Entering its 19th consecutive year, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival kicked off its 21-day festival on February 6 with Opening Night at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. With more than 1,600 people in attendance, the night featured a pre-show reception for sponsors and members that included bites crafted by some of Atlanta’s finest chefs, followed by the Atlanta premiere of “Shoelaces,” nominated for eight Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Film. The festival returns this year through February 26 with 180 screenings and more than 70 narratives and documentaries from 24 countries, and expects to attract around 40,000 moviegoers. The annual event seeks to enrich the moviegoer experience by presenting special guest speakers before and after select screenings. A variety of filmmakers, academics, authors, critics, and other experts engage with the audience during introductory remarks and post-film Q&A sessions, at no additional cost. More details about this year’s festival, including the full film schedule, can be found at AJFF.org.
Photography by Donald Felice, Vaughn Gittens, Paul Ward, Ronisha Smith
