landmark in the Atlanta area. With its all-hours service and wide-ranging menu, Landmark Diner is the perfect spot for a late night, post-film stop-off. • MARLOW’S TAVERN The Prado 5590 Roswell Road Sandy Springs, GA 30342 404-255-8890 • marlowstavern.com See description under Merchants Walk. 6100 Roswell Road NE Sandy Springs, GA 30328 404-252-5560 • mellowmushroom.com Pizza is a very special food, and Mellow Mushroom has a reputation for doing it the right way. But it may be most noteworthy for its playful décor and trippy interior art. • RUMI’S KITCHEN 6112 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30328 404-477-2100 rumiskitchen.com Welcome to Rumi’s Kitchen, the premiere Atlanta location for Persian cuisine. We invite you to Rumi’s Kitchen where fresh, healthy food, attentive Persian hospitality, and an atmosphere filled with love await you. UA TARA CINEMAS • ATLANTA FISH MARKET 265 Pharr Road NE Atlanta, GA 30305 404-262-3165 buckheadrestaurants.com/ atlanta-fish-market From the gracious service to the Southeast’s widest selection of fresh seafood, Atlanta Fish Market’s comfortable, neighborhood atmosphere is a relaxing retreat from the hustle and bustle of Buckhead. With more than 100 fresh varieties from the deep, flown in fresh daily, Atlanta Fish Market has something for everyone. WHERE TO EAT • BISTRO NIKO 3344 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326 404-261-6456 buckheadrestaurants.com/bistro-niko Bistro Niko is a nod to Paris, right in the heart of Buckhead. The classic French fare is authentic and simple, while the affordably priced wine list, exciting cocktails and extensive craft beer list ensure that everyone finds something to suit their tastes. Grand ceilings, art from Paris and a patio that overlooks Peachtree make Bistro Niko at once a destination and a neighborhood restaurant. • COAST SEAFOOD AND RAW BAR 111 West Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, GA 30305 404-869-0777 • h2sr.com/coast Coast serves Atlanta’s freshest seafood and island cocktails in a casual environment that evokes the fun of a seaside shanty, while offering a seasonal menu inspired by the elegance of the sea. • DAVIO’S NORTHERN ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE 3500 Peachtree Road NE Atlanta, GA 30326 404-844-4810 • davios.com Davio’s Atlanta offers the same qualities that have made Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse a cherished favorite in other cities. The spectacle of the open kitchen; handmade pasta prepared with an expert’s care; attention to detail; legendary service; perfectly cooked steaks; and our signature veal chop… it’s all here. • THE GENERAL MUIR Emory Point 1540 Avenue Place, Suite B-230, Atlanta, GA 30329 678-927-9131 • thegeneralmuir.com A loving tribute to the New York Jewish deli, returning it to its hand-crafted roots. Traditional favorites are honored: Pastrami is cured and smoked in-house, bagels are kettle-boiled and hand-rolled, and all are joined by dishes that go beyond tradition, with a focus on fresh ingredients and simple preparations. • MARLOW’S TAVERN Emory Point 1520 Avenue Place Suite B-120 Atlanta, GA 30329 404-343-3283 • marlowstavern.com See description under Merchants Walk. • THE SPICY PEACH 2887 North Druid Hills Road Atlanta, GA 30329 404-334-7200 thespicypeach.com Kosher market with takeaway panini, soup and salad bar. ON SALE SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2015 GENERAL ADMISSION weekdays after 4:00 PM and all weekend shows SENIORS ages 65 & older • STUDENTS with valid student ID • CHILDREN age 12 & under MATINEE SCREENINGS Monday-Friday, start times up through 4:00 PM DELI MAN SCREENING AND DELI TASTING $13 $10 $9 $18* * Deli tasting presented by The General Muir at Lefont Sandy Springs screenings only. OPENING NIGHT RED CARPET VIP includes Gala and film GEN-Y RED CARPET VIP includes Gala and film; ages 39 and under GENERAL ADMISSION includes film only $300 $150 $18** ** $3 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Facility Fee applied to all Opening Night General Admission tickets. GEN-Y EVENTS CREATIVE LOAFING ART PARTY GEN-Y NIGHT PRESENTED BY ACCESS $18 $18 CLOSING NIGHT THE WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER, RICH AUDITORIUM includes film and dessert reception $18 • All ticket prices include sales tax. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ARRIVAL TIME: Patrons are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the film program. In the event of a sellout, late arriving ticket-holders cannot be guaranteed a seat. SELLOUTS: In the event of a sellout, a standby list will be created. Unoccupied seats will be released at show time, as available. Those wishing to add their name to the standby list must do so in person at the theater venues during event hours on the day of the screening. No email or phone requests for the standby list will be accepted. SEATING: All screenings are general seating. Seats are occupied on a first-come, first-served basis. All patrons must depart the auditorium at the conclusion of each screening. TICKETS: Due to circumstances beyond our control, certain films may be rescheduled or cancelled without prior notice. All ticket sales are final. AJFF is not responsible for lost, stolen, damaged or forgotten tickets. GUEST SPEAKERS: AJFF seeks to enrich the moviegoer experience by presenting guest speakers. Filmmakers, actors, academics, authors, film critics and other experts engage the audience during introductory remarks and post-film Q&A sessions. These appearances are offered at no additional cost beyond the ticket price and are subject to change based on guest availability and scheduling. For continuously updated information on guest speakers, check the individual film listings online at AJFF.org. THEATER REGULATIONS: AJFF strives to provide a safe, pleasant and secure environment for patrons. All cell phones and other electronic devices inside the auditorium must be turned OFF prior to the introduction of the film. Please do not text or otherwise check devices during screenings. The lighted screens on electronic devices are distracting to others. The use of cameras or recording devices of any kind is strictly prohibited during the screenings. Please take all personal belongings and litter with you as you exit the theater. AJFF is not responsible for personal items left behind at the theater venues. SECURITY: All AJFF screenings are monitored with the assistance of trained security personnel. AJFF reserves the right to search the personal belongings of any patron inside the theater. AJFF reserves the right to refuse entry into or eject from the theater any disruptive patrons. QUESTIONS: For further information or questions, contact the AJFF Box Office at 866-214-2072 or [email protected], or log on at AJFF.org. TICKET PRICES AND POLICIES HOW TO ORDER YOUR TICKETS BY PHONE 866-214-2072 ONLINE AT AJFF.ORG Tickets may be purchased online at AJFF.org. The AJFF website provides additional details about the films, guest speakers, trailers and sold out status. Tickets and additional information are available by calling the AJFF Box Office directly at 866-214-2072. A service fee of $2.50 per order applies to phone orders. GROUP SALES For groups interested in purchasing 15 or more tickets to an individual film, please visit the AJFF Box Office online at AJFF.org/groupsales or call 866-214-2072. Orders cannot be accepted until tickets go on sale Sunday, January 11, 2015. BOX OFFICE AT THEATERS Tickets may be purchased at the theater venues during event hours only. The AJFF Box Office will open one hour prior to the first screening of the day, and will close 30 minutes after the last film of the day begins. SPONSORS Sponsors seeking to redeem All Access passes, please visit the AJFF Box Office online at AJFF.org/sponsortickets or call the sponsor hotline at 404-806-2318. HOW TO RECEIVE YOUR TICKETS PRINT@HOME: The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is pleased to offer PRINT@HOME ticketing for your convenience. This allows moviegoers to purchase tickets online or by phone, and then print the tickets in advance. We suggest this option to avoid a last-minute rush and lines at the AJFF Box Office. This is a free service. MOBILE: Tickets can be stored on your mobile device, either as a mobile PDF or via the Passbook on Apple devices. Please remember to bring your mobile device with you and to open the PDF or Passbook prior to entry so they can be scanned at the theater entrance. This is a free service. WILL CALL: Will Call tickets may be picked up at the AJFF Box Office located at the theater venues during event hours. A confirmation number and valid photo ID are required. AJFF reserves the right to require proper identification before releasing tickets. This is a free service. MAIL: Tickets may be mailed if purchased at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the first screening purchased. Tickets purchased fewer than ten (10) days from event date may not be mailed, and are available via the PRINT@HOME or Will Call options only. Tickets will be mailed to the billing address unless another address is specified. A service fee of $2.50 per order applies to mail orders. EXPRESS SHIPPING: FedEx Express shipping is available for your convenience at the following rates: FedEx 2-day, $15.00; FedEx standard overnight, $18.00; FedEx priority overnight, $25.00; and FedEx Saturday delivery, $35.00. HOW DO THE ENCORE SCREENINGS WORK? WHERE AND WHEN WILL THE ENCORE FILMS BE PRESENTED? Repeat screenings will take place the evening of Wednesday, February 18th and afternoon of Thursday, February 19th at Lefont Sandy Springs and Tara Cinemas. WHEN WILL THE ENCORE DETAILS BE ANNOUNCED? SURPRISE! POPULAR FILMS GET AN ENCORE L ife is full of surprises, some of them not always pleasant. But here’s one surprise we think you’ll love! The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is delighted to announce the launch of a special encore series that will close out the festival. On February 18th and 19th, some of the most popular and in-demand movies of the festival will receive an impromptu repeat screening. If you missed a film or couldn’t get tickets, this is your chance to catch those audience favorites. Which films will receive an encore screening? That’s the surprise. Read ahead for details. Stay tuned for an announcement once the film festival is underway. HOW CAN I RECEIVE THE ENCORE ANNOUNCEMENT? Details of the encore series will be released via email to all ticket buyers, on our website at AJFF.org, as well as via Facebook and Twitter. If you are not registered, go to signup.AJFF.org to join our mailing list and social media feeds. WHEN CAN I BUY TICKETS? Encore tickets will be available at the same time the surprise screenings are unveiled. WHY ISN'T THE MOVIE I WANT TO SEE GETTING AN ENCORE? Due to certain restrictions enforced by the filmmakers and distributors, AJFF is sometimes not permitted to offer additional screenings of popular films. Rest assured, we will make every effort to bring back as many of the biggest titles as possible. FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 REGAL ATLANTIC STATION REGAL ATLANTIC STATION 24 Days 11:10 AM 12 PM 12 PM Once in a Lifetime 11:25 AM 1 PM The Physician 1:50 PM 4 PM 5 PM Opening Night Gala 5:00 PM 6:40 PM 6 PM Gen-Y Night Presented by ACCESS 7 PM The Go-Go Boys 6:00 PM Above and Beyond 7:30 PM 8 PM 24 Days 8:00 PM 9 PM Mr. Kaplan 9 PM 11 PM 11 PM 10 PM 10 PM 9:00 PM SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 • SUPER BOWL SUNDAY REGAL ATLANTIC STATION 1 PM 12 PM 2 PM Shorts Program 1 Little White Lie 11:10 AM Dough Secrets of War Once in a Lifetime 1:35 PM 11:00 AM 11:10 AM 1:30 PM 1:20 PM 3 PM 4:10 PM Beneath the Helmet 4:05 PM Belle and Sébastien 3:55 PM Dough Magic Men Anywhere Else 7:15 PM 8 PM 7:15 PM Serial (Bad) Weddings 7:25 PM Dough Self Made 9:40 PM 9 PM 8:35 PM 9:50 PM 10:00 PM 10 PM You Must Be Joking 7 PM 6 PM 5 PM 4:20 PM 6 PM 7 PM 8 PM The Farewell Party 4 PM Little White Lie 5 PM 4 PM 3 PM 1:50 PM 9 PM 10 PM 11 PM 11 AM 11:00 AM GTC MERCHANTS WALK Shorts Program 1 Deli Man 12 PM 11 AM Regarding Susan Sontag 1 PM GTC MERCHANTS WALK 2 PM SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 REGAL ATLANTIC STATION 11 PM 8 PM 7 PM 6 PM 5 PM 4 PM 3 PM 2:05 PM 2 PM ChagallMalevich 3 PM 2 PM 1 PM OPENING NIGHT 11 AM THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE 11 AM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 • OPENING NIGHT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2 REGAL ATLANTIC STATION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 REGAL ATLANTIC STATION GTC MERCHANTS WALK 1 PM 12:25 PM The Zionist Idea: A History 3 PM 2 PM 2 PM 1:15 PM Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem Dancing Raise the Roof Arabs 2:35 PM 2:50 PM 9 PM 8:15 PM 6 PM The Last Mentsch Zero ChagallMalevich 6:45 PM 7:50 PM The Farewell Party 7:40 PM Motivation 9:00 PM 9:00 PM 9:00 PM 11 PM 11 PM 10 PM The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers 7:30 PM Night Will Fall An Untold Diplomatic History THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5 REGAL AVALON 12 PM The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers Félix and Meira 11:15 AM Streit’s: Matzo and the… Closer to the Moon 3 PM 2:00 PM 1:50 PM 3 PM 2 PM Magic Men Serial (Bad) Weddings 4 PM 5 PM 6 PM 6 PM 5 PM 4 PM 2:30 PM 8:00 PM A Place in Heaven 7:45 PM Mr. Kaplan 9:10 PM 7 PM 7:00 PM Touchdown Israel 9:20 PM Comedy Warriors 8:35 PM Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem 7:45 PM 8 PM 24 Days The Last Mentsch 9 PM 6:50 PM 10 PM In Silence 7 PM 8 PM 9 PM 10 PM 2 PM 1 PM 12:10 PM 1 PM 11:10 AM GTC MERCHANTS WALK 11 AM 11 AM GTC MERCHANTS WALK 12 PM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 REGAL AVALON 11 PM 7 PM 24 Days 6:45 PM 8 PM 7:25 PM The Return 9 PM 6:30 PM Closer to the Moon 10 PM The Outrageous Sophie Tucker 11 PM 8 PM 7 PM 6 PM 5 PM 5 PM 4 PM 4 PM 2:30 PM 12 PM The Last Mentsch 12:15 PM 1 PM In Silence 3 PM 12 PM 11 AM 11 AM GTC MERCHANTS WALK FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Zero Motivation My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes 11:15 AM 11 AM The Outrageous Sophie Tucker LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS 11:05 AM 12 PM 11:00 AM Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem REGAL AVALON 1 PM Comedy Warriors: Healing Through… SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 GTC MERCHANTS WALK 1:30 PM 2:05 PM 2 PM The Physician 7 PM Dough 7:15 PM 8 PM 7:15 PM Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem Self Made 