FESTIVALS
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival By Autumn Mur r ay
HOW ARE THE THEATRES SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FESTIVAL? We go out of our way to serve audiences throughout the metro area, providing a multitude of venues both inside and outside the perimeter. It’s a balance of convenience, operational feasibility, and access for audiences. We’re excited to return to favorite venues in 2020, including the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and the Tara Cinemas, while adding new locations at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and the Plaza Theatre.” WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF MOVIE SELECTION FOR THE FILM FESTIVAL? Our belief is the festival belongs to the community. We are somewhat unique in that we engage an unusually large number of volunteers in a 6-month process of prescreening and evaluating some 800 film entries. Though the ultimate decisions rest with the executive director, the feedback of our selection committee is invaluable in understanding audience tastes and informing programming choices. HOW DOES AJFF PLAN ON CELEBRATING ITS 20TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY? The 20th annual festival next year is a kickoff to a year-long celebration of a milestone anniversary. Audiences can expect a number of surprises and nods to the 20th anniversary sprinkled throughout the festival experience. The overarching theme to these celebrations is a very big “thank you” to all those who have supported the growth and success of AJFF over the years; from our donors, volunteers, community partners, and of course to our audience. Next year’s lineup will feature some 50 feature films and numerous short film selections. At press, the full lineup is not unveiled, but Blank assures us that the 20th anniversary of the festival promises to be an eclectic mix of genres and subject matter, paired with a stellar roster of compelling film artists and other guest speakers. If you love movies, if you appreciate stimulating conversation, if you are seeking to connect with your community, and you’re curious about other cultures and corners of the world, come experience the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Once you try it, you will be hooked. 40,000+ yearly moviegoers can’t be wrong!
Opening Night at Cobb Energy Center
Photo by Paul Ward Photography
T he Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) will proudly celebrate its 20th year anniversary in 2020. The festival is a 3-week showcase of international cinema that broadly explores themes of identity, history and culture. It is Atlanta’s single largest film festival and one of the largest Jewish film festivals in the world. The festival was founded by the Atlanta Regional Office of the American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy organization enhancing the wellbeing of Jewish people and Israel through education, outreach, and diplomacy. The festival is now an independent non-profit arts organization, but it continues an active partnership with the American Jewish Committee. The festival uses the power of film to entertain and educate, while challenging perspectives on complex and challenging issues facing the Jewish and world community alike. Since its transition to an independent nonprofit organization in 2014, AJFF has prioritized expanding and diversifying programming beyond the annual festival to include a year-round calendar of events that each attract distinctive audiences. Regardless of age, faith, or background, the festival offers something for everyone The 2000 inaugural edition welcomed nearly 2k filmgoers. In 2010, its tenth birthday, the festival celebrated with a concert of iconic Jewish film scores in partnership with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Turner Classic Movies. Attendance continued to grow over the years, with the festival exhibiting over 70 narrative and documentary features and shorts,
expanding to twenty-three days in a half dozen metro Atlanta venues. In 2015, AJFF made history by becoming one of the largest Jewish film festivals in the world, attracting nearly 40k filmgoers. Kenny Blank, AJFF Executive Director was kind enough to sit down with us. HOW DID THE AJFF EVOLVE INTO BEING ATLANTA’S SINGLE LARGEST FILM FESTIVAL AND NOW ONE OF THE LARGEST JEWISH FILM FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD? Atlanta is a diverse city with cultural consumers seeking unique and enriching experiences. We offer cinematic stories from around the globe that you can’t see anywhere else. I attribute our success to a hunger for truly transporting entertainment and access to a world- class festival right here at home. Audiences today want movies that will delight, challenge, provoke, transform, inform. AJFF delivers that. WITH THE UNFORTUNATE RISE OF ANTI-SEMITISM AT THE MOMENT, WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THE ATLANTA COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD? Recent anti-Semitic attacks and a resurgence of hate speech are horrible reminders that efforts to combat bigotry are never-ending and needed now more than ever. AJFF’s mission to inspire new levels of social and cultural understanding through film fosters the best of what humanity holds dear.
www.ajff.org
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