10 Festival Films Set for Encores

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has chosen eight narrative films and two documentaries for encore showings Wednesday, Feb. 17, the final day of the 16th annual festival.

Seven of the 10 movies had the maximum five screenings scheduled during the festival, reflecting organizers’ anticipation that they would be hot tickets.

Roy Assaf and Moran Rosenblatt star in “Wedding Doll.”

The choice of the encore films is based on popular demand within the limitations set by filmmakers and distributors. The 10 films:

“Atomic Falafel,” an Israeli farce about potential nuclear war with Iran, extremely spicy street food, and the heroic efforts of a few teenagers to save the world for hip-hop. After five scheduled screenings, the encore shows are at 1:35 p.m. at UA Tara Cinemas 4 and 6:40 p.m. at Lefont Sandy Springs.
“East Jerusalem West Jerusalem,” the documentary about the making of David Broza’s Israeli-Palestinian album of the same name. The film played only twice in one night, followed each time by a Broza performance. Without Broza, the movie returns at 9:05 p.m. at Lefont. (Review)
“Fire Birds,” another Israeli comedy, this time revolving around a burned-out, divorced, son-of-survivors cop as he plunges into the survivor social scene to investigate an apparent murder. A five-timer during the festival, it’s playing at 11 a.m. at Tara and 6:30 p.m. at Lefont.
“A Grain of Truth,” an edge-of-your-seat Polish murder mystery in which an outcast investigator tries to solve a series of ritualistic slayings without giving in to the town’s obsession with the blood libel. After five screenings, it returns at 1:35 p.m. at Lefont.
“The Grüninger File,” a drama based on the real-life story of a Swiss border police captain who risked everything to smuggle Jewish refugees across the border from Austria and protect them. If you missed the four screenings, you can catch it at 1:45 p.m. at Lefont.
“The Kind Words,” the melodramatic and often humorous quest of three Israeli siblings to find their real father in France after their mother’s unexpected death. It had five festival screenings and returns at 11 a.m. at Lefont and 8:40 p.m. at Tara. (Review)
“The Midnight Orchestra,” another story of a grown Israeli’s return to the family’s old country to get to know his father, in this case after the father’s death in his native Morocco, where he had been a famous musician. After five screenings, it shows at 4:05 p.m. at Lefont. (Review)
“The People vs. Fritz Bauer,” a biopic of the Jewish prosecutor in Germany who defied his own country to help catch Adolph Eichmann. After its fifth sold-out screening Feb. 16, it is showing at 6:05 p.m. at Tara and 8:55 p.m. at Lefont.
“Wedding Doll,” the bittersweet story of a young woman (acclaimed Moran Rosenblatt) with special needs who hopes to find independence and love at a toilet paper factory. After five screenings, it’s back at 3:50 p.m. at Tara and 4:15 p.m. at Lefont.
“What Our Fathers Did: A Nazi Legacy,” a surprising documentary about the very different opinions two sons of Nazi war criminals hold about their fathers. Like the Broza film, this had only two scheduled screenings; its third is at 11:10 a.m. at Lefont. (Review)

Tickets for the encore screenings are $13, available at ajff.org, via 678-701-6104 (with a $2.50 service fee per order) or at the festival box office during shows.

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