AJFF Presents Encore Screening Of 'Heading Home'

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival will celebrate the opening of the new Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center with an encore presentation of "Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel," a stirring, family-friendly story of sports, patriotism and personal identity.

This special film event will be presented at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19 in the Byers Theatre at City Springs, and include special guest speakers and an Atlanta Braves fan experience and giveaways, as well as ballpark-themed food truck eats on the City Green. Tickets are available for $18 and can be purchased here.

Kenny Blank, AJFF’s executive director, said the Performing Arts Center gives the Sandy Springs community "an inspiring focal point for cultural life," and provides a new anchor location for the Film Festival.

“We look forward to not only our Aug. 19 collaboration, but a greater partnership around our annual film festival in 2019 and beyond," Blank added.

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An audience favorite at the 2018 Film Festival, "Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel" recounts the journey of Israel’s national baseball team and their improbable run in the World Baseball Classic, an underdog tale that captivated sports fans everywhere. After years of defeat, Team Israel finally ranks among the world’s best in 2017, eligible to play in the prestigious international tournament.

Their line-up included several Jewish American Major League players — Ike Davis, Josh Zeid and ex-Braves catcher Ryan Lavarnway — most with a tenuous relationship to Judaism, and never having set foot in Israel. Their odyssey takes them from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem where they are greeted as heroes, to Seoul where they must debunk their has-been, wannabe reputations. As their “Mensch on a Bench” mascot tags along, the team does much soul-searching, discovering the pride of representing Israel on the world stage.

“As we designed the theatre at City Springs, we kept in mind incorporating elements which would create a home for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival," Mayor Rusty Paul said. "The Festival is a first-class celebration of film artistry, connecting broad audiences into a single community of film enthusiasts. As we open City Springs officially, it is exciting to do so with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival as one of our signature offerings.

The 19th Annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival arrives in theaters for 21 days, from Wednesday, Feb. 6 through Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. For more information about the annual festival and other AJFF year-round programs, visit AJFF.org, and stay connected via via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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