9:40 PM 11 PM 11 PM 10 PM Weddings 9:35 PM 10 PM 9 PM 8:15 PM Serial (Bad) SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8 11 AM 11:00 AM 2 PM 1:15 PM My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes 1:25 PM Secrets of War 1:35 PM Mr. Kaplan Shorts Program 2 4:15 PM 3 PM 4 PM 3:45 PM Beneath the Helmet: From High School… 4:05 PM 5 PM Apples from the Desert 5 PM 6 PM Raise the Roof 7 PM 6:00 PM Deli Man Reception Deli Man The Physician 7:00 PM The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers 7:00 PM Deli Man 10 PM 7:50 PM 11 PM 8:15 PM The Shop on Main Street 10 PM 8:25 PM Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem 11 PM 8:10 PM 8:00 PM 7 PM 4 PM 3 PM 2:30 PM 8 PM 6 PM 2 PM Belle and Sébastien 1 PM 12:10 PM 8 PM 1 PM In Silence 12 PM 11:10 AM LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS The Last Mentsch 9 PM 11:00 AM Touchdown Israel UA TARA CINEMAS 12 PM 11 AM In Silence MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9 LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS REGAL AVALON 9 PM 8 PM Mr. Kaplan 9 PM 7 PM 6 PM 6 PM 5 PM 5 PM 4 PM 4 PM 3 PM 2:15 PM 3 PM 2 PM 1 PM 12 PM 11 AM REGAL AVALON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 12:20 PM 11:20 AM 1 PM 2 PM 1:00 PM Zero Motivation 2:10 PM 2:30 PM Once in a Lifetime 2:45 PM 3:15 PM 4 PM 5 PM 5 PM 6 PM 6 PM 7:00 PM Horses of God 7:50 PM Horses of God 7 PM 6:40 PM Félix and Meira 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8 PM 8:00 PM Touchdown Israel 9 PM 7 PM The Physician The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers 9 PM 8 PM 11 AM 11:00 AM An Untold Diplomatic History: France and Israel Since 1948 A Place in Heaven My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes Little White Lie The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers 4 PM 3 PM 11:50 AM Mr. Kaplan LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS UA TARA CINEMAS 12 PM Self Made 2 PM 1 PM 12 PM 11 AM LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS 3 PM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 UA TARA CINEMAS The Go-Go Boys 11 PM 11 PM 10 PM 10 PM 9:15 PM Raise the Roof 11:10 AM 11 AM 11 AM 11:25 AM 1 PM 1:50 PM 2:10 PM 2:00 PM Félix and Meira 1:45 PM 3 PM Self Made Shorts Program 2 2 PM Closer to the Moon Chagall-Malevich 5 PM 6:35 PM 6 PM Raise the Roof Streit’s: Matzo… 6:45 PM 8 PM Félix and Meira 7 PM 6 PM 5 PM 4 PM 3:00 PM 8:00 PM In Silence Magic Men 10 PM 11 PM 9:00 PM 10 PM 9:10 PM 9 PM 12 PM 11:35 AM Serial (Bad) Weddings 12:25 PM 7 PM 8 PM Streit’s: Matzo… 11 PM 9 PM LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS UA TARA CINEMAS 11:40 AM Touchdown Israel 2 PM 1 PM The Outrageous Sophie Tucker 4 PM 3 PM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS 12 PM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12 UA TARA CINEMAS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 • VALENTINE'S DAY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 11 AM The Zionist Idea: A History 11:00 AM 12 PM LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS UA TARA CINEMAS Dancing Arabs 11:00 AM Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa 1:55 PM 1:45 PM 3 PM Zemene Sacred Sperm 1913: Seeds of Conflict 5 PM 5:25 PM You Must Be Joking 7:15 PM 6:35 PM Serial (Bad) Weddings 8 PM 7:15 PM Dancing Arabs 9 PM 8:30 PM Dancing Arabs 8:15 PM J Street: The Art of the Possible You Must Be Joking 8:35 PM 8:45 PM Zero Motivation Anywhere Else 6:25 PM 11 PM 11 PM 10 PM 9:40 PM 10:00 PM MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16 • PRESIDENT'S DAY 11:40 AM The Physician 1:45 PM 1:30 PM 11 AM 1 PM An Untold Diplomatic History: France and Israel Since 1948 Dough 2:25 PM 4 PM 2:10 PM Dancing Arabs Shorts Program 3 5:10 PM 5 PM 4:05 PM 1913: Seeds of Conflict 6 PM 6 PM 5:20 PM Night Will Fall 7 PM 1 PM The Zionist Idea: A History 6:50 PM The Farewell Party 8:00 PM Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa 8:05 PM The Farewell Party Avalon 7:45 PM 7:50 PM Closer to the Moon Deli Man 8:35 PM 8 PM 1:25 PM 3 PM 2 PM 24 Days 5 PM 4 PM Apples from the Desert 11:50 AM 7 PM 8 PM The Farewell Party 12 PM 11:10 AM 2 PM 11:00 AM LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS Zemene 9 PM 11:00 AM Once in a Lifetime 12 PM 11 AM Deli Man TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 UA TARA CINEMAS 3 PM LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS UA TARA CINEMAS 9 PM 6 PM 5 PM The Outrageous Sophie Tucker 6 PM 7 PM 4:05 PM 4 PM Shorts Program 3 7 PM 4 PM 2:50 PM 8 PM 3 PM Belle and Sébastien 4:15 PM 10 PM Apples from the Desert 9 PM 2 PM Hester Street 2 PM 1 PM 1 PM 11:10 AM 11 AM LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS 12 PM UA TARA CINEMAS 10 PM 10 PM 11 PM 11 PM 9:15 PM 11 AM Surprise Encore Screenings Anywhere Else The Last Mentsch 11:30 AM 11:50 AM To Be Determined See page 50 for full details. 1 PM The Outrageous Sophie Tucker Magic Men 2 PM 2 PM 11 AM LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS UA TARA CINEMAS 1 PM 12 PM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19 LEFONT SANDY SPRINGS 12 PM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 UA TARA CINEMAS 1:45 PM 4 PM 4 PM 3 PM 3 PM 2:15 PM The Return See page 50 for full details. 8 PM 8 PM Surprise Encore Screenings 9 PM 7 PM 7 PM 6 PM 6 PM 5 PM 5 PM 4:15 PM 8 PM Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem 10 PM 9:15 PM For these announcements and other late-breaking information, you can also follow us on: Facebook at facebook.com/atljewishfilm Twitter @atljewishfilm 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM 5 PM 6 PM 7 PM 6:50 PM 8 PM Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem 9 PM 7 PM 6 PM 5 PM As they are confirmed, guest speaker and post-film Q&A details will be posted at AJFF.org within individual film listings. Closing Night Dessert Reception 11 PM The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival seeks to enrich the moviegoer experience by presenting special guest speakers before and after select screenings. A variety of filmmakers, academics, authors, critics and other experts engage with the audience during introductory remarks and post-film Q&A sessions, at no additional cost. 9 PM 4 PM 3 PM CLOSING NIGHT GUEST SPEAKERS AND POST-FILM DISCUSSIONS 10 PM 2 PM 1 PM 12 PM 11 AM WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER • RICH AUDITORIUM 11 PM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19 • CLOSING NIGHT 11 AM 11 PM 11 PM 10 PM 10 PM 9 PM To Be Determined USE THESE PAGES AS A P ERSONALIZED CHECKLIST OF FILMS YOU PLAN TO SEE AT THE 2015 AJFF. FOR COMPLETE FILM DETAILS, CONSULT THE PAGE NUMBER NEXT TO EACH FILM TITLE. CLOSER TO THE MOON c g 1913: Seeds of Conflict c g Beneath the Helmet: ¨2/15, 6:25 PM ¨2/16, 5:20 PM From High School to the Home Front p. 77 ¨2/1, 4:05 PM GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs ¨2/8, 4:05 PM c g 24 Days ¨1/29, 8:00 PM ¨1/30, 11:10 AM ¨2/2, 7:30 PM ¨2/4, 8:00 PM ¨2/16, 1:25 PM c g Above and Beyond ¨1/28, 7:30 PM c g Anywhere Else ¨1/31, 10:00 PM ¨2/14, 10:00 PM ¨2/18, 11:30 AM c g Apples from the Desert ¨2/8, 3:45 PM ¨2/15, 1:45 PM ¨2/17, 11:50 AM c g Avalon ¨2/16, 7:50 PM c g Belle and Sébastien ¨2/1, 3:55 PM ¨2/8, 1:15 PM ¨2/15, 2:50 PM p. 70 Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs p. 71 Regal Atlantic Station Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon UA Tara Cinemas p. 72 Cobb Energy Centre p. 73 GTC Merchants Walk UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs p. 74 Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs p. 75 Lefont Sandy Springs p. 76 GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon UA Tara Cinemas c g Chagall-Malevich ¨1/30, 2:05 PM ¨2/3, 7:50 PM ¨2/12, 2:10 PM c g Closer to the Moon ¨2/2, 7:25 PM ¨2/5, 1:50 PM ¨2/13, 1:50 PM ¨2/17, 8:35 PM p. 78 Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs p. 79 Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs c g Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor p. 80 ¨2/5, 8:35 PM GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon ¨2/6, 11:00 AM c g Dancing Arabs ¨2/3, 2:35 PM ¨2/14, 8:30 PM ¨2/15, 11:00 AM ¨2/15, 8:15 PM ¨2/16, 4:05 PM p. 81 Regal Atlantic Station Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas UA Tara Cinemas FESTIVAL CHECKLIST c g Deli Man ¨2/1, 11:10 AM ¨2/8, 8:00 PM ¨2/8, 8:25 PM ¨2/16, 11:00 AM ¨2/17, 9:15 PM c g Dough ¨1/31, 7:15 PM ¨1/31, 8:35 PM ¨2/1, 1:35 PM ¨2/7, 7:15 PM ¨2/17, 2:25 PM c g The Farewell Party ¨2/1, 4:20 PM ¨2/3, 9:00 PM ¨2/16, 8:00 PM ¨2/17, 11:40 AM ¨2/17, 7:45 PM p. 82 Regal Atlantic Station Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas UA Tara Cinemas c g The Go-Go Boys ¨1/29, 6:40 PM ¨2/11, 9:15 PM c g Hester Street ¨2/15, 1:55 PM p. 87 Regal Atlantic Station Lefont Sandy Springs p. 88 Lefont Sandy Springs p. 83 GTC Merchants Walk Regal Atlantic Station Regal Atlantic Station Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas p. 84 Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk UA Tara Cinemas UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs DOUGH c g Horses of God ¨2/10, 7:50 PM ¨2/11, 8:00 PM c g In Silence ¨2/3, 12:15 PM ¨2/4, 6:50 PM ¨2/8, 11:00 AM ¨2/9, 12:10 PM ¨2/12, 9:10 PM p. 89 Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas p. 90 Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs c g J Street: The Art of the Possible ¨2/15, 8:45 PM THE FAREWELL PARTY c g The Last Mentsch c g Félix and Meira ¨2/5, 11:15 AM ¨2/11, 8:00 PM ¨2/12, 8:00 PM ¨2/13, 1:45 PM p. 85 GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs ¨2/2, 9:00 PM ¨2/3, 12:25 PM ¨2/5, 7:00 PM ¨2/8, 11:00 AM ¨2/18, 11:50 AM c g Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem c g Little White Lie ¨2/1, 11:00 AM ¨2/1, 4:10 PM ¨2/11, 11:00 AM ¨2/2, 2:30 PM ¨2/5, 7:45 PM ¨2/6, 11:05 AM ¨2/7, 8:15 PM ¨2/9, 8:15 PM p. 86 Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas p. 91 Lefont Sandy Springs p. 92 GTC Merchants Walk GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas p. 94 GTC Merchants Walk Regal Atlantic Station Lefont Sandy Springs c g Magic Men ¨1/31, 9:50 PM ¨2/5, 2:00 PM ¨2/12, 9:00 PM ¨2/18, 2:15 PM c g Mr. Kaplan ¨1/29, 9:00 PM ¨2/4, 9:10 PM ¨2/7, 7:15 PM ¨2/9, 2:30 PM ¨2/10, 12:20 PM p. 96 GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas p. 98 Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas c g My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes ¨2/6, 2:15 PM ¨2/8, 1:25 PM ¨2/10, 2:45 PM p. 100 GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas c g Night Will Fall p. 102 Regal Atlantic Station UA Tara Cinemas ¨2/2, 8:15 PM ¨2/17, 6:50 PM c g Once in a Lifetime ¨1/30, 11:25 AM ¨2/1, 1:20 PM ¨2/11, 3:15 PM ¨2/16, 11:00 AM p. 104 Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs THE PHYSICIAN c g The Physician ¨1/30, 1:50 PM ¨2/6, 1:30 PM ¨2/9, 7:00 PM ¨2/10, 8:00 PM ¨2/16, 1:45 PM c g A Place in Heaven ¨2/4, 7:45 PM ¨2/10, 2:10 PM Soldiers and Peacemakers p. 112 ¨2/3, 7:40 PM Regal Atlantic Station ¨2/4, 11:10 AM GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon ¨2/8, 8:10 PM Lefont Sandy Springs ¨2/10, 7:00 PM UA Tara Cinemas ¨2/11, 11:20 AM ¨2/3, 2:50 PM ¨2/8, 6:00 PM ¨2/12, 6:35 PM ¨2/13, 11:10 AM c g Regarding Susan Sontag ¨2/1, 11:00 AM c g The Return c g The Outrageous Sophie Tucker ¨2/2, 6:30 PM ¨2/6, 11:15 AM ¨2/12, 11:40 AM ¨2/15, 5:25 PM ¨2/18, 1:45 PM p. 106 GTC Merchants Walk GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs p. 110 GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs c g The Prime Ministers: c g Raise the Roof MAGIC MEN p. 108 Regal Atlantic Station Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs ¨2/3, 6:45 PM ¨2/18, 4:15 PM c g Sacred Sperm ¨2/15, 6:35 PM c g Secrets of War ¨2/1, 1:30 PM ¨2/8, 1:35 PM p. 114 GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs p. 116 Regal Atlantic Station p. 118 Regal Atlantic Station Lefont Sandy Springs p. 120 Lefont Sandy Springs p. 122 GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs FESTIVAL CHECKLIST c g Self Made ¨1/31, 9:40 PM ¨2/7, 9:40 PM ¨2/10, 11:50 AM ¨2/12, 3:00 PM c g Serial (Bad) Weddings ¨1/31, 7:25 PM ¨2/4, 2:30 PM ¨2/7, 9:35 PM ¨2/13, 11:25 AM ¨2/14, 7:15 PM p. 124 Regal Atlantic Station Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas c g An Untold Diplomatic History: p. 126 GTC Merchants Walk GTC Merchants Walk Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs c g You Must Be Joking France and Israel Since 1948 p. 138 ¨2/3, 6:45 PM GTC Merchants Walk Lefont Sandy Springs ¨2/11, 1:00 PM Lefont Sandy Springs ¨2/17, 2:10 PM ¨1/31, 7:15 PM ¨2/14, 7:15 PM ¨2/15, 8:35 PM p. 140 Regal Atlantic Station UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs c g The Shop on Main Street ¨2/9, 7:50 PM p. 128 Lefont Sandy Springs c g Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa p. 130 ¨2/15, 11:10 AM Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs ¨2/16, 8:05 PM c g Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream ¨2/5, 12:10 PM ¨2/12, 6:45 PM ¨2/13, 11:35 AM c g Zemene p. 132 Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas c g Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem ¨2/19, 6:50 PM ¨2/19, 9:15 PM YOU MUST BE JOKING p. 134 Woodruff Arts Center Woodruff Arts Center ¨2/15, 4:05 PM ¨2/16, 11:10 AM c g Zero Motivation ¨2/3, 9:00 PM ¨2/6, 2:05 PM ¨2/11, 2:30 PM ¨2/14, 9:40 PM c g Shorts Program 1 c g Touchdown Israel ¨2/5, 9:20 PM ¨2/8, 11:10 AM ¨2/11, 6:40 PM ¨2/12, 12:25 PM p. 136 Regal Avalon Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs UA Tara Cinemas p. 144 Regal Atlantic Station GTC Merchants Walk UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs c g The Zionist Idea: A History ¨2/2, 1:15 PM ¨2/15, 11:00 AM ¨2/16, 1:30 PM THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM p. 142 Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs ¨2/1, 11:10 AM ¨2/1, 1:50 PM c g Shorts Program 2 ¨2/8, 4:15 PM ¨2/13, 2:00 PM c g Shorts Program 3 ¨2/15, 4:15 PM ¨2/16, 5:10 PM p. 146 GTC Merchants Walk UA Tara Cinemas Lefont Sandy Springs p. 148 GTC Merchants Walk Regal Atlantic Station p. 150 Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs p. 152 Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs THE 2015 FESTIVAL FEATURES 65 FILMS AND 164 SCREENINGS. IT CAN BE A LITTLE OVERWHELMING, SO WE'VE BROKEN OUT THE LINEUP BY SUBJECT TO MAKE IT EASIER TO FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. CHRISTIAN/CATHOLIC g 1913: Seeds of… p.70 g The Physician p.108 g The Return p.118 g Serial (Bad) Weddings p.126 CLASSIC g Avalon g Hester Street g Shop on Main Street p.75 p.88 p.128 COMEDY AND DRAMEDY