This year’s offerings are all in English — a first in the long history of the festival, said Bill Wallen, former executive director of the federation who now serves as board vice president and volunteers on the film selection committee. When the festival first started, films that had Jewish characters or tied in with Jewish culture were more difficult to find.

That’s changed as Jewish-related content abounds. What hasn’t changed is the dual mission to entertain and educate about the Jewish way of life, its history and rich culture.

“Now films are being made all over the world — throughout Europe, Asia, Israel and Brazil. The film industry is really worldwide and there’s no problem finding a film with Jewish content. Now, the problem is which films do we choose,” Wallen said.

Former federation members and relatives of members who have moved away from Altoona often send recommendations about films from other Jewish film festivals.

Kyra Sedgwick (left) and David Paymer perform during a scene from the film, “Bad Shabbos,” which is to be shown on March 6 at the Greater Altoona Jewish Film Festival. Courtesy photo

“We look for films that would be of interest to everyone and would be understood or will be a learning opportunity,” Wallen said.

Two-thirds of festival attendees come from the general community, some from as far away as Huntingdon and Johnstown.

“It’s a nice opportunity to see films you wouldn’t see in regular theaters,” Wallen said. “It’s a nice evening with a friendly group at dinner that has a very welcoming feeling. Many attendees have made the festival a family tradition and others have been coming every year. At the dinner, you will spot old and new friends — That’s the community-building. People stay after the film and talk to each other. It’s really an opportunity to be together.”

A pre-movie meal is available for $20 per person. A reservation is required by the Monday preceding the Thursday film.

As is the festival’s tradition, the first film in the series celebrates how Jews and Blacks have worked together for Civil Rights. The series starts Feb. 20 with a documentary entitled “Spiritual Audacity” about the life of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Rabbi Heschel served as a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, was a leading critic of the Vietnam War, a champion for Soviet Jews and a pioneer in the work of interfaith dialogue. He is described as one of the most remarkable and inspiring figures of the American 20th Century.

Heschel was known for saying that Jews need to take a leap of action rather than a leap of faith, Wallen recounted. “It’s a universal message for any time but particularly now.”

On Feb. 27, the comedic film “No Name Restaurant” will be shown. Set in Alexandria, Egypt, the plot focuses on trying to save the synagogue of the once largest Jewish community in the world from being shut down. Its fate rests with Ben, an ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn Jew visiting Jerusalem. He is sent out to be the desperately needed tenth man for the ceremonies of Pesach. Will Ben save the day?

This year, two films tie in with Jewish holidays — the weekly shabbat or sabbath celebrated weekly and the holy day of Purim.

The film, “Bad Shabbos,” on March 6 is a romantic comedy starring Kyra Sedgwick, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, David Paymer, Milana Vayntrub, Jon Bass, Meghan Leathers, Catherine Curtin and Ashley Zukerman.

At the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, this offbeat comedy was the Audience Award Winner. When two couples — Abby and Benjamin, and David and Meg (freshly converted to Judaism) — gather for a traditional Shabbat dinner, things spiral faster than you can say “hamotzi” when an accidental death (or…murder?) derails the evening entirely, and Meg’s devoutly Catholic parents are due any moment to meet David’s very Jewish family. Before you know it, Shabbat becomes a comedy of biblical proportions.

To coincide with the movie’s theme, Wallen said the dinner served before the movie that night will be a typical Friday night dinner consisting an appetizer of Matzo or Matzah Ball Soup — ‘ a chicken soup filled with dumplings made out of matzo meal (crushed unleavened bread), eggs, chicken fat (or another fat or oil), and broth, chicken and potatoes, and a vegetable.

“We’ll talk about the Shabbat celebration at the dinner,” he said.

The final film in the series, “Red Sea Diving Resort,” is on March 13.

It coincides with Purim, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of an official of the Achaemenid Empire named Haman, as it is recounted in the Book of Esther.

Dinner guests will enjoy hamentashen, jam-filled, triangular cookies named for Haman, the villain in the Book of Esther account.

Inspired by true events, the film depicts Operation Brothers, a mission which ran from 1979 to 1984 and is credited with saving the lives of thousands of Ethiopian Jews.

Rescuers use the hotel as a cover for smuggling refugees to the East African Coast and then onward by boat to safety and a new life in Israel.

Each movie night begins with dinner at the Agudath Achim Social Hall, 1306 17th St., Altoona. The dinner costs $20, the film is $5 or both for $25.

“It’s the best bargain in town. It’s a full dinner with an appetizer, dinner, and dessert. The movie for $5 includes popcorn and drinks.”