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Grab the Popcorn!
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival returns Jan. 24
The 18 th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
(AJFF) returns Jan. 24 for 23 days of movies.
More than 70 narratives and documentaries
representing more than 25 countries are on the
roster, which will be released in full on Jan. 4.
Tickets go on sale Jan. 17 via AJFF.org.
“These are not your typical FFollywood
films, where many times you have a predictable
ending or know the director. While we do show
all genres that moviegoers come to love through
commercial films, part of the delight of AJFF
is the unexpected, the surprise elements, and
buying into an experience and enduring this
journey not knowing exactly where it will take
you,” said Kenny Blank, executive director of
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
Some of the already announced movies
include “Bombshell: The FFedy Lamarr Story”
and “The Cakemaker,” both of which received
multiple awards at previous festivals; “An
i Act of Defiance,” where Dutch filmmaker
Jean van de Velde explores Nelson Mandela
and the segregation era of South Africa; a 25th anniversary screening
of “Schindler’s List;” and for the holiday season, the musical “Dreaming of a Jewish
Christmas.” Screenings will include discussions and the opportunities to socialize with
filmmakers, celebrity guests, community leaders and other experts.
Blank added, “This experience is so different from the conventional festivals; we are
diving into the subject matter of these films because, for our audience, the subject matter
is just as important as the film artistry. We get into many important topics, timely issues,
and current and historical events that need some unpacking and exploration, and perhaps
further expertise and context. Just as often as we have filmmakers engaged in the Q&As,
we also have academics or authors who have written on the subject and who bring further
perspective.’ na
The Studio
Arts & Culture
Into the Groove
Poet and author Amena Brown discusses her new music-inspired book
By Collin Kelley
A tlanta author and poet Amena
Brown is an unabashed lover of vinyl
records. While vinyl has made a
decidedly big comeback in the last
few years, Brown held on to her collection
from the 80s and has continued to add to it
by frequent visits to local record shops. Her
love of music and pop culture also helped
define her latest book, “HowTo Fix A Broken
Record: Thoughts on Vinyl Records, Awkward
Relationships and Learning to Be Myself.”
The “memoir-esque” book, out now
from Zondervan/Harper Collins, mixes all
of Brown’s touchstones: music, her faith and
poetry. She credits her father as the impetus behind the book.
“I was talking to my dad about some issues I was having and he said I was stuck like a
needle in the groove of a record, constantly repeating,” Brown recalled. “I was stuck in the
groove and needed to pick up the needle and skip ahead. It made me start thinking about
how many other broken records I had in my life.”
While “HowTo Fix A Broken Record” offers up an inspiration and guidance for those
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who need to get unstuck,
Brown uses her own
life story to propel the
book, writing candidly
about growing up,
her belief in God,
finding love and her
marriage. And, of course, about music.
“Music informed how I grew up and continue to grow,” Brown
said, noting that the first record she ever bought for herself was Stevie
Wonder’s seminal “Songs in the Key of Life.”
You can often find Brown flipping through the wax at Sunbrimmer
Record in Avondale Estates, Moods Music and Wax ‘n Facts, both in
Little Five Points.
Brown also remains active in the city’s spoken word poetry scene,
hosting a regular open mic at Urban Grind and returning to her
stomping grounds at Java Monkey Speaks at the Decatur coffeehouse on Sunday nights. She
said attending open mics not only helped hone her own voice, but also helped make her a
better listener when it comes to other people’s stories.
“I believe you should do more listening than talking,” Brown said. “Poetry and spoken
word is being part of something bigger than yourself — it’s a communal experience.”
The stories she tells in “How To Fix A Broken Record” were a long time coming. “I had
to learn to be vulnerable in the work,” she said. “It took me a long time to understand the
value of my voice and to tell these stories.”
For more information, visit amenabrown.com. m
SAT, JAN 20 / 8 PM
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It may take two to tango, but
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The Tango Fire Dance Company
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30 January 2018 I DU
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