AJFF Wraps Another Successful Festival
Plans for a 25th anniversary concert in October were announced during closing night program.
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival completed its 16-day run in six local theaters Wednesday evening, March 6, with a premiere screening of the Brazilian dramatic comedy, “Cheers To Life.” It was an uplifting tale of personal discovery told against the backdrop of some stunning vistas of Israel’s outdoors — and just one of 50 impressive and carefully curated selections that made up the AJFF’s final roster.
There were several sold-out showings during this 25th anniversary celebration. At a time when even Hollywood blockbusters are having difficulty luring audiences to theaters showing it was proof, if any was needed, that the AJFF is still one of the most ambitious and culturally relevant events of its kind in America.
And for the many fans of the AJFF, there’s more to come in this anniversary year. The president of the AJFF’s Board of Directors, Dina Gerson, and James Anderson, incoming president, announced from the festival stage that the organization was partnering with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Turner Classic Movies to present a concert of great film music next fall.
The program, which is scheduled for Oct. 20 in Symphony Hall of the Woodruff Arts Center, will be hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, who also introduces many of TCM’s Hollywood classics. Mankiewicz described the concert as an “extraordinary celebration of film and music” that will be made up of “iconic scenes from Jewish cinema performed live.”
“That’s a night you don’t want to miss,” he said, in a video presentation recoded for the AJFF closing. “No tuxedo required, just a love for great movies, unforgettable music and some kvelling. And maybe just a little kvetching, too.”
It’s an encore presentation of an event that celebrated the AJFF’s 10th anniversary in 2010 and continuation of the festival with one of America’s leading symphony orchestras. The executive director of the ASO, Jennifer Barlament, was enthusiastic about the relationship that has developed with the symphony.
“We are honored to partner with AJFF as they celebrate 25 years of impact on the Atlanta community. Just as the harmony of music and drama heightens the emotion of all great films, this event — uniting two of Atlanta’s cultural leaders — will create an unforgettable evening.”
The closing night program also included the announcement of the films that were chosen by juries of film critics and professionals in six categories.
The top award for narrative feature film went to “Pink Lady,” from the veteran Israel director Nir Bergman, which dramatized the story of a young ultra-Orthodox couple in Jerusalem’s tightly knit religious community. It was a sensitive portrayal of the stress that nearly overcomes the marriage when the wife learns that her husband is being blackmailed by the threatened exposure of compromising photographs taken by his male Torah study partner.
The jury prize for best documentary was given to “Riefenstahl,” about the Nazi film propagandist, Leni Riefenstahl. The production by the German filmmaker Andres Veiel debunks Riefenstahl’s attempts after World War II to distance herself from Naziism and to play down her status as one of Adolf Hitler’s favorites.
Tom Nesher, whose semi-autobiographical “Come Closer” was chosen as Best Director at last year’s Ophir Awards, given by Israel’s Academy of Film and Television, was honored as emerging filmmaker. The 28-year-old daughter of Israel’s legendary film maker, Avi Nesher, was one of the guests at this year’s festival.
Rounding out the prizes was “Sapir,” another Israeli film about a transgender soccer referee, which was chosen for the Human Rights Award; “Ain’t No Back To A Merry-Go-Round,” a documentary about Black and Jewish Relations in the 1960s; and “The Sacred Society,” about Jewish burial rituals for Best Short Film.
The continuing popularity of the well-financed and well-supported AJFF that has filled Atlanta theaters for the past quarter century defies the trend in recent years to abandon theatrical screenings for virtual presentations on the Internet. Today, recent surveys have shown that 90 percent of today’s entertainment is consumed in the home, virtually, with scant regard for communal gatherings like the AJFF.
In recognition of that trend, the festival extended the screenings of 21 of its films to virtual shows from March 7-16, as well as adding the three programs of shorts that were shown in theaters. But with this year’s success behind it and more to come in the months ahead, the AJFF is doubling down on bringing audiences back to personally experience great productions in person. The impact of the AJFF, as Kenny Blank, AJFF Artistic and Executive Director, points out, has never been greater.
“The 25th anniversary of AJFF was more than a celebration of film — it was a defining moment for our organization, reaffirming the power of storytelling to connect communities, spark dialogue, and inspire change.”
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