Art festivals can be intimidating affairs in their ambitious attempts to cover a lot of ground. And as exciting as such festivals can be, it can be satisfying as well to find a focus that allows for a very specific perspective on an artistic tradition. The Jewish Arts Festival—sponsored by the I.J. & Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center—has in the past showcased comedy, music and other arts with a culturally specific focus. For 2014, however, the focus is on film, with a wide range of genres and topics covering the Israeli Jewish and Jewish-American experience. Opening night features Under the Same Sun (pictured), a speculative drama that imagines a world after peace has been negotiated between Israel and Palestine. The evening includes catered dinner from Mazza and a post-film Q&A with Susan Koscis from Search for Common Ground. Other highlights of the six-day event include: A Matter of Size, an Israeli comedy about an overweight man trying to make peace with his size by getting involved in sumo wrestling; Do You Believe in Love?, a documentary about a disabled Israeli matchmaker who specializes in finding partners for other disabled people; and closing-night film Make Hummus Not War, a humorous documentary exploration into the culinary history of the chickpea dish as it applies to Middle East politics. Share a hummus tasting after that film to wrap up this cinematic taste of Jewish culture. (Scott Renshaw)