At opening night: (front row, l to r) David Jacobs, JCC executive director; Harriet Dobin, festival director; Nicole Greenblatt, co-chair; Paul Feyer, accompanist; Colleen Welsh; Ruth Lazowski, opening night sponsor; (back row, l to r) Dan Hincks, president, Infinity Music Hall; Jeffrey Hoffman, JCC president; and Benson Monastersky, festival co-chair. Photo credit: Sean Fowler.

The March 12-22, 2015 Mandell JCC Hartford Jewish Film Festival closed out its 19th edition with a record 5,500 attendees, sellout crowds and box office smash hits. Winners of the audience awards were “Run Boy Run” for Best Feature, “Above and Beyond: The Birth of the Israeli Air Force” for Best Documentary; and Colleen Welsh as Outstanding Performer, for her performance as Hartford’s ‘Red Hot Mama’ Sophie Tucker on opening night, March 12 at Infinity Music Hall and Bistro. The founders of Israel’s air force were honored a the closing night screening of “Above and Beyond,” along with the American Technion Society, the evening’s sponsors. The 20th edition of the Hartford festival is already penned in on the calendar for March 31 – April 10, 2016. Visit hjff.org for updates.

CAP: At closing night: (l – r) Beth Lakenbach, sponsor and moderator; Gary Greenberg, president, Birken Manufacturing; film director Roberta Grossman; David Jacobs; Cary Lakenbach; Gideon Rutenberg; Nancy Spielberg, producer; Benson Monastersky and Nicole Greenblatt, festival co-chairs; Jeffrey Hoffman; and Ruth Gold, assistant director, American Technion Society New England Region. Photo credit: Stu Levy/Mandell JCC HJFF.