Oct 14, 2025
ASO Pops conductor Stuart Chafetz will lead the orchestra at the AJFF 25th Gala Concert.
Although the 25th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) took place way back in February, Executive and Artistic Director Kenny Blank knew he wanted to do something additional later in the year to cap such a significant season. Back in 2010, the Festival collaborated with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) on a concert with scores from classic Hollywood films, paying tribute to the legacy of Jewish music in movies such as Yentl, Exodus, Life is Beautiful and Driving Miss Daisy. The event was so successful that Blank decided to bring it back for something of a 2025 encore. Teaming again with Turner Classic Movies (TCM), the AJFF 25th Gala Concert takes place on October 20 at the ASO, with mostly an all-new array of music.
Some of the songs and scores that will be performed are Jerry Brock’s “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof, Jule Styne’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl, Vangelis’ Chariots of Fire title track and John Williams’ Oscar-winning music from Schindler’s List.
Both musically and cinematically, Blank feels the lineup is diverse. His main objective in working with ASO Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz was that the offerings be accessible. “I think a lot of people think about film scores or orchestral music, and they think that is something that is rarified and not for (them). This is something for all audiences — anyone who loves these iconic Hollywood films. This is music we all know and love.”
Going in, however, Blank knew he did not want this to be all Holocaust films or one specific genre. As such, other selections include the jazz-infused title track from John Kander and Fred Ebb’s Cabaret, the James Horner ballad “Somewhere Out There” from the animated film An American Tail and a tribute to Mel Brooks and his longtime music collaborator and composer John Morris.
“When you think of the genre of great Jewish movies, comedy is such a cornerstone of that, and there is no greater artist in that genre than Mel Brooks,” says Blank. “As Spaceballs 2 goes into production, he is 99 and continues an incredible legacy. We wanted to celebrate that.”
Yet it was hard picking the most representative score from Brooks’ body of work. Doing music from The Producers was a given, but the concert also features the main title track from Blazing Saddles, which Blank calls a “wonderfully politically correct film that could probably never get made today.”
As a curator, he also wanted to pick something outside of the mainstream, so he opted for Brooks’ High Anxiety. For Blank, that is one of the director’s underrated classics, with unforgettable scenes and lines and music that are a send-up of Alfred Hitchcock. “I love having this tribute, and having some comedy mixed in with the heavier themes is important.”
The history of Hollywood is filled with iconic Jewish filmmakers and composers, such as Elmer Bernstein, whose Suite from The Ten Commandments is part of the lineup. Yet some non-Jewish composers, such as Williams, have made impressions, according to Blank, and are recognized here. Williams’ theme from Schindler’s List is one of the most requested pieces of concert music/film scores around, and the ASO has performed it before.
While the AJFF is mostly a celebration of international independent film, Blank and his team try to bring in a classic Hollywood film each year that celebrates an anniversary. He feels the concert is an opportunity to lean into the organization’s love of Hollywood film classics and celebrate some of those that they don’t get to screen as part of the annual Festival.
As he did in 2010, TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz will host the event. “He elevates the program,” says Blank. “He has that signature Hollywood perspective and knowledge of film history. His introductions will add some rich context to the significance of the scores. He also brings his sense of humor.”
Vocal performances by Brad Raymond, Deb Bowman and Leigh Ellen Jones will supplement the orchestral work. Blank has also brought in the Temple Choir, under the direction of Cantor Tracey Scher, and the Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir, led by Minister of Worship and the Arts Patrice E. Turner, to help bring to life some of these bigger numbers.
In addition to the onstage talent, many artists have taped introductions to films, including an iconic singer/actress whose video is likely to surprise attendees.
The collaboration with the Woodruff Arts Center, ASO and TCM is a recognition that AJFF has achieved its place in Atlanta’s larger cultural landscape, according to Blank, and is offering a unique kind of event. “We are joining forces with two other iconic institutions to create something really memorable,” he says. “What’s special about this is that I don’t know of any concert like this produced anywhere in the world. We’re the only ones I know of that did it before.”
Where & When
AJFF 25th Gala Concert takes place at 8 p.m. October 20 at Atlanta Symphony Hall.