At a free insider preview at Schwartz-Goldstein Hall at The Temple in Atlanta, cinephiles will get a sneak peek at the wide-ranging lineup of films soon-to-screen at the 26th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n The free preview party Monday night<\/a> will kickstart festival buzz and give attendees a broad overview of the festival\u2019s schedule, offerings and structure. Trailers and film clips will be played between guest speakers. <\/p>\n<\/article>\n This year\u2019s festival, Feb. 18 \u2014 March 3, will screen 65 films \u2014 including 25 narrative features, 24 documentaries and 16 shorts \u2014 from around the globe. <\/p>\n Screenings will take place at four theaters across metro Atlanta: the Plaza Theatre, Springs Cinema and Taphouse, Tara Theatre and Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. <\/p>\n A virtual cinema run will follow, allowing viewers to stream films from home March 6\u201415.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s attendees will receive an advance copy of the festival\u2019s 120-page guidebook and be encouraged to download the festival\u2019s mobile app, which launched last year. Snacks and drinks will be served.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n \u201cThis is really when we have a chance to \u2014 in a really fun, exciting way \u2014 unveil the lineup for the community,\u201d said Kenny Blank, executive and artistic director of ATL Jewish Film, the rebranded organization<\/a> behind the festival and several other year-round programs. <\/p>\n<\/article>\n \u201cWith so many films, there\u2019s a lot to process, so this is a way to hear directly from the programming team and get some guidance about what films might resonate with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Opening night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Feb. 18 will feature a screening of the French dramedy \u201cOnce Upon My Mother,\u201d a 1960s-set story inspired by Roland Perez\u2019s memoir about a fiercely determined Moroccan Jewish mother whose son is born with a clubfoot and told he may never walk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n While all of the films explore Jewish culture, identity or history in some way, Blank said the festival is intentionally programmed for a broader audience of film lovers. A selection committee narrows roughly 500 to 600 submissions into a curated lineup based on artistic integrity, originality and storytelling craft.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom conception, we\u2019ve positioned this festival as a cultural celebration for the whole community \u2014 a chance to experience an incredible collection of international and independent films you can\u2019t see anywhere else,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s something for everyone, whether you are Jewish or not.\u201d<\/p>\n The films can be loosely organized by category.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n This year features a strong slate of Israeli art-house films that may surprise viewers.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people assume films coming from Israel are just about the Arab-Israeli conflict,\u201d Blank said. \u201cBut what the program Monday night will demonstrate is there are so many beautiful art house themes \u2014 just great human stories coming from Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n Among those are \u201cMama<\/a>,\u201d an intimate drama about a migrant Polish housekeeper working in Israel; \u201cMazel Tov<\/a>,\u201d a family comedy about a Miami expat estranged from his family who returns to Buenos Aires for a long-awaited wedding and bat mitzvah; and \u201cNandauri<\/a>,\u201d an atmospheric character study tracing an Israeli lawyer\u2019s return to a mountain village she fled.<\/p>\n Several films respond directly to current global affairs and the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of filmmakers are beginning to process these events in real time,\u201d Blank said. \u201cCinema is starting to respond.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/article>\n \u201cHolding Liat<\/a>\u201d follows an Israeli family campaigning for the release of their daughter, who was taken hostage during the attacks. <\/p>\n In \u201cA Letter to David<\/a>,\u201d filmmaker Tom Shoval reflects on the abduction of his childhood friend. \u201cStay Forte<\/a>\u201d is a raw, intense drama about hostages fighting to survive inside Gaza\u2019s tunnels. <\/p>\n And in a harrowing real-life story, \u201cThe Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue<\/a>\u201d follows retired Israeli general Noam Tibon, who on Oct. 7, received a desperate text from his son: terrorists had stormed his home. <\/p>\n Historical memory remains a cornerstone of the festival\u2019s programming. \u201cNuremberg 45<\/a>\u201d revisits the postwar trials that reshaped international law. \u201cThe Last Musician of Auschwitz<\/a>\u201d tells the story of a Holocaust survivor whose life was shaped by music.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Soundman<\/a>\u201d follows a sound engineer and an actress navigating the rise of Nazism in Belgium during World War II.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n \u201cNuremberg 45\u201d revisits the postwar trials that reshaped international law. The film will world-premiere at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The festival will also lean into celebratory nostalgia with a slate of restored classics and anniversary screenings. <\/p>\n A 25th anniversary screening of romantic comedy \u201cKissing Jessica Stein<\/a>\u201d will be attended by filmmaker Nancy Spielberg and lead actress Jennifer Westfeldt.<\/p>\n Audiences will have a chance to revisit Ryan Gosling\u2019s leading-man debut in the newly restored version of \u201cThe Believer<\/a>,\u201d along with Ralph Fiennes\u2019 multigenerational drama \u201cSunshine<\/a>,\u201d the animated family favorite \u201cAn American Tail<\/a>,\u201d and the 1936 Yiddish classic \u201cI Have Sinned<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n In a nod to Atlanta\u2019s upcoming role as a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city, the festival will mark the 20th anniversary of \u201cSixty Six<\/a>,\u201d a 20-year-old British film in which a bar mitzvah collides with England\u2019s historic World Cup run.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n Opening night will feature the French dramedy \u201cOnce Upon My Mother<\/a>,\u201d a 1960s-set story inspired by Roland Perez\u2019s memoir about a fiercely determined Moroccan Jewish mother whose son is born with a clubfoot and told he may never walk. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a film about a mother who simply refuses to give up on her child,\u201d Blank said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe Met at Grossinger\u2019s\u201d is a documentary about the legendary Catskills resort that helped launch the careers of countless entertainers. The film will screen on the closing night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival March 3.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Closing night will spotlight \u201cWe Met at Grossinger\u2019s<\/a>,\u201d a documentary about the legendary Catskills resort that helped launch the careers of countless entertainers.<\/p>\n For Blank, the goal throughout the festival is to spur discovery.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n \u201cA big part of what we do is introduce audiences to films they would never otherwise have the opportunity to see,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s really the magic of a festival like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Insider Preview. 7 p.m. Jan. 12. Free. Schwartz-Goldstein Hall at The Temple. 1589 Peachtree St NE Atlanta. Registration encouraged. ajff.org\/insiderpreview<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n![\"Opening](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/VIH2I52XCRDURNJH3OVESKXMCE.jpg?auth=f852a01839b65b13121595097a018d4040b3fe4e98627e1432255ca27af6e2d4&width=3840&height=2560&smart=true\"\/)
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