Highlights of 2014 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival announcement

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, running Jan. 29 through Feb. 20 at various metro locations, posted its full 2014 schedule today at www.ajff.org, with highlights including:

• The fest will screen six features submitted as official Oscar best foreign language film entries by their home countries for 2014: "Bethlehem" by Israel; "The German Doctor," Argentina; "In the Shadow," Czech Republic; "Omar," Palestinian territories; "The Third Half," Macedonia; and "Transit," Philippines.

• "Run Boy Run," commanding the prestige opening night slot, Jan. 29 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. German director Pepe Danquart's film dramatizes the true story of a 9-year-old boy who escapes the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Poland, into the woods, where he survives until World War II's end.

• "Jews and Muslims: Intimate Strangers," the North American premiere of a four-part, 208-minute French documentary, exploring 14 centuries of shared history between the faiths.

• A 25th anniversary screening of "Driving Miss Daisy," followed by a panel with many who worked on the Atlanta-filmed favorite. Other revivals: Sidney Lumet's "The Pawnbroker" (50th anniversary) and "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" (40th).

• A trio of documentaries exploring Jewish comedy: "Mel Brooks: Make a Noise," "Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story" and "When Jews Were Funny."

• "Next Year Jerusalem," a documentary about eight Connecticut nursing home residents who embark on a final adventure to Israel. It's the closing night feature, Feb. 20 at Woodruff Arts Center. Director David Gaynes calls it an exploration of "the decision to choose life in spite of death."