CHAGALL-MALEVICH ACADEMIC g 1913: Seeds of… g My Italian Secret g The Prime Ministers g Regarding Susan… g Soft Vengeance g An Untold Diplom… g The Zionist Idea ANTI-SEMITISM p.70 p.100 p.112 p.116 p.130 p.138 p.146 ACTIVISM g J Street: The Art… g Regarding Susan… g Soft Vengeance g Zemene p.91 p.116 p.130 p.142 AFRICAN-AMERICAN g Little White Lie p.94 g Serial (Bad) Weddings p.126 g Soft Vengeance p.130 g Zemene p.142 g 24 Days g Closer to the Moon g The Return p.71 p.79 p.118 ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT g 1913: Seeds of… g Dancing Arabs g Horses of God g J Street: The Art… g The Prime Ministers g Self Made g The Zionist Idea p.70 p.81 p.89 p.91 p.112 p.124 p.146 ARTS AND CULTURE g Chagall-Malevich p.78 g The Go-Go Boys p.87 g In Silence p.90 g The Outrageous So… p.106 g Theodore Bikel p.134 AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE BIOGRAPHY g Deli Man p.82 g Little White Lie p.94 g The Outrageous So… p.106 g Streit’s: Matzo and… p.132 g The Outrageous So… g Regarding Susan… g Soft Vengeance g Theodore Bikel p.106 p.116 p.130 p.134 g Closer to the Moon g Comedy Warriors g Dough g The Farewell Party g Mr. Kaplan g Self Made g Serial (Bad) Weddings g You Must Be Joking g Zero Motivation p.79 p.80 p.83 p.84 p.98 p.124 p.126 p.140 p.144 DRAMA g 24 Days p.71 g Apples from the Desert p.74 g Chagall-Malevich p.78 g Dancing Arabs p.81 g Félix and Meira p.85 g Gett: The Trial of… p.86 g Horses of God p.89 g The Last Mentsch p.92 g Magic Men p.96 g A Place in Heaven p.110 g Secrets of War p.122 g The Shop on Main… p.128 FAMILY-FRIENDLY g Avalon g Belle and Sébastien g Once in a Lifetime g Secrets of War p.75 p.76 p.104 p.122 CATEGORIES OF INTEREST FRENCH g 24 Days g Belle and Sébastien g Once in a Lifetime g An Untold Diplom… p.71 p.76 p.104 p.138 GEN-Y g 24 Days g Anywhere Else g Apples from the Desert g Beneath the Helmet g Dancing Arabs g Horses of God p.71 p.73 p.74 p.77 p.81 p.89 SECRETS OF WAR g Little White Lie g The Return g Self Made g Serial (Bad) Weddings g Touchdown Israel g You Must Be Joking g Zero Motivation p.94 p.118 p.124 p.126 p.136 p.140 p.144 GERMAN g Anywhere Else g The Last Mentsch p.73 p.92 HOLOCAUST/WWII g In Silence g The Last Mentsch g Magic Men g Mr. Kaplan g My Italian Secret g Night Will Fall g Once in a Lifetime g Raise the Roof p.90 p.92 p.96 p.98 p.100 p.102 p.104 p.114 g The Return g Secrets of War g The Shop on Main… p.118 p.122 p.128 ISRAELI g Above and Beyond p.72 g Anywhere Else p.73 g Apples from the Desert p.74 g Beneath the Helmet p.77 g Dancing Arabs p.81 g The Farewell Party p.84 g Gett: The Trial of… p.86 g The Go-Go Boys p.87 g Magic Men p.96 g A Place in Heaven p.110 g The Prime Ministers p.112 g Sacred Sperm p.120 g Self Made p.124 g Touchdown Israel p.136 g Zero Motivation p.144 g The Zionist Idea p.146 LATIN AMERICAN g Mr. Kaplan p.98 LGBT g The Farewell Party g Regarding Susan… g Soft Vengeance g You Must Be Joking p.84 p.116 p.130 p.140 ROMANCE g Apples from the Desert p.74 g Chagall-Malevich p.78 g Dancing Arabs p.81 g Félix and Meira p.85 g The Physician p.108 g Serial (Bad) Weddings p.126 g You Must Be Joking p.140 TEENS/EDUCATIONAL g Beneath the Helmet g Comedy Warriors g Dancing Arabs g Little White Lie g My Italian Secret g Night Will Fall g Once in a Lifetime g The Prime Ministers g Raise the Roof g Soft Vengeance g Touchdown Israel g An Untold Diplom… g Zemene p.77 p.80 p.81 p.94 p.100 p.102 p.104 p.112 p.114 p.130 p.136 p.138 p.142 WOMEN'S INTEREST g The Farewell Party p.84 g Gett: The Trial of… p.86 g Little White Lie p.94 g The Outrageous So… p.106 MILITARY g Above and Beyond g Beneath the Helmet g Comedy Warriors p.72 p.77 p.80 MUSLIM g Dancing Arabs g Dough g Once in a Lifetime g The Physician p.81 p.83 p.104 p.108 IN SILENCE g Regarding Susan… g The Return g Self Made g Zero Motivation p.116 p.118 p.124 p.144 1913: SEEDS OF CONFLICT DOCUMENTARY · EAST COAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Ben Loeterman · Israel, Palestinian Territories, USA 2014 · 58 minutes · Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Russian with subtitles Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 6:25 PM Tapping an enlightening new vein of contemporary scholarship, 1913: SEEDS OF CONFLICT dissects the oft-overlooked but pivotal pre-WWI genesis of present-day Israeli-Palestinian turmoil. Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 16 at 5:20 PM The year 1913 is a moment of transformation in the Middle East. Ottoman rule in Palestine is strong but waning, and peaceful coexistence among familial and religious groups starts to fray. With Ottoman sovereignty threatened, and the nascent forces of Zionism and Arabism on the rise, the region struggles under the forces of change. Few could foresee the harbingers of a conflict that would dominate the next century. The film’s storytellers – a Jew, a Muslim, a European Zionist and a Christian – provide unique eyewitness accounts of corresponding events. Their narrative is supported by the rigorous new research of historians working in Ramallah, Tel Aviv and the United States, who are each investigating the period before the British conquest of Palestine in 1917. Filmmaker Ben Loeterman (The People v. Leo Frank) ties these elements together with still photographs, dramatic reenactments of historical sequences and newly recovered film footage of the period. 24 DAYS NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE Dir: Alexandre Arcady · France · 2014 · 108 minutes French with subtitles The kidnapping and torture of a young French-Moroccan Jew, and the harrowing ordeal of his family, are given a searing dramatization in the white-knuckle thriller, 24 DAYS. Abducted in 2006 on the outskirts of Paris by a multiracial gang, working-class cellphone salesman Ilan Halimi was held for ransom under ghastly conditions for more than three weeks on the theory that since he was Jewish, he must be rich. Faithfully reenacting events from the view of various characters, the story tracks the massive but futile investigation doomed by near-misses and a failure to recognize the case as a hate crime. Meantime, a parallel drama unfolds as powerless loved ones have no choice but to put their trust in the hands of authorities, even as they are tormented by invective-laced phone calls from the captors. A top-notch French cast includes Zabou Breitman and Pascal Elbé as Ilan’s parents, Jacques Gamblin as the lead police detective, and Sylvie Testud as the negotiator-psychologist. Raising troubling questions about the state of anti-Semitism and race relations in contemporary France, 24 DAYS is winner of the Jewish Experience Award at the Jerusalem International Film Festival. SCREENING DETAILS Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Thursday, Jan. 29 Gen-Y Night at 6:00 PM, Strip Film at 8:00 PM Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Friday, Jan. 30 at 11:10 AM GTC Merchants Walk Monday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 PM Regal Cinemas Avalon Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 8:00 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Monday, Feb. 16 at 1:25 PM GEN-Y NIGHT PRESENTED BY OPENING NIGHT ABOVE AND BEYOND DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Roberta Grossman · USA · 2014 · 87 minutes English, Hebrew with subtitles Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Wednesday, Jan. 28 Gala at 5:00 PM Film at 7:30 PM A ragtag band of volunteer airmen mobilizes in the skies above Israel to fight for the fledgling nation’s survival in ABOVE AND BEYOND. Barely home from WWII combat, these ace pilots – mostly Jewish-Americans – found themselves compelled to do battle yet again, this time against Arab invaders in defense of an ill-equipped Jewish state. At risk of losing their citizenship and their lives, they smuggled out surplus planes and ammunition, training in secret as they made preparations to rescue Israel from certain annihilation. Relying on a small squadron of rickety aircraft, a handful of young foreign pilots turned the tide of Israel’s War of Independence, and laid the foundation for the Israeli Air Force. With pluck, humor and chutzpah, these now-aging wingmen colorfully recount their remarkable mission. Other interviews include family descendants, scholars, Israeli President Shimon Perez, and actor Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) whose father flew sorties against an advancing Iraqi army. Testimonies are enhanced by dazzling aerial dogfights recreated by George Lucas's special effects shop Industrial Light & Magic. Directed by Roberta Grossman (Hava Nagila: The Movie) and produced by Nancy Spielberg, ABOVE AND BEYOND is the first film to present the true story behind this gallant and daring wartime escapade. • See pages 28-29 for more information SPONSORED BY ANYWHERE ELSE NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Ester Amrami · Germany · 2014 · 87 minutes English, German, Hebrew with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Saturday, Jan. 31 at 10:00 PM An Israeli grad student in Berlin strives to reinvent herself but finds something has been lost in translation, in the endearing family drama, ANYWHERE ELSE. After indulging her wanderlust, thirtysomething Noa (Neta Riskin) is completing a dissertation on untranslatable words, when things start to sour. Her academic advisor rejects her thesis, her grant application is declined, her relationship with German boyfriend Jörg (Golo Euler) is strained, and Berlin’s gray skies are getting her down. Seeking the refuge of the primal nest, she flies back to Israel on a whim, only to discover home life is no better than when she left it. Her overbearing mother (Hana Laslo) and preoccupied family offer little comfort, and the unannounced arrival of Jörg puts everyone on edge. With warmth and humor, director Ester Amrami illuminates the meaning behind language, homeland and the need for belonging. ANYWHERE ELSE is recipient of numerous international awards for artistic achievement, including from the prestigious Berlin and Karlovy Vary International Film Festivals. United Artists Tara Cinemas Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10:00 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 11:30 AM APPLES FROM THE DESERT NARRATIVE · EAST COAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Arik Lubetzky and Matti Harari · Israel · 2014 87 minutes · Hebrew with subtitles Regal Cinemas Avalon Sunday, Feb. 8 at 3:45 PM The rebellious teenage daughter of ultra-Orthodox Jewish parents journeys into the secular world in APPLES FROM THE DESERT, an adaptation of the award-winning Israeli play that poignantly explores themes of love and reconciliation. Rebecca Abravanel (a radiant Moran Rosenblatt) is an only child, living a cloistered existence with her strictly religious Sephardic parents in Jerusalem. Unhappy with the restrictive traditions of home and community, she secretly breaks taboos, attending dance classes where she forms a relationship with secular kibbutznik Dooby (the acting debut of Israeli singer and guitarist Elisha Banai). Suspicious and angry in the face of Rebecca’s growing acts of rebellion, her strict father (Shlomi Koriat) reacts by setting in motion a prearranged marriage to an older widower with children of his own. Rebecca’s mother (Reymond Amsalem) and aunt (Irit Kaplan) are appalled, but dare not defy the authoritarian man of the household. After Rebecca runs away from home, the family conflict culminates in a moment of truth, forcing them to confront their beliefs and one another. Nominated for three Israeli Academy Awards, APPLES FROM THE DESERT is a timeless and moving tale of tradition versus modernity. Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1:45 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 11:50 AM 25TH AVALON NARRATIVE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Barry Levinson · USA · 1990 · 128 minutes English, Yiddish Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 16 at 7:50 PM The hope and heartache of the American Dream are lovingly depicted through the saga of an immigrant Jewish family in Baltimore, in writer-director Barry Levinson’s semiautobiographical AVALON. Overflowing with mythic allure and authentic period details, the story opens in 1914 as Sam Krichinsky (a superb Armin Mueller-Stahl) arrives from Russia on the Fourth of July. Over five decades, the annual Thanksgiving family gathering reveals the Americanization of Sam, his wife Eve (Joan Plowright), their son Jules (Aidan Quinn) and his wife Ann (Elizabeth Perkins), grandson Michael (Elijah Wood), and cousin Izzy (Kevin Pollak). Friction develops between the more traditional patriarch and the younger generation that opts for assimilation and modern life. Honored with four Oscar nominations and numerous other industry accolades, AVALON was especially recognized for Levinson’s screenplay, as well as the exquisitely crafted costume design, cinematography, and musical score by Randy Newman. