Check out these Jewish Film Festival picks

The 76 screenings of 51 films will take place through Jan. 24 at three metro theaters -- Lefont Sandy Springs, Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station 16 and Regal's Medlock Crossing Stadium 18. (For a guide to films, times and places, and to reserve tickets, go to www.ajff.org or call 404-806-9913.)

We asked members of the film selection committee that picked the diverse slate to recommend their favorites from among the features, documentaries and shorts:

"Mein Kampf": Surrealistic/absurdist black comedy is something of a rare art (Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" or the Coen Brothers' recent "A Serious Man" come to mind). But this well-produced adaptation of Hungarian Jewish playwright George Tabori's work fits the bill: An elderly Jewish man takes a young, confused and of course insane Adolf Hitler under his wing and helps him develop a sense of confidence in himself and his racist convictions. Has to be seen to be believed — and to savor the superlative performances. (Wednesday, Thursday)

"War Against the Weak": This jaw-dropping, fast-paced documentary, based on Edwin Black's book of the same title, concisely traces the exponential growth of eugenics as a fake science of racial superiority from the late 1800s through to the full-blown madness of Nazi ideology. What is most surprising, though, is how much of this thinking originated and was supported right here in the good ol' U.S.A., and how its remnants continue to affect the lives of the disabled today. (Sunday, Wednesday)

"Zion and His Brother": First-time Israeli director Eran Merav (now an Atlanta resident) crafted this moving, thoughtful portrait of two teenaged brothers in an impoverished, single-parent family whose relationship is strained by their shared guilty secret. Merav has a distinct visual style and he gets excellent performances from the actors playing the brothers (Reuven Badalov and Ofer Hayun) as well as, in the role of their desperate mother, favorite Israeli star Ronit Elkabetz ("The Band's Visit"). No wonder the film was nominated for the grand jury prize for world cinema at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. (Wednesday, Thursday)

"Seven Minutes in Heaven": This utterly compelling portrayal of a survivor of a Jerusalem suicide bombing will draw you in and keep you guessing. Galia (Reymond Amsellem, in a terrific performance) suffers with guilt, faulty memories and fantasies as well as physical scars one year after the event. (Thursday, Jan. 22)

- Matthew Bernstein, chair, Film Studies Department, Emory University

"American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein": This documentary shows the uphill struggle of a highly controversial and outspoken academic. Finkelstein's special area of interest is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As an American-Jewish scholar and child of Holocaust survivors, he is notorious (or in some circles, famous) for challenging many strongly held positions of the mainstream Jewish and academic communities. The filmmakers present a very balanced look at a somewhat unbalanced character. Finkelstein's polarizing politics will inflame some viewers, validate others and intrigue everyone. (Monday, Tuesday)

"Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness": Melville Herskovits was an American anthropologist and pioneer of African-American studies. He believed that African culture was influential in America, both through those who had been brought from Africa and their descendants. This innovative documentary looks at the Jewish scholar's groundbreaking research at a time when Jews and blacks were outside the mainstream, as academics or subjects of dignified study. The archival footage, fascinating interviews and creative animation make this a documentary worth watching. (Monday)

"The Wedding Song": Today it would be hard to imagine that a Jewish girl and a Muslim girl would be best friends in the North African capital of Tunis. This drama is a look back at a time when friendships like this were possible: the Nazi occupation. Best friends Myriam and Nour share their dreams of love and their worries about arranged marriages, all under the veil of war. This story of Jewish-Muslim co-existence, of growing up in the shadow of war, of self-discovery, is honest and poetic. (Sunday, Monday)

"Anita": The 1994 terrorist bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires changes the life of Anita Feldman, a young woman with Down syndrome. Injured and disoriented after the attack, Anita wanders the city searching for her mother, and touches the lives of everyone she meets. Outstanding performances by Alejandra Manzo (Anita) and Norma Aleandro (her mother) elevate this story of the aftermath of devastation and the search for home. (Saturday, Sunday and Jan. 24)

- Judy Marx, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival founding director and executive director, American Jewish Committee Atlanta

"Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood": A feast for classic movie fans, this clip-filled documentary tells the story of the 800 directors, actors, producers, composers and other film technicians who fled Germany and Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1939 for the safety of America. Narrated by Sigourney Weaver, it charts how the Third Reich's loss was Hollywood's gain, as many of these exiles became some of our most successful and prolific craftsmen and performers. Billy Wilder, Fred Zinneman, Fritz Lang, Ernst Lubitsch and what seems like the entire supporting cast of "Casablanca" are some of the notable figures included. A fascinating slice of film history. (Sunday)

"Mary and Max": This is a demented, darkly comic and bittersweet claymation fable of an improbable pen-pal relationship between an unloved 8-year-old Australian girl and a middle-aged, morbidly obese Jewish New Yorker with Asperger's syndrome. Intrigued? Thought so. Featuring the voices of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette and Eric Bana, it was the opening night selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. A visual treat for animation fans but also a compassionate tale of friendship between oddballs that is sure to strike a chord with all film fans. Caution: While this film is done in claymation, the content is not suitable for children. (Sunday, Monday)

"Where I Stand: The Hank Greenspun Story": How could this larger-than-life figure have been such a major player on so many levels, and so few of us, outside of news junkies, be so unfamiliar with his story? "Where I Stand" chronicles the surprising Zelig-like life of a charismatic newspaperman, Las Vegas icon and a behind-the-scenes power player on the world stage. From his days as a confidant and associate of Bugsy Siegel to founding the Las Vegas Sun to becoming a powerful ally to Israel in its fight for independence, Greenspun plays a part in some of the major world events of the last half of the 20th century, including the Middle East peace talks and Watergate. Despite his prior Mob connections, he was also as responsible as anyone for ridding Las Vegas of organized crime, breaking the powerful unions and making Vegas what it is today. A true life story, ripe to be retold as a Hollywood feature one day. (Sunday, Jan. 22, Jan. 24)

Shorts programs: Led by "Toyland," the 2009 Oscar winner for best live action short, this eclectic group of films range from an animated retelling of the terrorist hijacking and rescue of Air France flight 139 ("Cohen on the Bridge: Rescue at Entebbe") to the highly controversial story of pedophilia at an ultra-orthodox school ("Sinner") to the fun and tender coming-of-age story of a young boy trying to raid the buffet before the end of temple services ("The Kiddush Man"). The variety of film techniques and methods of storytelling used in these 10 short films, made by directors from six different countries, make these two programs a feast. I was blown away by the filmmaking and creativity of "Ten for Grandpa" and "The Stars Don't Twinkle in Outer Space." (Program 1, Sunday; Program 2, Jan. 24)

- Tom Karsch, AJFF Film Selection co-chair and former executive vice president and general manager of Turner Classic Movies