The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) today announced its slate of 70 films (52 features and 18 shorts) to be screened at its 12th annual film festival on Feb. 8-29, 2012. Tickets for the festival will go on sale on Jan. 3 at AJFF.org.
Attracting more than 26,000 moviegoers, AJFF is Atlanta’s largest film festival and the nation’s second-largest Jewish film festival. Produced by American Jewish Committee Atlanta, the festival will showcase international and independent works of cinema that are otherwise unavailable to local audiences.
AJFF Opening Night will return to the Fabulous Fox Theatre on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 with a special reception for sponsors and Red Carpet VIP ticket holders in the Egyptian Ballroom. Top restaurateurs will be on hand to show off their gastronomic genius with dishes to satisfy the most discerning foodie. Immediately following the reception, the festival will kick-off with the Atlanta premiere screening of My Best Enemy, a handsomely mounted WWII tragicomedy from the producers of the 2007 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner, The Counterfeiters
Young Professionals Night of the festival will be held the following evening on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at Atlantic Station, featuring a preshow party at STRIP restaurant and the Atlanta premiere of Rabies at Regal Atlantic Station. An edge-of-your-seat thriller that also pays homage to campy American B-movies, Rabies is the first horror movie ever produced by the Israeli film industry.
"AJFF is delighted to once again celebrate the best of Jewish cinema and share these compelling films with Atlanta movie lovers," said Kenny Blank, Executive Director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. "We evaluated more than 400 entries before selecting our lineup of entertaining, inspiring and provocative films, many of them hot off the international film festival circuit. These are universal stories of the human condition that are interfaith, interethnic and intercultural, and represent a broad range of genres and subject matter."
Additional films featured films of the festival include:
- The Apple Pushers−A high-energy piece documenting the journey of recent American immigrants participating in the Green Cart movement.
- David−A film that examines the similarities and differences between the Jewish and Muslim faiths through the eyes of a Muslim boy.
- Free Men−Starring Tahar Rahim and Michael Lonsdale, this thrilling drama tells the story of Muslim involvement in the French resistance movement.
- Nicky’s Family−A moving documentary that tells the nearly forgotten story of Englishman Sir Nicholas Winton who saved the lives of more than 600 Czech and Slovak children during WWII.
- Remembrance−Inspired by actual events, award-winning director Anna Justice traces an enduring love affair between a Jewish woman and a Polish political prisoner who are separated for decades after being imprisoned in a concentration camp.
- AJFF also continues its Classic Film Series with special anniversary screenings of such Hollywood favorites as Dirty Dancing and Sophie’s Choice.
- The Day I Saw Your Heart - Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) stars as a twentysomething struggling with commitment issues in this touching French comedy-melodrama that tackles thorny father-daughter relationships
- The Flood - Featuring tour-de-force performances and lyrical imagery, the critically acclaimed Israeli drama centers on a troubled boy and his dysfunctional family as they struggle to stay afloat amidst crisis
- The Last Flight of Petr Ginz (Closing Night) - The imagination of a Czech child prodigy who perished at Auschwitz is celebrated in this inspiring testament to a boy’s wonder.
- This is Sodom - The biggest box office hit in Israel in 25 years, this raucous and bawdy biblical comedy in the best tradition of Monty Python and Mel Brooks. Skewering everything from religious figures, reality TV, game shows, musicals and vapid celebrities to contemporary Israeli culture, the cast of the comedy troupe Eretz Nehederet (the Israeli Saturday Night Live) leaves no sacred cows un-slaughtered.
Throughout the festival, screenings will be held across Atlanta at The Fox Theatre, Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station Stadium 16, Lefont Sandy Springs, Georgia Theatre Company Merchants Walk and new venues at United Artists Tara Cinemas 4 and United Artists North Point Market 8.