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is proud to present a special 25th Anniversary screening of this tender final chapter in Levinson’s Baltimore trilogy that includes Diner and Tin Men. BELLE AND SÉBASTIEN NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Nicolas Vanier · France · 2014 · 104 minutes Dubbed in English GTC Merchants Walk Sunday, Feb. 1 at 3:55 PM This lavish adaptation of the beloved 1965 children's book is the inspiring story of an unshakeable bond between a boy and his dog set amidst the snowy French Alps during WWII. Motherless and lonely, six-year-old Sébastien (Félix Bossuet) lives with his grizzled grandfather César (Tchéky Karyo) and cousin Angelina (Margaux Châtelier) in a peaceful village along the French-Swiss border. Roaming the high vistas of the countryside, the orphaned boy befriends a giant Pyrenean Mountain Dog suspected of attacking the local livestock. Their adventures take an ominous turn when Nazi occupiers march into town to flush out members of the French Resistance, who are guiding fleeing Jewish refugees to neighboring Switzerland. Sébastien and Belle point the way to safety, with a merciless SS lieutenant (Andreas Pietschmann) tracking their every step. Applying his skills as a nature documentarian, filmmaker Nicolas Vanier presents breathtaking exteriors filmed in the Haute Maurienne-Vanoise valley of France’s Rhone-Alps region. Among the highest grossing French films of recent time, BELLE AND SÉBASTIEN is a heartwarming tale that will thrill audiences of all ages. Winner of the Films4Families Youth Jury Award at the Seattle International Film Festival. Regal Cinemas Avalon Sunday, Feb. 8 at 1:15 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2:50 PM SPONSORED BY BENEATH THE HELMET: FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO THE HOME FRONT DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Wayne Kopping · Israel, USA · 2014 · 80 minutes English, Hebrew with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Sunday, Feb. 1 at 4:05 PM The transformation of Israeli teenagers from high school graduates to defenders of their homeland is stirringly captured in BENEATH THE HELMET: FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO THE HOME FRONT. While their American counterparts enroll in college, Israeli teens undergo a very different rite of passage as they enter compulsory military service. At the age of 18, recruits leave home to undergo eight months of basic training. Granted unfettered access by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), cameras follow five members of an army paratrooper brigade. Each of their stories is distinctive, including those of a poor Ethiopian immigrant, a loner from Switzerland, and the grandson of European WWII refugees. The trainees fall under the command of First Lt. Eden Adler, the son of American-Yemeni parents, and Sergeant Coral Amarani who originally planned to evade army service but changed her mind. The soldiers share their innermost feelings, demonstrate the risks taken to protect the Jewish state, and visit with worried family and friends. A testament to the democratic values shared by some of Israel's finest young citizens, this inspiring profile is produced by the advocacy nonprofit, Jerusalem U. Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 4:05 PM SPONSORED BY CHAGALL-MALEVICH NARRATIVE · EAST COAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Alexander Mitta · Russia · 2014 · 120 minutes Russian with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Friday, Jan. 30 at 2:05 PM The artistic and political revolution of early 19th century Russia is mythologized in CHAGALL-MALEVICH, a magical period drama about the uneasy relationship between two artistic geniuses. Inspired by the memoirs of Marc Chagall and those of his contemporaries, the film blends fact and folklore to evoke the return of the iconic Jewish artist (portrayed by Leonid Bichevin) to his childhood home of Vitebsk. Having left behind immense success in Paris, Chagall lives out his golden years of 1917-1918 in the Russian empire, falling in love with Bella Rosenfeld (Kristina Shnayderman), producing copious paintings, and establishing the Academy of Modern Art. A rivalry develops with abstract Polish painter Kazimir Malevich (Anatoliy Belyy), invited to teach at the art school. As Bella rekindles a childhood friendship with military Red Commissar Naum (Semyon Shkalikov), Chagall competes for the affections of his muse and future wife. As the October Revolution sweeps across Russia, historical events intrude on personal struggles and upend the quiet provincial life in Vitebsk. Brimming with surrealistic imagery from the paintings of Chagall and Malevich, this sumptuous melodrama marks veteran Russian filmmaker Alexander Mitta’s return after a decade-long hiatus. GTC Merchants Walk Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:50 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Thursday, Feb. 12 at 2:10 PM SPONSORED BY CLOSER TO THE MOON NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Nae Caranfil · Italy, Poland, Romania, USA · 2013 112 minutes · English Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Monday, Feb. 2 at 7:25 PM Oscar-nominee Vera Farmiga stars in this absurdist black comedy based on the incredible true story of an audacious Romanian bank heist by high-ranking Jewish Communists posing as moviemakers. Set in 1959 Bucharest, CLOSER TO THE MOON opens as the crime is hatched and executed by old friends from the WWII Jewish Resistance, who seek to recapture the excitement of their glory days. Led by a chief police inspector (Mark Strong) and a political academic (Farmiga), the quintet also includes a respected history professor (Christian McKay), a hotshot reporter (Joe Armstrong) and a space scientist (Tim Plester). Their postwar influence fading amid an ongoing Stalinist purge of Jews and intellectuals, the disillusioned gang retaliates by hijacking a van delivering cash to the Romanian National Bank, staging the robbery to look like a movie shoot. Caught and convicted in a kangaroo-court, the culprits, with help from an eyewitness to the robbery (Harry Lloyd), are forced to reenact their crime in a devious anti-Semitic propaganda film. One of the most expensive productions in Romanian cinema, CLOSER TO THE MOON mixes distinctive Jewish humor with a fatalist melancholy in an outlandish history lesson open to endless interpretation. GTC Merchants Walk Thursday, Feb. 5 at 1:50 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Friday, Feb. 13 at 1:50 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 8:35 PM COMEDY WARRIORS: HEALING THROUGH HUMOR DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: John Wagner · USA · 2013 · 75 minutes · English GTC Merchants Walk Thursday, Feb. 5 at 8:35 PM Mentored by some of the funniest names in show business, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars transform their personal tragedies into sidesplitting stand-up in COMEDY WARRIORS: HEALING THROUGH HUMOR. Five severely wounded service members are profiled, with injuries ranging from burns to amputations. Among them is Joe Kashnow of Baltimore, one of only 4,000 Army soldiers who identify themselves as Jewish. Embracing the axiom of healing through humor, the injured vets are teamed with celebrity funnymen and comedy writers who coach them in crafting stand-up routines based on their wartime experiences. With only limited time to prepare for a live performance, the five are flown to Hollywood for a crash course in the art of comedy from the likes of Bob Saget, Zach Galifianakis, B.J. Novak and Lewis Black, among others. As the pros guide the aspiring comics through a raucous and raunchy run-through of their material, the soldiers open up offstage about the ordeals faced on the battlefield and returning home from war. The climatic show finds the rehabilitated comedy warriors fully realizing the power of laughter, as they confront their disabilities and embark on new missions in life. Regal Cinemas Avalon Friday, Feb. 6 at 11:00 AM DANCING ARABS NARRATIVE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Eran Ricklis · France, Germany, Israel · 2014 105 minutes · Arabic, Hebrew with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 2:35 PM A young Palestinian outsider struggles to find his place in Israeli society in the coming-of-age drama, DANCING ARABS, by acclaimed veteran filmmaker Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride). A whip-smart but introverted teenager from an Arab village, Eyad Barhum (Tawfeek Barhum), earns a place in Jerusalem’s most prestigious boarding school – the first and only Arab to be accepted. Initially isolated and lonely in his new surroundings, he slowly overcomes social, cultural and language barriers with the help of his peers. The compassion of a Jewish girl, Naomi (Danielle Kitzis), blossoms into a forbidden romance across religious divides. Meantime, Eyad also finds kinship with Yonatan (Michael Moshonov), a classmate with muscular dystrophy, their relationship lending strength to the wheelchair-bound boy's mother Edna (Yael Abecassis), a single parent. As heartbreak, personal tragedy and sociopolitical strife intrude on his adolescent idyll, Eyad soon realizes that he must make a life-changing compromise of identity in order to be accepted. Arab-Israeli journalist Sayed Kashua's semiautobiographical screenplay is a plea for understanding between both sides of an intractable political divide. Nominated for four Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Lefont Sandy Springs Saturday, Feb. 14 at 8:30 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 11:00 AM United Artists Tara Cinemas Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8:15 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Monday, Feb. 16 at 4:05 PM DELI MAN DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE Dir: Erik Greenberg Anjou · USA · 2014 · 91 minutes English, Yiddish A mouthwatering salute to 160 years of gastronomic bliss, DELI MAN travels the nation and beyond in pursuit of the great Jewish deli experience. Founded on ancestral recipes from Eastern Europe, old-time North American deli houses once numbered in the thousands, while estimates today sadly put the number of authentic delicatessens in the dozens. Against this threat of extinction, deli owners and connoisseurs describe their love affair with the business of corned beef, matzo balls, blintzes, pastrami and pickles. Notable deli fans Larry King, and actors Fyvush Finkel and Jerry Stiller, add their voices to a chorus of foodie affection. Serving as tour guide through the history and highlights of this Jewish culinary phenomenon is Ziggy Gruber, the effusive owner of the popular Kenny and Ziggy’s delicatessen in Houston, Texas. Other stops include Katz’s, 2nd Avenue Deli, and Carnegie in New York, and their West Coast counterpart Nate ’n Al’s in Beverly Hills. Can these maven havens survive in the face of changing diets, generational turnover and rising food prices? In his search for answers, award-winning director Erik Greenberg Anjou infuses DELI MAN with humor, heart and yes – a hunger for those succulent classic dishes behind the deli counter. SCREENING DETAILS Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Sunday, Feb. 1 at 11:10 AM Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 8 Includes deli-inspired preshow tasting Tasting at 7:00 PM Film at 8:00 PM Film at 8:25 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Monday, Feb. 16 at 11:00 AM United Artists Tara Cinemas Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 9:15 PM SPONSORED BY DOUGH NARRATIVE · WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: John Goldschmidt · Hungary, United Kingdom · 2014 94 minutes · English GTC Merchants Walk Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7:15 PM Jonathan Pryce stars as an old Jewish baker whose faltering business is inadvertently saved by his young Muslim apprentice in the British dramedy DOUGH. Widowed and down on his luck, Nat Dayan (Pryce) is desperate to save his bakery in London’s East End. His customers are dying off, his sons have no interest in keeping afloat the family business, and hostile businessman Sam Cotton (London Film Critics' Circle winner Philip Davis) has his own greedy plans for the property. In a pinch, Nat reluctantly enlists the help of teenager Ayyash (Jerome Holder), a refugee from Darfur. The Muslim boy assists with the bakery’s daily chores, while selling cannabis on the side to help his struggling mother make ends meet. When Ayyash one day accidently drops his stash into the dough, the challah starts flying off the shelf, and an unlikely friendship forms between the old Jewish baker and his young Muslim apprentice. The cast of characters is rounded out by Tribeca Film Festival Best Actor-winner Ian Hart as a tough marijuana dealer and Oscar-nominee Pauline Collins as the landlady with a none-too-subtle crush on Nat. Directed by John Goldschmidt, DOUGH is a warmhearted and gently humorous story about overcoming prejudice and finding redemption in unexpected places. Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Saturday, Jan. 31 at 8:35 PM Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Sunday, Feb. 1 at 1:35 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:15 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 2:25 PM SPONSORED BY THE FAREWELL PARTY NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit · Germany, Israel · 2014 89 minutes · Hebrew with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Sunday, Feb. 1 at 4:20 PM Residents of a Jerusalem nursing home struggle with a decision to help a dying friend end his life with dignity in THE FAREWELL PARTY, a surprisingly witty and tender take on the topic of euthanasia. Devoted elderly couple Levana (Levana Finkelstein) and Yehezkel (Ze’ev Revach) are devastated to learn their dear friend Max (Shmuel Wolf) is dying of a terrible illness. An amateur inventor, Yehezkel decides to construct a device that allows patients to take matters into their own hands by self-administering a fatal dose of drugs. He recruits the support of Daniel (Ilan Dar), a retired veterinarian experienced in putting animals to sleep, and former cop Rafi (Rafi Tabor), who he hopes will keep them out of trouble with the law. As rumors about the self-euthanasia machine leak out in the senior community, more appeals arise for a painless and peaceful death, raising thorny ethical questions and emotional complications. Showcasing some of Israel’s top acting veterans, THE FAREWELL PARTY has been extolled by critics for embracing a challenging subject with a skillful balance of compassion, laughter and a healthy dose of audaciousness. Nominated for 14 Israeli Academy Awards including Best Picture, with wins for Best Actor Ze’ev Revach and Best Cinematography. GTC Merchants Walk Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 9:00 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Monday, Feb. 16 at 8:00 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 11:40 AM Lefont Sandy Springs Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7:45 PM FÉLIX AND MEIRA NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Maxime Giroux · Canada · 2014 · 105 minutes English, French, Yiddish with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Thursday, Feb. 5 at 11:15 AM A young Montreal wife breaks free from her Hasidic strictures to pursue an impossible love in FÉLIX AND MEIRA, a sensitive study of religious tradition, self-discovery and tender seduction. Confined with an infant daughter to her insular Orthodox community, Meira (Ophir-winning actress Hadas Yaron) exists in a quiet state of discontent. She is restless in her marriage to soft-spoken husband Shulem (Luzer Twersky), her dutiful conformity giving way to small acts of rebellion against religious doctrine. Meira makes a tentative connection to the outside world during a chance encounter with flirtatious francophone Félix (Martin Dubreuil), a penniless loner grieving over the death of his estranged wealthy father. Though she rebuffs him at first, a mutual affection grows ever so gradually between these two mismatched souls. As her husband becomes increasingly impatient and suspicious, Meira’s desire for change becomes harder to hide, forcing a final choice between freedom and the centuries-old customs of her faith. Writer-director Maxime Giroux creates a respectful portrait of Orthodox life in Montreal’s Mile End district, aided by cinematographer Sara Mishara’s subtle lensing of the wintery cityscapes. Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 8:00 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:00 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Friday, Feb. 13 at 1:45 PM GETT: THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz · France, Germany, Israel 2014 · 116 minutes · Arabic, French, Hebrew with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Monday, Feb. 2 at 2:30 PM An emotionally shackled Israeli woman seeks divorce from her suffocating spouse and archaic judges in GETT: THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM, Israel’s official submission for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. This dissolution of a turbulent Moroccan-Jewish marriage is the closing chapter of a trilogy started a decade ago by sibling writer-directors Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz. The hothouse drama unfolds in the confines of the courtroom, as the grueling – and at times grotesquely comical – legal proceedings of Viviane (a tour-deforce performance by Ronit Elkabetz) and Elisha Amsalem (Simon Abkarian) drag on for years. Lawyers and witnesses are asked to provide evidence as grounds for granting the divorce, which requires both rabbinic approval and the husband’s full consent. As humiliating postponements threaten to deny her dignity and freedom, Viviane’s impatience erupts in a shattering denouement. A brilliant ensemble of Israel’s finest actors gives life to this scathing indictment of the religious establishment that dominates Israeli life. Nominated for 12 Israeli Academy Awards, with Best Film win and Best Supporting Actor award for Sasson Gabai. GTC Merchants Walk Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:45 PM GTC Merchants Walk Friday, Feb. 6 at 11:05 AM Lefont Sandy Springs Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8:15 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Monday, Feb. 9 at 8:15 PM THE GO-GO BOYS DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Hilla Medalia · Israel · 2014 · 90 minutes English, Hebrew with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6:40 PM An engrossing homage to a legendary showbiz empire, THE GO-GO BOYS charts the rise and fall of irrepressible Israeli cousins who revolutionized Hollywood. Notorious for their high-flying antics and B-movie heyday, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus produced over 300 films in their prolific career, creating the world's biggest independent film company that left an indelible cultural imprint. Lively clips and newsreel footage establish the duo's early days in Israel, with Golan producing such modest hits as the Oscar-nominated Sallah Shabati, while Globus learned the business side of making movies. Despite their opposing personalities, they eventually join forces to chase the American Dream, subverting the industry with a strange mix of low-budget schlock (making stars of Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris and JeanClaude Van Damme) and art house fare (including works of John Cassavetes, Roman Polanski and Jean-Luc Godard). Their rapid ascent suddenly turns disastrous, as a series of ambitious failures (the infamous Superman IV: The Quest for Peace) and bad business decisions end in financial demise and estrangement. Dishing dirt while movingly examining the cousins’ complex relationship, this cautionary tale is also a fond reminiscence of a bygone era in moviemaking. Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 9:15 PM 40TH HESTER STREET NARRATIVE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Joan Miklin Silver · USA · 1975 · 90 minutes English, Yiddish with subtitles Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1:55 PM An immigrant couple from Russia grapples with assimilation in turn-of-the-century New York in HESTER STREET, the 1975 classic that helped launch the modern era of American independent cinema. Carol Kane gives an Oscar-nominated performance as Gitl, a young Jewish woman who arrives in America to reunite with her husband, only to discover that he has taken up a new life on the Lower East Side. Their marriage crumbles as Jake (Steven Keats) sheds his Old World ways for a new girlfriend, while his wife clings to her long-standing heritage. Selected for The Library of Congress National Film Registry, HESTER STREET is notable as one of the first successful films produced outside Hollywood by a female filmmaker. Director Joan Micklin Silver self-financed the modest $400,000 budget, and completed principal photography in just 34 days. Actors, including co-star Doris Roberts, worked diligently with a dialect coach to master the script’s extensive use of Yiddish. On-location black-and-white photography in Greenwich Village and other Manhattan locales adds to the period drama’s authenticity. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is proud to present a special 40th Anniversary screening of this sharply observed recreation of the Jewish diaspora in America. HORSES OF GOD NARRATIVE · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Nabil Ayouch · Belgium, France, Morocco, Tunisia · 2012 115 minutes · Arabic, French with subtitles Lefont Sandy Springs Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7:50 PM Examining the roots of Islamic extremism with chilling impact, HORSES OF GOD fictionalizes events leading to a 2003 Casablanca terrorist plot carried out by street kids-turned-suicide bombers. Over the span of 10 years, the film deconstructs the fate of sensitive Yachine (Abdelhakim Rachid) and his charismatic but volatile teenage brother Hamid (Abdelilah Rachid), from troubled childhood to martyrdom. Incubated in a toxic shantytown of crushing poverty, rampant violence and sexual frustration, the siblings and their friends are left to fend for themselves. Arrested by corrupt police, older brother Hamid emerges from jail years later as a committed follower of Islamic fundamentalism, whose lure and influence has grown in the wake of 9/11. Slowly, the boys are seduced by the anti-Zionist rhetoric of fanatical clerics, inexorably leading to the deadliest act of terrorism in Morocco’s history, targeting restaurants and Jewish institutions. From the seeds of despair to the heart-pounding climax, director Nabil Ayouch’s deeply moving film has been lauded for the brutal realism with which it portrays the wasted lives of a jihadist breeding ground. Adapted from a novel by Mahi Binebine, HORSES OF GOD is Morocco’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. United Artists Tara Cinemas Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 8:00 PM IN SILENCE NARRATIVE · EAST COAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Zdeněk Jirásek · Czech Republic, Slovakia · 2014 90 minutes · Slovak with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 12:15 PM A docudrama of enormous intensity and beauty, IN SILENCE depicts the shattered lives of Jewish artists whose dreams and destinies were tragically cut short by the Holocaust. With the rise of Fascism many Jewish performers fell into disfavor, and were barred from working in their profession and ultimately deported to death camps. The filmmakers approach this well-chronicled subject with invention, employing lyrical cinematography and first-person narration to tell the true stories of Czech and German artists who faced Nazi persecution. Among them are acclaimed concert pianist Edith Kraus (Judit Bárdos), aspiring teenage ballerina Alice Flachová (Valéria Stasková), the vocal ensemble Comedian Harmonists, conductors, composers and theater artistes. As the film’s title implies, the onscreen characters remain silent, their thoughts shared instead through voice over. Most striking is the film’s juxtaposition between the carefree, prosperous pre-war days, and the suffering and humiliation of Terezín, where music was permitted as a momentary escape from the camp’s grim realities. GTC Merchants Walk Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 6:50 PM Regal Cinemas Avalon Sunday, Feb. 8 at 11:00 AM Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 9 at 12:10 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Thursday, Feb. 12 at 9:10 PM SPONSORED BY Holocaust Survivors Family and Friends Originally intended as a documentary, IN SILENCE is inspired by the research of Slovak musicologist Agata Schindlerová and masterfully directed by Czech Academy Award-winner Zdenek Jiráský. HEMSHECH J STREET: THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE DOCUMENTARY · WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Ben Avishai and Ken Winikur · Israel, USA · 2014 70 minutes · English, Hebrew with subtitles Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8:45 PM J STREET: THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE is a no-holds-barred examination of the controversial upstart lobby that has ignited a firestorm of debate about what it means to be pro-Israel in America. Both reviled and revered for its liberal leanings, J Street has drawn sharp reaction to its dovish agenda and emphasis on diplomatic solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At times vilified as anti-Israel or dismissed as irrelevant, the organization makes no secret of its goal to challenge public opinion and traditional Jewish-American institutions when it comes to Israel. An embedded film crew shadows pugnacious founder and director Jeremy Ben-Ami as he engages staff, works the levers of power in Washington, and travels the nation and to Israel seeking legitimacy while advocating for a two-state solution. Weighing in on J Street's advances and missteps are fierce critics and ardent defenders, including scholar Alan Dershowitz, pundits Peter Beinart and Thomas Friedman, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Revealing the inner workings of the political process, filmmakers Ben Avishai and Ken Winikur leave it to audiences to draw their own conclusions about the diverse opinions in the U.S.-Israeli dialogue. THE LAST MENTSCH NARRATIVE · EAST COAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Pierre-Henry Salfati · France, Germany, Switzerland 2014 · 93 minutes · English, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Yiddish with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Monday, Feb. 2 at 9:00 PM Having spent a lifetime concealing his heritage, an aging German Holocaust survivor finally tries to come to terms with his past in THE LAST MENTSCH. GTC Merchants Walk Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 12:25 PM Born as Menachem Teitelbaum, Marcus Schwarz (German Academy Award winner Mario Adorf) escaped Auschwitz with his life, only to exterminate his Jewishness. With no synagogue, Jewish friends or family, the hardened old man has done such an effective job of creating a new identity that, when faced with his own mortality, the rabbis refuse his about-face appeal to be buried in a Jewish cemetery in Cologne. Determined to return to his birthplace and establish his ancestry, Marcus enlists the help of Gül (Katharina Derr), a brash, chain-smoking Turkish woman with a troubled history of her own. The unlikely duo sets out on a road trip to a small village on the Hungarian-Romanian border, a journey that will irrevocably change them both. Director Pierre-Henry Salfati’s emotional narrative of friendship and healing explores the cost of forgetting the past, and the power in remembering it. Regal Cinemas Avalon Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 11:00 AM United Artists Tara Cinemas Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 11:50 AM SPONSORED BY LITTLE WHITE LIE DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Lacey Schwartz · USA · 2014 · 66 minutes · English GTC Merchants Walk Sunday, Feb. 1 at 11:00 AM A Harvard Law School graduate unravels a life-long facade of family secrets and betrayal in order to come to terms with her true origins in LITTLE WHITE LIE. Lacey Schwartz grew up in Woodstock, New York with loving parents and a strong sense of Jewish identity, assuming herself to be the product of an ordinary white, upper-middle-class household. As those around her, however, questioned how a Caucasian girl could have such tawny skin, family members cheerfully explained away her looks as inherited from her Sicilian grandfather’s recessive gene. At the age of 18, the abrupt split of her parents finally prompts Lacey to put nagging doubts to rest, as she confronts her mother and learns the startling truth about her genesis. Years later, Lacey decides to turn a camera on herself, documenting a cathartic quest to understand the hidden pieces of her life. Daring to reconcile her mysterious childhood and biological roots, Schwartz gently but firmly peels back painful layers of revelation and reverberation. Through candid interviews with loved ones, and the memories within home movies and photos, LITTLE WHITE LIE explores in very personal terms larger questions of race, redemption and self-discovery. Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Sunday, Feb. 1 at 4:10 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 11:00 AM SPONSORED BY MAGIC MEN NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Guy Nattiv and Erez Tadmor · Greece, Israel · 2013 98 minutes · English, Greek, Hebrew with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Saturday, Jan. 31 at 9:50 PM An estranged Israeli magician and his son make a sentimental journey through Greece to reclaim the past in MAGIC MEN, the latest cinematic gem by auteur collaborators Guy Nattiv and Erez Tadmor. A jaded Holocaust survivor who has renounced his faith, Avraham (Makram Khoury) resents the piety of his middle-aged son Yehuda (Zohar Strauss), a devout Hassidic rapper. When the aging Avraham decides to return to his native Greece to find the man who offered shelter and taught him magic during WWII, he is compelled to bring Yehuda as his guardian. Arriving in Greece against the backdrop of its recent financial crisis, father and son are forced to confront their prickly relationship with the help of a kindhearted prostitute, Maria (Ariane Labed). So begins a cross-cultural, cross-generational road trip as these richly-conceived characters search for absolution and reconciliation. Punctuated by enchanting moments of humor and affection, MAGIC MEN is further animated by spectacular panoramas of the Adriatic coast and a vibrant, Greek-infused musical score. Nominated for four Israeli Academy Awards, with a win for Best Actor Makram Khoury. Regal Cinemas Avalon Thursday, Feb. 5 at 2:00 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Thursday, Feb. 12 at 9:00 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 2:15 PM MR. KAPLAN NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Alvaro Brachner · Uruguay · 2014 · 94 minutes Spanish with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Thursday, Jan. 29 at 9:00 PM A downtrodden Jewish retiree attempts to restore his self-worth by unmasking an alleged Nazi fugitive in the eccentric dramedy, MR. KAPLAN, Uruguay’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar submission. Having fled Poland for South America during WWII, curmudgeonly Jacob Kaplan (award-winning Chilean actor Héctor Noguera) is passing his sunset years in Montevideo with his wife of 50 years, Rebecca (Nidia Telles). With his family lost in the war, he begins to take stock of his own unfulfilled life, and finds himself fed up with the local Jewish community’s disinterest in their heritage. Intent on creating a legacy, Kaplan fancies himself a Nazi hunter, targeting the reclusive German owner of a seafront restaurant (Rolf Becker), whom, based on the flimsiest of evidence, he suspects of being a war criminal. Joining the quixotic quest for justice is Kaplan’s hapless chauffeur Contreras (Néstor Guzzini), a disgraced ex-cop who also has something to prove. A bumbling investigation ensues, with hilarious and surprising results that will leave audiences contemplating nothing less than the meaning of life. Loosely inspired by the story of the filmmaker’s own grandfather, director Álvaro Brechner deftly handles the film’s shifting seriocomic tones while maximizing the Latin scenery and music. GTC Merchants Walk Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 9:10 PM Regal Cinemas Avalon Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:15 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 9 at 2:30 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 12:20 PM MY ITALIAN SECRET: THE FORGOTTEN HEROES DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Oren Jacoby · USA · 2014 · 93 minutes English, Italian with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Friday, Feb. 6 at 2:15 PM MY ITALIAN SECRET: THE FORGOTTEN HEROES reveals a clandestine Italian resistance movement that helped save much of the country's Jewish population during the Shoah. An estimated 80 percent of Italy’s Jews survived WWII thanks to Italian citizens who risked their own lives to defy the Nazis. Among the figures spotlighted is Tour de France cycling champion Gino Bartali (voiced by Oscar-nominee Robert Loggia). Hiding a family of Jews in his own home, Bartali also smuggled fake identify documents in the frame of his bicycle for monasteries and convents that were sheltering Jewish exiles. Another remarkable story centers on physician Giovanni Borromeo who invented a fictitious disease to defend the Rome hospital where he was hiding Jews. Oscar-nominated documentarian Oren Jacoby also honors countless other Italians who rescued their Jewish neighbors with no thought of recognition or reward. These inspiring acts are recounted by descendants of rescuers and survivors, as well as those who escaped the concentration camps as children. Isabella Rossellini narrates this valuable addition to the evergrowing canon of largely unknown Holocaust stories. Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 1:25 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 2:45 PM SPONSORED BY NIGHT WILL FALL DOCUMENTARY SCREENING DETAILS Dir: André Singer · France, Germany, Israel, United Kingdom, USA 2014 · 75 minutes · English, Hebrew, Russian with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Monday, Feb. 2 at 8:15 PM A long-lost Holocaust documentary containing unimaginable images of genocide, and touched by some of Hollywood’s biggest names, surfaces 70 years after the war in NIGHT WILL FALL. As Allied Forces liberated Nazi concentration camps, newsreel and military film crews were instructed to record everything, from piles of emaciated corpses to the haunted faces of survivors. Intended to be edited into damning proof of Nazi crimes, the graphic footage passed through the hands of British filmmaker Sidney Bernstein, and heavyweights Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder, only to be shelved by the politics of postwar reconciliation. NIGHT WILL FALL is the untold story of the fabled film’s stymied development and eventual painstaking restoration by London’s Imperial War Museum. Narrated by Helena Bonham-Carter, the film presents deeply unsettling raw material from the unfinished 1945 documentary, as well as interviews with Holocaust historians and eyewitnesses, film editors, and the cameramen left traumatized by the unexpected scenes of human atrocity, which awaited them. Winner of the Jewish Experience Award at the Jerusalem International Film Festival. United Artists Tara Cinemas Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6:50 PM SPONSORED BY ONCE IN A LIFETIME NARRATIVE · U.S. PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar · France · 2014 105 minutes · French with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Friday, Jan. 30 at 11:25 AM A dedicated history teacher at a French high school taps lessons of the Holocaust in an effort to motivate her troubled students in ONCE IN A LIFETIME, an uplifting schoolhouse drama based on a true story. A teacher with 20 years of experience, Anne Gueguen (portrayed with no-nonsense schoolmarm pluck by Ariane Ascaride) is determined to give the best education she can to her underprivileged inner-city pupils. Overcoming their apathy, however, is proving to be more difficult than expected. Frustrated but undaunted, Anne tests her multicultural classroom with a unique assignment: a national competition on the theme of child victims of the Nazi concentration camps. The project is initially met with extreme resistance, until a face-to-face encounter with a Holocaust survivor changes the class’s attitude dramatically. Despite their long-shot odds of winning, these once-rebellious teens soon begin to see one another – and themselves – in a whole new light. A potent and moving antidote to the devaluation of education in an age of ignorance, ONCE IN A LIFETIME demonstrates the enduring impact of the Holocaust in transforming future generations. GTC Merchants Walk Sunday, Feb. 1 at 1:20 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 3:15 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 16 at 11:00 AM THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE TUCKER DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: William Gazecki · USA · 2014 · 96 minutes · English GTC Merchants Walk Monday, Feb. 2 at 6:30 PM Oscar-nominated filmmaker William Gazecki retraces the ragsto-riches story of an unlikely starlet whose groundbreaking style ruled 20th century show business, in THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE TUCKER. A Russian immigrant born to an Orthodox Jewish family, Sophie Tucker was not conventionally beautiful, but she catapulted to stardom with her risqué and irreverent performances. Earning the nickname, “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas,” her 60-year career spanned vaudeville of the Roaring Twenties through radio, television, theater and movies. This wide-ranging portrait draws upon hundreds of recently discovered scrapbooks, early recordings and archival footage. Also featured are such luminaries as Paul Anka, Tony Bennett, Carol Channing, Chubby Checker, Shecky Greene, Tony Martin, Mickey Rooney, Connie Stevens and Barbara Walters. While these and other celebrities share delicious bits of show biz intrigue, Sophie’s early lost recordings serve as the film’s nostalgic soundtrack. A crowd-pleasing walk-down-memory-lane, THE OUTRAGE– OUS SOPHIE TUCKER celebrates a multi-talented trailblazer whose chutzpah and oversized persona defined generations of female entertainers. GTC Merchants Walk Friday, Feb. 6 at 11:15 AM Lefont Sandy Springs Thursday, Feb. 12 at 11:40 AM United Artists Tara Cinemas Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5:25 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 1:45 PM THE PHYSICIAN NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Philipp Stölzl · Germany · 2014 · 136 minutes · English Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Friday, Jan. 30 at 1:50 PM A Christian orphan travels from medieval England to Persia, disguised as a Jew, in order to unlock the secrets of medicine in THE PHYSICIAN, a grandly mounted epic adventure featuring dazzling lensing and a topline cast. After his mother dies of a mysterious illness, Rob Cole (Tom Payne) vows to learn how to unleash the power of healing and his own mysterious telepathic gifts. Apprenticed by a traveling barber (Stellan Skarsgård) who also passes as a rudimentary doctor, Cole sets out to seek answers beyond the limits of the Dark Ages, a time when curing illness is considered black magic. Thus begins an arduous desert journey to distant Islamic Persia, where medical science is openly embraced, but religious intolerance of Christians requires that he pretend to be a Jewish student. As Cole studies under the tutelage of master scholar Ibn Sina (Ben Kingsley), religious unrest boils over into violence, and a dangerous love affair with beautiful Jewish girl Rebecca (Emma Rigby) comes to a head. An overseas box office hit based on the Noah Gordon bestseller, THE PHYSICIAN is nominated for five German Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Production Design. Regal Cinemas Avalon Friday, Feb. 6 at 1:30 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 9 at 7:00 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 8:00 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 16 at 1:45 PM A PLACE IN HEAVEN NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Yossi Madmony · Israel · 2013 · 117 minutes Hebrew with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7:45 PM An Israeli army chief faces a deathbed reckoning with his estranged ultra-Orthodox son in A PLACE IN HEAVEN, an allegorical saga that inextricably intertwines personal and national histories. Structured as a tale within a tale, the sprawling storyline centers on an uncompromising army officer nicknamed Bambi (Alon Abutbul) who wins every military battle in the name of Zionism, but fails the daily tests of life. Returning from a daring mission, the secular military man strikes an unholy bargain with a devout young Holocaust survivor. The impulsive decision has providential consequences over the ensuing decades, as Bambi struggles in his pursuit of the Yemenite woman he loves (Rotem Zisman-Cohen), and an illustrious career cut short by scandal. His tragic flaws are never more so felt than in his relationship with son Nimrod (Tom Graziani) who spurns his obstinate father and follows his own path as a religious Jew. Tackling big themes of parenthood, the afterlife, fate and unrequited love, Director Yossi Madmoni delivers an emotional wallop in this meditative masterwork of near-Biblical ambition. Nominated for 10 Israeli Academy Awards including Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Cinematography. Lefont Sandy Springs Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 2:10 PM THE PRIME MINISTERS: SOLDIERS AND PEACEMAKERS DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Richard Trank · USA · 2014 · 111 minutes · English Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:40 PM The companion installment to an expansive two-part chronicle of Israeli political leadership, THE PRIME MINISTERS: SOLDIERS AND PEACEMAKERS continues an insider’s view of key events that shaped the Jewish state. Based on the bestselling memoirs of Yehuda Avner, the film recalls the ambassador’s years serving as an aid and speechwriter to Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin. Picking up in 1974, milestone moments include Rabin’s early peace negotiations with Egypt, the raid on Entebbe, and the financial scandal that ended the two-term prime minister’s first administration. Subsequent segments during the Begin years vividly detail the drama behind Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem, the secret Camp David talks, and the bombing of Iraq’s nuclear facility. The historical thread exposes tense relations with U.S. Presidents Carter and Reagan, and continues through the Oslo Accords and ongoing Arab-Israeli struggle. Never-before-seen film and photos augment the oral history, voiced by Michael Douglas as Rabin and Christoph Waltz as Begin. GTC Merchants Walk Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 11:10 AM Regal Cinemas Avalon Sunday, Feb. 8 at 8:10 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7:00 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 11:20 AM SPONSORED BY RAISE THE ROOF DOCUMENTARY · WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Yari Wolinsky, Cary Wolinsky · USA · 2014 84 minutes · English, Polish with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 2:50 PM An international team chases an improbable dream to reconstruct one of the magnificent lost wooden synagogues of Poland in RAISE THE ROOF. These architectural marvels originated in the small 18th century town of Gwoździec. Inside the complex log structure, the prayer hall was elaborately adorned with Hebrew inscriptions and brightly painted animals. Eventually more than 200 of these unique wooden synagogues dotted the countryside, until the Nazis burned every last one to the ground. Though neither Jewish nor Polish, two former University of Georgia students mastermind a remarkable effort to rebuild this architectural wonder. Boston-based artists Rick and Laura Brown recruit hundreds of craftsmen, students and other volunteers to their cause. Employing old tools and artisanal techniques, the team sets about recreating the synagogue’s timber-framed roof and intricate mural designs. Despite seemingly impossible deadlines, hammering downpours and exhaustion, a profound relic slowly rises from the ashes. Beautiful to behold and buttressed by traditional klezmer melodies, RAISE THE ROOF is an inspiring story of how combined talents in art and science brought back to life an artifact lost to history. Regal Cinemas Avalon Sunday, Feb. 8 at 6:00 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Thursday, Feb. 12 at 6:35 