The Greater Altoona Jewish Film Festival will show "The Levys of Monticello" on Feb. 22.

At a time when attacks on Jewish people and acts of antisemitism are at an all-time high in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the 25th annual Greater Altoona Jewish Film Festival may be needed this year more than ever.

Besides, it’s a great deal for dinner and a movie, said Bill Wallen, a representative of the Greater Altoona Jewish Federation, which sponsors the event.

For four nights in February and March, attendees can have dinner and see a quality film for $25 a person, Wallen said.

“We see it as our gift to the community,” he said. “We’ve never raised the ticket prices in 25 years and we include wine, appetizer, entree. It’s a really nice dinner. We just want people to come out and interact with each other and enjoy being together. We see it as a community-building event.”

Almost all of the films have a common theme of antisemitism, shown through various plots in different time periods.

A fourth film takes a different path and offers a lighthearted comedy.

The films are all chosen by a committee of the local Jewish Federation, of which Wallen is a member.

“We get suggestions from friends and family all over the country,” he said.

The idea for the film festival came from representatives from the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, which suggested a festival would fill a void where there was a lack of other cultural events happening during the time after Christmas and before spring. They suggested a film festival based on the success of similar film festivals in other communities.

People have responded well to the idea, filling the seats with a strong showing at past festivals with about one-third from the Jewish community and the rest from the general public, Wallen said.

This year’s films include:

— “The Levys of Monticello,” a documentary about the prominent Jewish family that bought Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, after the home had to be sold when Jefferson’s family fell into bankruptcy. The film has two parts. One tells the story of the rescue of the home and the difficulties the family faced because they were Jewish. They were discriminated against because of their faith and society’s notion that the family was not entitled to own a national treasure.

The second part concerns what happened to the slaves who lived at Monticello. Their story coincides with the celebration of National African American Heritage Month in February.

Wallen said the choice of the film was intentional because of the dual emphasis on the Jews and the African Americans, as they both had difficulties in America.

“We looked at ones that can both interest and reflect on the African American and the Jewish populations and show some of the same problems that each faced in the United States,” Wallen said.

The same night that “The Levys of Monticello” will be shown, attendees will also see a short film by local film creator Casey Rispoli — “selah” about a settlement of Black Jewish people from America in Israel. (See related story).

— The next film, “The Boy in the Woods,” is based on a true story. It’s about Maxwell Smart, a Canadian who survived the Holocaust.

“It’s a beautifully done film about his survival in the woods and the people who helped him survive,” Wallen said.

Wallen noted that this year, all of the films are in English, unlike in the past when some have been in other languages with subtitles.

— The third film takes a lighter turn with a comedy because some people had asked for a change of pace from the heavier themes.

“Our Almost Completely True Story” features actress Mariette Hartley, has some Jewish characters and shows that “you can find love as senior citizens,” Wallen said.

“It’s a nice comedy and an enjoyable evening,” he said.

— The fourth and final film is a classic, which the film committee always chooses as part of the lineup. This offering is from 1947 and won the Oscar that year for Best Picture.

“Gentleman’s Agreement” has Gregory Peck portraying a magazine journalist who pretends to be Jewish for a story assignment to experience firsthand antisemitism and through the experiences of a friend.

“The theme of antisemitism is just as valid now as it was then,” Wallen said.

People shouldn’t be nervous about attending the film festival because the film committee has made arrangements for security concerns, Wallen said.

“We want people to be comfortable,” he said. “There are concerns about safety these days so we do have security at both the theater and the dinner.”

With security concerns addressed, Wallen encouraged everyone to come out for a night of food and film, to meet a new friend and help strengthen the bridge in the community by attending the film festival.

“People really need to understand each other and not back off into their individual corners and keep with their own groups,” he said. “This is a really good opportunity to meet other people from other groups. There are all kinds of things to learn and explore and that’s really what this festival is all about.”

The film festival runs from Feb. 22 to March 14. The meal will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Agudath Achim Social Hall, 1306 17th St., Altoona. Films begin at 7 p.m. at the Penn State Devorris Downtown Center, 1431 12th Ave., Altoona.

Dinner is $20 per person and includes appetizers, dinner and dessert. Film donation is $5 per person, students are free. Dinner reservations are required and can be made by sending an email to altoonafed@gmail.com.

If you go

What: Greater Altoona Jewish Film Festival

When: Thursdays, Feb. 22, “The Levys of Monticello” and “selah”; Feb. 29, “Boy in the Woods”; March 7, “Our Almost Completely True Story”; March 14, “Gentleman’s Agreement.”

Where: Dinner served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Agudath Achim Social Hall, 1306 17th St. Films begin at 7 p.m. at the Penn State Devorris Downtown Center, 1431 12th Ave., Altoona.

Cost: Dinner is $20 per person and includes appetizers, dinner and dessert. Film donation is $5 per person, students are free.

Reservations: Reservations are required and can be made by sending an email to altoonafed@gmail.com or call the Federation Office at 814-515-1182.