“Building bridges of understanding” is the unspoken model that the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival stands by. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is the largest film festival in the state of Georgia and attracts projects from all over the world. Each year 600 films are viewed, but only a few are selected. 60 films are selected to be more precise.
Taking place from February 8th through the 21st, this year marks a return to the festival’s in-person format after years of the pandemic.
“The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival was created to inspire diverse communities to new levels of social and cultural understanding by showcasing entertaining and thought-provoking Jewish film, and this showcase is best in theaters, with conversation and context to pique curiosity and share culture. AJFF is not just a film festival for the Jewish community,” Kenny Blank, AJFF Executive Director, said.
He continued, “Our patrons, as well as both past and current volunteers, are hungry for world-class international films, each fostering cross-cultural understanding.”
Marked by several world and U.S premieres, highlights of the festival include, “Israel Swings For Gold,” a documentary about Israel’s participation in the 2020 Olympics.
Another movie at the festival is Exodus 91, a film centered around an Israeli ambassador as he navigates the deceit of politics, bureaucracy, and bigotry to save Ethiopian Jews from a bloody civil war. The story of Operation Solomon is told from the perspective of the chief negotiator for the 15,000 refugee airlift to Israel in May 1991.
Asher Naim, a North African Jew, and his colleagues, as he faces countless challenges that raise questions about Israel’s sincerity in supporting a risky covert mission. Naim’s own convictions and limitations are put to the test as rebel troops draw near the capital of Ethiopia. The interplay between reality and fiction in narrative and diplomacy, as well as in national and cultural identity, is brought into sharp relief using archival video, dramatic reenactments, and a combination of genuine and manufactured interviews.
AJFF’s grand return is set to be an event worthwhile. You can purchase your tickets starting this Friday, January 27th, starting at noon.