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Friday, Feb. 13 at 11:10 AM SPONSORED BY REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG DOCUMENTARY SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Nancy Kates · USA · 2014 · 101 minutes · English Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Sunday, Feb. 1 at 11:00 AM Honoring a formidable voice of American politics and culture, REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is an intimate biography of one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Endlessly curious and controversial, Susan Sontag challenged conventional theories of war, advocated for human and civil rights, embraced gay culture, and deconstructed ideas of gender identity. A feminist icon who was as graceful as she was outspoken, her vocations were numerous: writer, activist, teacher and filmmaker. Writer-director Nancy Kates traces Sontag’s seminal moments from her young adulthood awakening in the 1940s through her literary ups and downs. Friends, family, colleagues and lovers share candid and sometimes unflattering memories of an intellectual rock star who had an ego to match. In addition to essays and personal diaries read aloud by Emmy-winning actress Patricia Clarkson, Sontag appears on-camera discussing her relationships, strong moral convictions, leftist ideology and Jewish identity. Interviews are creatively melded with a treasure trove of archival materials and an evocative soundtrack. Special Jury Mention winner for Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. SPONSORED BY THE RETURN DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Adam Zucker · USA · 2014 · 83 minutes English, Hebrew, Polish with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 6:45 PM A new generation struggles to restore a vibrant Jewish community tragically lost to historical events in Poland in THE RETURN. Before WWII, Poland was home to some 3.5 million Jews. In the aftermath of the Holocaust and ensuing Soviet era, only an estimated 20,000 Jews remain in the republic. Today, a generation of young Poles has been discovering its long-lost Jewish roots. Their story is told by four young women who were raised Catholic, only to discover in their teens they were actually Jewish. Strong, dynamic leaders in a nascent Jewish enclave, these twenty-somethings represent a tiny but growing sector of young Poles trying to pioneer an authentic Jewish identity with little knowledge of their long-buried ancestry. Their journey takes them to five cities across three continents, and through the milestones of weddings, conversions, citizenship and giving birth – every decision prompting a larger question of personal and communal obligation. Alongside these individual narratives, filmmaker Adam Zucker reveals a larger renaissance in cultural Jewishness initiated, surprisingly, by nonJewish Poles who romanticize the pre-war shtetl life. In a place where the weight of history and anti-Semitism still looms, THE RETURN dispels myths about modern Jewish life in Poland, and contemplates the prospect of renewing and restoring the past. Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 4:15 PM SACRED SPERM DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Ori Gruder · Israel · 2014 · 59 minutes Hebrew with subtitles Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 6:35 PM Exploring a deeply personal and taboo topic of Judaism, SACRED SPERM is a sensitive and serious-minded examination of one of the most important prohibitions in the ultra-Orthodox community. According to the Talmud, male self-pleasure is forbidden, as it wastes the seeds of potential life. The code of Jewish law considers this act a sin greater than any other in the Torah, for which there is no forgiveness or atonement. Yet, despite the gravity of the consequences, is it realistic to honor this biblical commandment in today’s world? Filmmaker Ori Gruder, himself an Orthodox Jew, sets out in search of answers with the blessing of his rabbi and family, trying to fully understand the concept of “sacred sperm” while coming to terms with his own parental responsibilities. Speaking with rabbis, educators, parents and therapists within the Hasidic community, Ori learns the secret teachings and precautionary rituals of those devoted to maintaining sexual purity. Despite the harsh texts and rabbinic teachings, a tolerant side of religious adherence is revealed as well, with vulnerable worshippers receiving genuinely loving support from the community. As the director struggles with clarifying the sacred covenant to his teenage son, SACRED SPERM provides a fascinating and respectful first exposure to this provocative theological belief. SECRETS OF WAR NARRATIVE · EAST COAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Dennis Bots · Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands · 2014 96 minutes · Dutch with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Sunday, Feb. 1 at 1:30 PM Inseparable childhood friends in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands find their loyalty severely tested in the family-friendly, coming-of-age story, SECRETS OF WAR. As conflict rages across Europe in the summer of 1943, 12-year-old best friends Tuur (Maas Bronkhuyzen) and Lambert (Joes Brauers) are all but oblivious to the danger. Days are spent going to school, and playing in the dense woods and underground caves outside their idyllic village in Dutch Limburg. Reality soon intrudes and begins to divide families, with Tuur’s father and brother joining a fledgling resistance movement, while Lambert’s parents ally themselves with the local Nazi party. The boys’ relationship is particularly strained, however, with the arrival of Maartje (Pippa Allen), a dark-haired girl with a mysterious identity. As the boys compete for her attentions, jealousy and betrayal set in motion a series of high-stakes events that will alter the lives of all three youths. Director Dennis Bots and a talented child cast approach the sensitive subject matter from a delicate point of view suitable for young audiences. A bittersweet ode to innocence lost, SECRETS OF WAR is adapted from the best-selling young adult novel by Jacques Vriens. Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 1:35 PM SELF MADE NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Shira Geffen · Israel · 2014 · 89 minutes Arabic, Hebrew with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Saturday, Jan. 31 at 9:40 PM A wholly original and comically absurd take on the Middle East conflict, SELF MADE is the dreamlike tale of two female protagonists stuck in a rut – one Israeli, the other Palestinian – who swap identities. Michal (Sarah Adler) is a successful Jewish artist who loses her memory after a mishap in bed. Nadine (Samira Saraya) is an Arab outcast with a menial job packing screws at an IKEAstyle furniture retailer. A bizarre mix-up by a young Israeli soldier (Na’ama Shoham) at a border checkpoint sends Michal to Nadine’s refugee camp, and Nadine to Michal’s home in Jerusalem. Sleepwalking in their separate lives, the switch leads both women to discover previously hidden and inaccessible desires. Addressing serious issues with surreal fun, SELF MADE marks the long-awaited return of auteur filmmaker Shira Geffen, who won the Cannes Camera d’Or prize for her 2007 debut Jellyfish. Her newest film has garnered critical accolades on the festival circuit, two Israeli Academy Award nominations for its stylized art direction and cinematography, as well as Best Screenplay and Best Editing prizes at the Jerusalem International Film Festival. Lefont Sandy Springs Saturday, Feb. 7 at 9:40 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 11:50 AM United Artists Tara Cinemas Thursday, Feb. 12 at 3:00 PM SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS NARRATIVE · EAST COAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Philippe de Chauveron · France · 2014 94 minutes · French with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7:25 PM A bourgeois Catholic family is upended by a succession of multicultural marriages in SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS, an unabashedly politically incorrect romantic comedy that pokes fun at the melting pot of modern-day France. Well-off and well-educated, Claude Verneuil (Christian Clavier) and his churchgoing wife Marie (Chantal Lauby) are a generally conservative couple, but consider themselves open-minded. Their tolerance has been sorely tested as three of their four lovely daughters decide successively to marry an Arab (Rachid Benassem), a Jew (David Benichou) and an Asian (Chao Ling). The last hope for a traditional marriage is dashed when their youngest daughter Laure (Elodie Fontan) announces her upcoming wedding to Charles (Noom Diawara), of African descent. As the parents are forced to navigate their own prejudices, the three brothers-in-law are enlisted to sabotage the interracial nuptials and save the family’s honor. When the groom’s parents roll into town from the Ivory Coast, bigotry suddenly becomes a two-way street. A box office sensation in France, SERIAL (BAD) WEDDINGS spares no one as it rips on nationalistic fears, and promotes acceptance in a country still reconciling its racial and religious diversity. GTC Merchants Walk Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 2:30 PM Regal Cinemas Avalon Saturday, Feb. 7 at 9:35 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Friday, Feb. 13 at 11:25 AM Lefont Sandy Springs Saturday, Feb. 14 at 7:15 PM SPONSORED BY THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET 50TH NARRATIVE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Ján Kadar and Elmar Klos · Czech Republic · 1965 128 minutes · Slovak, Yiddish with subtitles Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 9 at 7:50 PM A lowly peasant in a small 1942 Slovak town finds himself inexorably drawn into the gathering moral crisis of Jewish persecution in the 1965 Oscar-winning drama, THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET. Jozef Kroner portrays the character Tono, an amiable but unaspiring carpenter who enjoys good relations with his Jewish neighbors, and has no use for the totalitarian regime. As the Nazis begin nationalizing Jewish-owned businesses, his nagging wife and Fascist brother-in-law pressure him into accepting the position of “Aryan controller” of a Jewish widow’s button shop. Torn between greed and guilt, Tono faces a crisis of conscious as the old woman (Oscar-nominated Ida Kamińska) he has befriended faces deportation and certain death. The highest-rated film in the history of Slovak and Czech cinema, THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET was awarded the 1965 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is proud to present a special 50th Anniversary screening of this scathing exploration of the complicity, remorse and helplessness faced by many Europeans during WWII. SOFT VENGEANCE: ALBIE SACHS AND THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Abby Ginzberg · South Africa, USA · 2014 84 minutes · English Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 11:10 AM A Jewish hero of South Africa's half-century struggle for democracy and racial equality is lionized in SOFT VENGEANCE: ALBIE SACHS AND THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA. The son of affluent Lithuanian union activists who immigrated to South Africa, Albie Sachs was motivated at an early age to embrace human rights advocacy. Joining the anti-apartheid movement, this white legal scholar became the unlikely defender of freedom fighters committed to overturning the country's repressive laws. For his actions, he was jailed in Cape Town, tortured and forced into exile, and lost his arm and partial eyesight in a 1988 car bombing in Mozambique. Returning to South Africa following the release of Nelson Mandela, Sachs helped write the new Constitution and was appointed to the Constitutional Court. Compelling interviewees include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, government leaders, and, most extraordinarily, the former military official responsible for the attack that nearly killed Sachs. Actress Alfre Woodard narrates this story of national reconciliation and one man's fearless pursuit of justice. Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 16 at 8:05 PM STREIT’S: MATZO AND THE AMERICAN DREAM DOCUMENTARY · WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Michael Levine · USA · 2015 · 65 minutes · English Regal Cinemas Avalon Thursday, Feb. 5 at 12:10 PM STREIT’S: MATZO AND THE AMERICAN DREAM takes audiences on a nostalgic tour of the last family-owned matzo factory in the U.S., still baking a 3,000-year-old recipe. As it has since 1925, the Streit’s matzo factory sits in a lowslung tenement building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. While other matzo companies have modernized, Streit’s is a piece of living history, churning out 40 percent of the nation’s unleavened bread on prewar machinery as old as the factory itself. The sense of tradition and resilience is reflected in the owners, inheritors of a five-generation Jewish family business. Filmmaker Michael Levine captures the characters within the story, in particular the loyal and surprisingly diverse factory employees, some of whom have worked at Streit’s for decades. Even in the highly gentrified Lower East Side, their colorful on-camera anecdotes represent the continuation of the immigrant dream. Historians also provide interesting insight into the neighborhood’s evolution and the socioeconomic underpinning of Streit’s staying power. While lamenting an old New York lost to modernity, STREIT’S: MATZO AND THE AMERICAN DREAM celebrates a venerable Jewish institution still thriving on family ties. Lefont Sandy Springs Thursday, Feb. 12 at 6:45 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Friday, Feb. 13 at 11:35 AM CLOSING NIGHT THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: John Lollos · USA · 2014 · 75 minutes · English Woodruff Arts Center Rich Auditorium Thursday, Feb. 19 Film at 6:50 PM Post-Film Dessert at 8:30 PM Immortalizing two beloved cultural icons in an enchanting musical biography, THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM is a joyous extravaganza of Jewish storytelling and song. A pioneer of modern Jewish literature, Russian author Sholom Aleichem created a litany of characters and stories that have brilliantly kept Yiddish culture alive. The foremost interpreter of this work is Theodore Bikel, a consummate performer whose luminous career spans countless screen and stage roles. Now a nonagenarian