As a prelude to its 2017 film festival to be held March 19 to April 2, the New Jersey Jewish Film Festival is offering a special screening at the Maurice Levin Theatre at JCC MetroWest, 760 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, on Saturday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m.

Directed by Avi Nesher, “Past Life” tracks the daring 1970s odyssey of two sisters—an introverted classical musician and a rambunctious scandal-sheet journalist—as they unravel a shocking wartime mystery that has cast a dark shadow on their entire lives.

Since its release in 2016, the film has been shown at film festivals around the world, including New York, Atlanta, Miami and Toronto. Critics have called it “profoundly moving,” “gripping” and “[a] polished period piece…consistently pleasing to eye and ear.”

Tickets for “Past Life” are $13 in advance and $15 at the door; senior and student tickets are $11. To purchase tickets—or to find out more about the upcoming film festival—contact www.jccmetrowest.org/njjff online or call Carol Berman, festival director, at 973-530-3421.

Founded by Livingston residents Caren and Herb Ford, the New Jersey Jewish Film Festival (NJJFF) has been an important event for film enthusiasts in Essex, Morris, Union County and beyond for the last 16 years. Its unique selection of feature films, documentaries and shorts from around the world has fostered the growth of Jewish identity, culture and community, and has offered engaging Jewish programming to the region. The festival prides itself on presenting a large number of premieres, often accompanied by discussion with filmmakers and other experts.