Denver’s Jewish Film Festival opens next Thursday, Jan. 22, with a lineup of 40 productions ranging from full-length features to shorts and documentaries portraying Jewish culture, history, and issues.

The annual Denver festival, entering its 30th season, draws thousands of viewers from every faith and background, said Tim Campbell, program director at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center.

“The films we bring are often not found on the big screen in Denver or even in Colorado, providing a unique experience,” Campbell said in a preview statement.

The series, to run through Feb. 2, will include feature films such as “The Ring,” described by producers as “dramedy” following the experiences of a holocaust survivor’s family (opening night, Jan. 22); and “Kissifum” (Jan. 31), a drama set around young Israeli army recruits during the 1973 Yom Kippur War and during a 1977 visit to Israel by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

Several features have lighter themes, including “Full Support” (Jan. 26) — set in a Tel-Aviv bra shop, described as a “women’s love-hate affair with their bosom buddies.” The festival will also screen a rom-com, “31 Candles” (Jan. 29), that follows a Jewish film director who makes Christmas movies, who opts to have a bar mitzvah at age 31, navigating his relationships, exes, and family.

SOUL ON FIRE

Also included is the documentary “Soul on Fire” (Jan. 25), exploring the life of Elie Wiesel, holocaust survivor and activist who died in 2016. As this year’s festival Fred and Audrey Friedman Marcus Lecture, the film will be followed by a live session with the film’s director, Oren Rudavsky.

Films are shown at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center, part of the Jewish Community Center at 350 S. Dahlia Street at Leetsdale in Denver. An online catalog of films and events with times and titles is at jccdenver.org.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students/seniors, or $170 for a 10-ticket pass. They can be purchased at the box office from noon until 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesday-through-Friday, or one hour before events. Or visit tickets.jccdenver.org/djff.