The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF), one of the most influential Jewish film festivals in the world, has pivoted to all-virtual programming and reimagined the entirety of its festival, which will take place Feb.17-28. Now, you don’t even have to be in Atlanta because you can watch movies from the comfort and convenience of home via a Virtual Cinema. For those in Atlanta, audiences can also enjoy three nights of drive-in movies at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and The Home Depot Backyard. In addition, there will be in-depth and expanded Q&A conversations, a “Virtual Lobby” to connect with other moviegoers, a curated and custom “Festival-In-A-Box” for Opening Night ticket holders, along with other special experiences.
This year’s line-up includes 38 feature and 16 short films — including three world premieres, eight North American premieres, three U.S. premieres and one world premiere local film. These films were selected from more than 500 films submitted for consideration. The film selection covers a range of genres, with everything from introspective biographies like Howie Mandel: But, Enough About Me; topical themes like On Broadway or Atlanta: The City Too Busy to Wait; side-splitting comedies like Shiva Baby; LGBTQ+ stories like Kiss Me Kosher; powerful dramas such as Asia.
For a full 12 days, AJFF’s diverse lineup of narrative and documentary shorts and features are accessible to viewers from the comfort of home. Powered by CineSend, AJFF’s Virtual Cinema will allow audiences to access the best in Jewish cinema from a smart TV, home theater, tablet, or mobile device. Requiring only a single ticket per film for each household, viewers will have a flexible 48-hour window to watch festival films at their convenience. Each film has a limited capacity of views, so audiences are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance. General admission for virtual screenings is $16/household ($14 early bird pricing), and for special events, which include Opening and Closing Night, admission is $36/household.
Other virtual experiences include expanded Q&A offerings featuring filmmakers, actors and experts. A record number of filmmakers, actors and other guest speakers will partake in Q&A programs, recorded especially for AJFF audiences and accessible to watch online throughout the 12 days of the festival.
In addition the AJFF is launching a “Virtual Lobby,” featuring a series of lunchtime Zoom sessions for the community of moviegoers to join a facilitated discussion, taking a deeper dive into five conversation-starting films of the festival.
To enhance the at-home viewing experience, ticket holders to Opening Night will receive a specially curated “Festival-In-A-Box.” Full of fun comfort items to help create a perfect, stay-at-home viewing experience, the box is full of tasty and cozy surprises.
www.AFJJ.org
