The editors of Encyclopedia Britannica define a film festival as a ‘gathering, usually annual, for the purpose of evaluating new or outstanding motion pictures. Sponsored by national or local governments, industry, service organizations, experimental film groups, or individual promoters, the festivals provide an opportunity for filmmakers, distributors, critics, and other interested persons to attend film showings and meet to discuss current artistic developments in film.’

Since August of 1932, when the Italian city of Venice unveiled the very first film festival, there has been a steady increase in worldwide platforms, with a current estimate of more than 500 taking place each year; from the juggernauts of Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, and Toronto to the more intimate events in Macau, Kyiv, Cairo or Cartagena.

Even with all these opportunities, there was a prevalent sentiment that programming had neglected certain creative voices. Proactive organizers seized the moment to focus on specific groups and themes, giving filmmakers who might otherwise be disenfranchised by the larger festivals to have a showcase for their work. Soon, festivals dedicated to the work of LGBTQ, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, and women began to thrive.

One such festival is the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF), a cinematic exploration of Jewish experience, culture, and history that highlights not only life in Israel but the work of Jewish artists, particularly where these stories intersect with other communities. Founded in the year 2000 by the Atlanta Regional Office of American Jewish Committee (AJC), the inaugural edition of the AJFF welcomed some 1,900+ filmgoers. That number grew to more than 7,500 by 2006, the same year that AJFF received a prestigious grant from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The following year, AJFF began a robust expansion of dates and venues, seating some 15,000 by 2008 to more than 40,000 in recent years.

Currently, the festival is under the guidance of Executive Director Kenny Blank, who received his BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and previously worked as the executive producer of morning news for NBC affiliate WXIA-TV, where he received an Emmy award for managing breaking news coverage, as well as a producer with Savannah NBC affiliate WSAV-TV, where he won an Associated Press award for special coverage. Blank sat down with the HFPA to talk about the 2022 edition of the festival and how it fits into the greater landscape of highlighting cinematic work of all possibilities.

There is a myriad of film festivals around the world. How did you come to the initial consensus that Atlanta would benefit from having its own?

With what some might say is an over-saturated market, film festivals today must demonstrate their relevance and distinctiveness. With such a broad offering of international cinema, there’s really nothing else like AJFF in Atlanta. In a city that so beautifully represents cultural diversity and the values of civil rights and social justice. Our programming certainly takes on added resonance with audiences, enhanced by the perspective of local expert speakers who bring deeper context and community connection to these cinematic stories.

We are seeing many festivals specialize. That is, highlighting content that focuses on culture, ethnicity, race, sexuality, or gender. Has this given the opportunity for some films to have a showcase they otherwise might not have? Is there a network with other cities involved in that programming?

We live in a time of heightened sensitivity and awareness to issues of race, gender, sexual identity, and ethnicity. The tenets of representation and inclusion have frankly been part of this festival’s mission since its inception, in 2000, when we embraced the concept of “building bridges of understanding through film.” The stories and topics presented at AJFF are told through a Jewish lens but are absolutely universal. A typical festival lineup includes the national cinema of over a dozen different countries, with intersectionality a theme throughout. Some 25% of AJFF moviegoers identify as non-Jewish, a testament to our ability to showcase these films beyond our core Jewish audience.

What is your process for selecting films? Do you accept submissions, or do you attend other festivals and select from their content?

Each year, we convene a committee of film enthusiasts from different backgrounds and perspectives to evaluate film entries from around the world. Our lineup is curated from over 500 titles that come to us through a combination of open submissions and films that our programmers identify from other festivals worldwide. This process ensures a well-rounded collection of films that mirror community interests and tastes as a whole and include titles that speak to all audiences, in which the Jewish relevance may be explicit or implicit.

How involved has the local community been with the festival? Does the festival live outside of the screening rooms?

Our AJFF community is one of the most fervent and passionate groups out there, supporting us every step of the way. Some 250 volunteers are engaged in every aspect of festival planning, from film selection to fundraising, community outreach, and marketing. Fiscally, the organization is generously supported by both corporate sponsors and foundations but, also, significantly from individual audience members who have an enormous sense of ownership and pride in this festival. We simply couldn’t ask for a better base of community support.

AJFF has seen tremendous growth in terms of, not only films and speakers but, also, attendance. How else would you like to see things evolve?

We’re building for the future, embracing new technologies to enhance our streaming options, expanding our donor database, growing our digital and social media presence, and so much more. The size and skillsets of our professional team have also evolved to support this growth. The way audiences experience a film festival, and movies, in general, is being transformed by the pandemic. AJFF seeks to ensure we are well-positioned to adapt and innovate, furthering our reach and impact with new audiences while strengthening our industry relevance and thought leadership.

Who is your dream ‘get’ in terms of special guest or speaker?

My hope is that our eventual return to theaters will be a fervent and profound moment, which reminds audiences what they loved about the moviegoing experience and reminds filmmakers of the importance of those viewers. Through this mutual desire for connection, AJFF looks forward to bringing artists and audiences back together again soon. That includes the extraordinary filmmakers from around the world who may not be household names but are crafting cinematic stories of exceptional intelligence, beauty, and sophistication; as well as the Hollywood icons that we continue to admire for their contributions to preserving the American Jewish experience on film.