Specially honored films screened during the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival will return for an encore performance March 5 after winning audience awards in three categories.
Some 37,000 visitors watched 202 screenings at the festival, which wrapped up last week. For the first time this year the festival handed out honors: A special jury, assembled by the festival organizers, presented awards in six categories. The festival audiences also chose their favorites in three categories.
The inaugural Audience Award and Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “Fanny’s Journey,” the story of a resourceful girl who leads a band of orphans through Nazi-occupied France. “The Freedom to Marry,” about the struggle for marriage equality, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, and the Audience Award for Best Short Film went to “Joe’s Violin,” the story of a musical instrument that unites a Holocaust survivor and a Bronx schoolgirl.
Those three films, and a few other noted works, will be given an encore screening Sunday, March 5, at GTC Merchants Walk Cinema.
<<Watch the trailer for “Fanny’s Journey” here:
The festival’s Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature went to “Aida’s Secrets,” about the reunion of two long-lost brothers. “Beyond the Mountains and Hills,” concerning a contemporary Israeli family in crisis, won the Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker; “The 90 Minute War,” about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, won the Building Bridges award; “The Freedom to Marry” won the Human Rights award; “The Last Blintz,” which chronicles the closing of an iconic New York deli, won the Shorts Award for best short film.
The jury award winners were chosen by a panel of filmmakers, journalists and experts. The encore presentation will take place Sunday, March 5, at GTC Merchants Walk Cinema, 1301 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta. See the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival website for times and prices.
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