Preview party will spotlight films soon-to-screen at Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

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.

The free preview party Monday night will kickstart festival buzz and give attendees a broad overview of the festival’s schedule, offerings and structure. Trailers and film clips will be played between guest speakers.

This year’s festival, Feb. 18 — March 3, will screen 65 films — including 25 narrative features, 24 documentaries and 16 shorts — from around the globe.

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.

A virtual cinema run will follow, allowing viewers to stream films from home March 6—15.

Monday’s attendees will receive an advance copy of the festival’s 120-page guidebook and be encouraged to download the festival’s mobile app, which launched last year. Snacks and drinks will be served.

“This is really when we have a chance to — in a really fun, exciting way — unveil the lineup for the community,” said Kenny Blank, executive and artistic director of ATL Jewish Film, the rebranded organization behind the festival and several other year-round programs.

“With so many films, there’s 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.”

Opening night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Feb. 18 will feature a screening of the French dramedy “Once Upon My Mother,” a 1960s-set story inspired by Roland Perez’s memoir about a fiercely determined Moroccan Jewish mother whose son is born with a clubfoot and told he may never walk.

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.

“From conception, we’ve positioned this festival as a cultural celebration for the whole community — a chance to experience an incredible collection of international and independent films you can’t see anywhere else,” he said. “There’s something for everyone, whether you are Jewish or not.”

The films can be loosely organized by category.

This year features a strong slate of Israeli art-house films that may surprise viewers.

“A lot of people assume films coming from Israel are just about the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Blank said. “But what the program Monday night will demonstrate is there are so many beautiful art house themes — just great human stories coming from Israel.”

Among those are “Mama,” an intimate drama about a migrant Polish housekeeper working in Israel; “Mazel Tov,” 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 “Nandauri,” an atmospheric character study tracing an Israeli lawyer’s return to a mountain village she fled.

Several films respond directly to current global affairs and the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

“A lot of filmmakers are beginning to process these events in real time,” Blank said. “Cinema is starting to respond.”

“Holding Liat” follows an Israeli family campaigning for the release of their daughter, who was taken hostage during the attacks.

In “A Letter to David,” filmmaker Tom Shoval reflects on the abduction of his childhood friend. “Stay Forte” is a raw, intense drama about hostages fighting to survive inside Gaza’s tunnels.

And in a harrowing real-life story, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” follows retired Israeli general Noam Tibon, who on Oct. 7, received a desperate text from his son: terrorists had stormed his home.

Historical memory remains a cornerstone of the festival’s programming. “Nuremberg 45” revisits the postwar trials that reshaped international law. “The Last Musician of Auschwitz” tells the story of a Holocaust survivor whose life was shaped by music.

“The Soundman” follows a sound engineer and an actress navigating the rise of Nazism in Belgium during World War II.

“Nuremberg 45” revisits the postwar trials that reshaped international law. The film will world-premiere at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

The festival will also lean into celebratory nostalgia with a slate of restored classics and anniversary screenings.

A 25th anniversary screening of romantic comedy “Kissing Jessica Stein” will be attended by filmmaker Nancy Spielberg and lead actress Jennifer Westfeldt.

Audiences will have a chance to revisit Ryan Gosling’s leading-man debut in the newly restored version of “The Believer,” along with Ralph Fiennes’ multigenerational drama “Sunshine,” the animated family favorite “An American Tail,” and the 1936 Yiddish classic “I Have Sinned.”

In a nod to Atlanta’s upcoming role as a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city, the festival will mark the 20th anniversary of “Sixty Six,” a 20-year-old British film in which a bar mitzvah collides with England’s historic World Cup run.

Opening night will feature the French dramedy “Once Upon My Mother,” a 1960s-set story inspired by Roland Perez’s memoir about a fiercely determined Moroccan Jewish mother whose son is born with a clubfoot and told he may never walk.

“It’s a film about a mother who simply refuses to give up on her child,” Blank said.

“We Met at Grossinger’s” 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.

Closing night will spotlight “We Met at Grossinger’s,” a documentary about the legendary Catskills resort that helped launch the careers of countless entertainers.

For Blank, the goal throughout the festival is to spur discovery.