and charismatic as ever, Bikel breathes new life into these late 19th- and early 20th-century tales of Eastern European shtetl life. With humor and pathos, he animates the role of Aleichem’s Tevye the Milkman, reenacts other classic yarns of Yiddishkeit, and reminisces on his own extraordinary life story. Also featured are interviews with Yiddish academics and authors, musicians, actors Fyvush Finkel and Gilbert Gottfried, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, as well as Sholom Aleichem’s 102-year-old granddaughter Bel Kaufman. Narrated by Emmy-winning actor Alan Alda, THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLOM ALEICHEM is full of wisdom, warmth, laughter and tears as it spills forth a fountain brimming with Yiddish heritage. Film at 9:15 PM Pre-Film Dessert at 8:00 PM • See pages 32-33 for more information TOUCHDOWN ISRAEL DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Paul Hirschberger · Israel, USA · 2014 · 81 minutes English, Hebrew with subtitles Regal Cinemas Avalon Thursday, Feb. 5 at 9:20 PM Packed with plenty of gridiron action, gritty athletics and irreverent humor, TOUCHDOWN ISRAEL goes inside the improbable rise of the pigskin sport in the Holy Land. American-style, full-contact, tackle football was first imported in the late 1980s by foreign-born Israelis who missed the scrimmages of their youth. Initially hampered by woefully inadequate playing fields and an indifferent public, the Israeli Football League received a boost from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who funded a football stadium and continues his support as a league sponsor. Today, football in Israel is thriving, with 11 teams and over 600 amateur players from a cross-section of Israeli society, including Arabs, Christians, secular and Orthodox Jews – even Palestinians. Filmmaker Paul Hirschberger captures the surprising camaraderie among these weekend warriors who hail from widely different backgrounds, but sideline their differences for the sake of teamwork and love of sport. In a quest for an Israel Bowl championship, ordinary Israeli citizens are transformed into fierce competitors, revealing new aspects of themselves along the way. In a country where off-the-field rivalries run deep, TOUCHDOWN ISRAEL celebrates the unifying power of sports amidst the broad religious and cultural diversity of Israel. Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 11:10 AM Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 6:40 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Thursday, Feb. 12 at 12:25 PM AN UNTOLD DIPLOMATIC HISTORY: FRANCE AND ISRAEL SINCE 1948 DOCUMENTARY · EAST COAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Camille Clavel · France · 2013 · 82 minutes French, Hebrew with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 6:45 PM An absorbing chronicle of once-staunch allies caught in shifting political tides, AN UNTOLD DIPLOMATIC HISTORY: FRANCE AND ISRAEL SINCE 1948 analyzes the chaotic French-Israeli relationship up through current times. In the recent wake of sometimes frosty relations, it is easy to forget that France and Israel once enjoyed the strongest of bilateral bonds. Linked by shared nationalistic ideals, France eased the way for Jews to immigrate to the Jewish state at the end of WWII. Seeking to defend itself, Israel became a major customer for the French arms industry. Both countries also shared a strategic interest in stemming the rise of 1950s pan-Arabism. This tacit alliance only deepened through further military cooperation and cultural exchanges, until the Six Day War left a rift that has never fully healed. The film presents a chronology of historical touchstones and surprising revelations, the progression of French and Israeli leaders, and their respective approaches to foreign relations. Interviews with French and Israeli journalists and historians, military and government officials, and statesmen highlight the contradictions and sometimes covert interests of this fragile allegiance. Lefont Sandy Springs Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 1:00 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 2:10 PM YOU MUST BE JOKING NARRATIVE · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Jake Wilson · USA · 2014 · 91 minutes · English Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7:15 PM Stuck in a personal and professional rut, a listless New York twenty-something is inspired to pursue her long-abandoned love for standup comedy in YOU MUST BE JOKING. Barb Schwartz (comedienne Sas Goldberg) is Jewish, single, smart and fed up with the daily grind of a dead-end job as a paralegal. Between her condescending boss (Vanessa Ray), overbearing mother (Margaret Colin) and disapproving sister (Katherine Waterston), she can’t seem to catch a break. When her law firm lands a case involving a political sex scandal, Barb is circuitously reunited with her gay childhood friend Billy (the film’s writer-director Jake Wilson). A feisty and fearless dancer, he motivates her to stretch outside her comfort zone and reclaim her passion for comedy by taking an improv class. Together, they discover it’s never too late to change course in life, even in the unforgiving world of the Big Apple. Featuring a frenetic performance by petite live wire Sas Goldberg (who co-wrote the script with Wilson), YOU MUST BE JOKING is an offbeat and subversive indie comedy with no shortage of emotional outbursts, gut-busting laughs, awkward office dynamics and family disharmony. United Artists Tara Cinemas Saturday, Feb. 14 at 7:15 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8:35 PM ZEMENE DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Melissa Donovan · Ethiopia, USA · 2014 · 68 minutes Amharic, English with subtitles Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 4:05 PM An Ethiopian girl with a life-threatening condition crosses paths with a Jewish-American doctor whose life’s work compels him to help those in need in ZEMENE. Ten-year-old Zemene is a spirited but hunchbacked child, afflicted with a severe curvature of the spine called Kyphosis, living in the remote village of Belessa. Mocked for her deformity, malnourished and unable to access proper medical care, she travels to the city of Gondar in search of a hospital that will treat her, but is turned away. A chance encounter with an American doctor specializing in disfiguring spinal cases changes her life forever. Dr. Rick Hodes is an Orthodox Jew dedicated to the medical care and emotional wellbeing of Ethiopian children at risk of marginalization, suffering or death. As he embarks on a journey to save Zemene’s life and aid other afflicted families, the doctor’s resulting humanitarian work in bridging cultural gaps and instilling the value of education also comes to light. Directed by Kodak Cinematography Award-winning filmmaker Melissa Donovan, ZEMENE is a reminder of our universal humanity, and how one person’s faith-based compassion can transform not only individual lives, but communities as well. Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 16 at 11:10 AM SPONSORED BY Kellee and Chad Rosenberg Merle and David Horwitz ZERO MOTIVATION NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Talya Lavie · Israel · 2014 · 100 minutes Hebrew with subtitles Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 9:00 PM A stir-crazy platoon of paper-pushing Israeli female soldiers does battle with boredom – and one another – in the aptly titled black comedy, ZERO MOTIVATION. Situated in a remote military outpost, the human resources office is a den of sloth and ineptitude. Far from the combat action of their male counterparts, a motley crew of gal pals finds all manner of mindless ways to pass the time until their thankless service ends. While airhead Daffi (Nelly Tagar) dreams of being transferred to the big city of Tel Aviv, her rebellious best friend Zohar (Dana Ivgy) is hell-bent on losing her virginity. The hapless duo is a constant irritant for supervising commander Rama (Shani Klein) whose career ambitions are constantly undercut by her apathetic conscripts. The gags and wisecracks take a series of bizarre and ruthless turns, the claustrophobia building to a climactic catfight. A raucous and freewheeling ride through the inanity of military bureaucracy, ZERO MOTIVATION scored 12 Israeli Academy Award nominations, with wins for Best Screenplay, a Best Actress prize for Dana Ivgy, and Best Director honors for Talya Lavie. Best Narrative Feature and Best Director winner at the Tribeca Film Festival. GTC Merchants Walk Friday, Feb. 6 at 2:05 PM United Artists Tara Cinemas Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 2:30 PM Lefont Sandy Springs Saturday, Feb. 14 at 9:40 PM SPONSORED BY ® THE ZIONIST IDEA: A HISTORY DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE SCREENING DETAILS Dir: Joseph Dorman and Oren Rudavsky Israel, Palestinian Territories, USA · 2015 · 158 minutes Arabic, English, Hebrew with subtitles GTC Merchants Walk Monday, Feb. 2 at 1:15 PM Tackling the complex and evolving concept behind the Jewish state, THE ZIONIST IDEA lays out a foundational understanding of Zionism through which current events are newly elucidated. United Artists Tara Cinemas Sunday, Feb. 15 at 11:00 AM This ambitious and in-depth presentation examines the origins, meaning and future of the Jewish national movement from its birth at a moment of crisis to the thriving democracy of today. The film opens in the shtetls of Eastern Europe, and then recounts the early settlement of Palestine and the resulting Arab clashes. Later passages introduce the disputed occupied territories, the rise of the revisionist movement, and the ensuing ideological debate over Zionist ideals. Resisting one-sided and simplistic historical interpretations, documentarians Joseph Dorman and Oren Rudavsky take a multifaceted approach to a polarizing subject. Politicians, academics, and activists of various generations – both Israeli and Palestinian – offer candid commentary juxtaposed against a cornucopia of exceptional archival footage. Lefont Sandy Springs Monday, Feb. 16 at 1:30 PM At a time when Israel’s legitimacy is questioned by her enemies more than ever, THE ZIONIST IDEA seeks to contextualize the triumphs and trials of the Jewish homeland. ISCHLER SHORTS PROGRAM 1 HAPPY IN THE BOX NARRATIVE · WORLD PREMIERE Dir: Ghila Valabrega · Italy · 2014 24 minutes · Italian with subtitles ISCHLER NARRATIVE · U.S. PREMIERE Dir: Attila Hartung · Hungary · 2014 16 minutes · Hungarian with subtitles A photographer is haunted after stealing a tombstone from an abandoned cemetery in Sabbioneta, Italy, in this surreal and whimsical tale based on true events. Evil comes from unexpected places, as three Jewish sisters seek shelter in the Budapest apartment of a highly regarded doctor, during the Holocaust. 70 HESTER STREET DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE Dir: Casimir Nozkowski · Poland, USA 2014 · 11 minutes · English WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE Dir: David Langer · USA · 2014 6 minutes · English A filmmaker reflects on past lives and legacies of his childhood home, a 140-year-old building in New York City’s storied Lower East Side. Jewish religious artifacts saved from Saddam Hussein’s regime during the 2003 American invasion of Iraq make their final journey. A GOOD STORY NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE Dir: Martin-Christopher Bode · Germany · 2013 · 20 minutes · German with subtitles An elderly woman deeply covets a broken jug in an antiques store near the German-Polish border. Raindance Film Festival Best Short prize-winner. SCREENING DETAILS GTC Merchants Walk Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Sunday, Feb. 1 at 11:10 AM Sunday, Feb. 1 at 1:50 PM THE WALK SHORTS PROGRAM 2 THE WALK NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE Dir: Aaron Wolf · USA · 2014 20 minutes · English BAMIDBAR NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE Dir: Onn Nir · USA · 2014 · 18 minutes The kindness of a stranger, played by Peter Riegert, profoundly affects a young Brooklyn boy who is grieving over the death of his father. Stuck in the Israeli desert, a veteran soldier and his daughter must confront past traumas after a life-changing event. SOME VACATION. NARRATIVE · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE Dir: Anne S. Lewis · USA · 2014 7 minutes · English A traveling salesman turns his business road trips into unconventional family vacations. South by Southwest Film Festival Grand Jury Award winner. Hebrew with subtitles IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT NARRATIVE · ATLANTA PREMIERE Dir: Erich Steiner · Austria · 2014 14 minutes · German with subtitles On a stormy autumn night, a family's festive mood belies an ethical dilemma and a father's fateful decision. FACING FEAR DOCUMENTARY Dir: Jason Cohen · USA · 2013 · 23 minutes · English In this Oscar-nominated story of forgiveness and friendship, a chance encounter brings together a former neo-Nazi and the gay victim of his senseless hate crime. SCREENING DETAILS Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 8 at 4:15 PM Friday, Feb. 13 at 2:00 PM OF MANY SHORTS PROGRAM 3 REVERENCE PUR DOCUMENTARY · SOUTHEAST PREMIERE Dir: Collin Kornfeind · USA · 2014 12 minutes · English DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE Dir: Anat Vovnoboy · Israel · 2013 14 minutes · Russian with subtitles The meaning of newfangled kippahs branded with pop culture icons and sports logos is dissected. Rare home movies of amateur Purim-themed plays by Jewish dissidents reveal thinly-disguised denunciations of the oppressive Soviet regime. FIRST BORN NARRATIVE · U.S. PREMIERE Dir: Leah Tonic · Israel · 2014 13 minutes · Hebrew with subtitles A surprise phone call brings a rebellious young woman face to face with her religious family and conflicted past. Haifa International Film Festival Best Student Film winner. GERMAN SHEPHERD NARRATIVE · EAST COAST PREMIERE Dir: Nils Bergendal · Sweden · 2014 10 minutes · English The son of a Holocaust survivor uses animation to pose potent philosophical questions about the human capacity to forgive unimaginable acts of evil. OF MANY DOCUMENTARY · ATLANTA PREMIERE Dir: Linda G. Mills · USA · 2014 · 34 minutes · English The surprising and transformative relationship between an Orthodox rabbi and Imam who serve as university chaplains in New York City is revealed. SCREENING DETAILS Lefont Sandy Springs Lefont Sandy Springs Sunday, Feb. 15 at 4:15 PM Monday, Feb. 16 at 5:10 PM
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