Twelve movies from Europe, Israel, the United States and Canada make their Atlantic Canada debut in the eighth annual Atlantic Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) in a hybrid model of in-person and virtual screenings.
The festival opens on November 21 with a virtual screening of Greener Pastures. Nominated for twelve Israeli Academy Award nominations, it tells the story of a widower forced by his family to move to a nursing home, where he decides to sell cannabis to his fellow residents.
AJFF presents an in-person screening of Here We Are at Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane on the same evening. The winner of four Israeli Academy Awards, the film tells the story of Aharon and his dedication to his autistic son, Uri. The screening will include special guest speaker Cynthia Carroll, executive director of Autism Nova Scotia.
Closing out the festival is Kiss Me Kosher. Screening in-person at Pier 21 on November 21, the Israeli-German romcom is described as a subversive love story between clashing cultures and families where chaos follows two generations of Israeli women who fall for a German woman and a Palestinian man.
Other notable films include Adventures of a Mathematician, the story of Polish immigrant Stan Ulam, and Powder Keg, based on actual events following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris. In addition, the festival’s popular shorts program returns with four films, including The Mohel from Nova Scotian filmmaker Charles Wahl.
The 8th annual Atlantic Jewish Film Festival runs from November 18 to 21. In addition to the in-person screenings this year, audiences can watch the 2021 films on multiple digital platforms from within Atlantic Canada. Visit www.ajff.ca for tickets and more information.