The Youngstown Area Jewish Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with a six-film lineup.
Myra Benedikt, coordinator of the festival with Pam Palumbo, said the film selection committee watched about 20 movies to assemble this year's lineup, and she and Palumbo watched more than that.
''We try to get a cross section of feature films and documentaries,'' Benedikt said. ''We look at what we've shown in the past and try to diversify our offerings.''
Because of the festival's connection wit the Youngstown State University Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies, they try to feature at least one Holocaust documentary.
''We also like to get something lighter,'' she said. ''This year, I don't know if we have anything really light, but there is a comedic element to some of the films.''
Saul Friedman, founder of the Judaic and Holocaust Studies program, will be honored at a post-film reception on Sept. 13 for an on-campus screening of his documentary ''Ash and Smoke: The Holocaust of Salonika.''
In this year's lineup, Benedikt said she expects the documentary ''Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story'' to be a big draw.
''It will attract people interested in history, and it's a very interesting documentary,'' she said.
This year's schedule is:
Sept. 6 - ''Kaddish for a Friend,'' the story of a Russian Jewish World War II veteran and a Palestinian teen who form an unlikely friendship. This is the debut film by Russian-born German filmmakers Leo Khasin, and the film won the audience award at Boston and Washington, D.C., Jewish film festivals. (7 p.m. at USA Cinema, 930 Great East Plaza, Niles)
Sept. 9 - ''Brothers,'' a drama about two estranged Jewish brothers who meet again in Israel after years of silence. The religious brother, a lawyer and Torah scholar in New York, comes to Jerusalem to defend a group of Yeshiva students who refuse to enter military service. Winner of the Best Feature Film prize at the San Diego Jewish Film Festival. (7 p.m. at Temple El Emeth, 3970 Loganway, Youngstown)
Sept. 12 - ''Nicky's Family,'' a documentary about Sir Nicholas Winston, who was the brains and organizational force behind the Czech Kindertransport that saved 669 children in the first six months of 1939. Winner of the Audience Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. (7 p.m. at USA Cinema)
Sept. 13 - ''Ash and Smoke: The Holocaust of Salonika,'' a documentary directed by the Saul Friedman, founder of the Judaic and Holocaust Studies program at Youngstown State University. The film looks at the Greek city where 56,500 Jewish citizens lived at the start of World War II. By December 1944, only three Jews remained. This is a free screening, and it will be followed by a dessert reception honoring Friedman. (7 p.m. in room 132 of Youngstown State University's DeBartolo Hall).
Sept. 20 - ''Mabul (The Flood),'' a critically acclaimed Israeli drama about a boy and his dysfunctional family as they struggle to stay afloat amidst crisis. ''Mabul'' was nominated for six Israeli Academy Awards and won Best Film honors at the Haifa and Berlin international film festivals. (7 p.m. at USA Cinema)
Sept. 23 - ''Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story,'' a documentary about a rescue mission to save Israeli hostages from Arab terrorists at the Entebbe, Uganda, airport that was led by Yoni Netanyahu, older brother of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was named Best Documentary at the Palm Beach International Film Festival and the 2012 Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, and it earned Best of the Fest honors at Palm Beach and the Charleston Film Festival. (7 p.m. at Temple El Emeth)
Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and $5 for students for each film. Festival passes are $32 for adults, $28 for seniors and $20 for students. Tickets are available online at www.ysu.edu/judaic. For more information, call the Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies office at Youngstown State University at 330-941-1603.