Typically, there is no predetermined theme to the collection of films shown each year at the International Film Festival of Eastern Connecticut, which kicked off Tuesday and runs through June 3 at various venues in New London, Mystic, and Westerly.

The festival's Gala Opening takes place at 2 p.m. today in New London's Garde Arts Center with a special concert by Boston's 60-member Workman's Circle Yiddish Community Chorus of "Sing Out, Fight Back!," a piece inspired by the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The performance will be followed by screenings, first, of the 2019 Oscar-nominated short "A Night at the Garden," and then the feature-length documentary "Who Will Write Our History," which is about a secret trove of testimonials of various Jewish citizens forced to live in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.

The festival, which is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut, had a soft opening earlier this week with screenings Tuesday of "93Queen" at the B.P. Learned Center in New London and, on Thursday, of "The Cakemaker" at Mystic Luxury Cinemas. Other venues participating include Olin Science Center at Connecticut College in New London and the Granite Theatre in Westerly. (See the complete schedule attached.)

Today's Gala Opening is of course celebratory but, as with last year's selections, the overall tone of the 2019 festival's 10 films ranges from thoughtful and measured to dark and somber.

"We struggled again to at least find a few lighter films, but they just weren't out there. It might well just be a reflection of the times," says Jerry Fischer, executive director of the festival and the federation. "We could of course have shown something like 'The Producers,' but to do it just to have something light didn't seem to fit what we're doing."

The purpose of the festival has always been to capture the entirety and breadth of the Jewish experience, but tensions in the Middle East remain high and the world is still reeling from relentless mass shootings — including at temples in Pittsburgh and San Diego.

"You can see why it would be nice to have something that was pure entertainment, but on the selection committee, we actually had an easier time of it because there were a very limited number of light options," Fischer says. He laughs softly. "We weren't as contentious, and in a way, that took some of the fun out of it. It is interesting if you look at escapist fare these days. Superhero movies. Well, we didn't have any of those. I think our last superheroes were Moses, David, and the Golem."

Fischer pauses a minute, thinking. "On the other hand, this festival has plenty of real-life superheroes, too. And maybe that's more important," he says.

He lists examples from some of the festival's offerings: "The Law," about the real-life Simone Veil, a Jewish woman who championed women's rights in post-World War II France; "Schindler's List," which gets a special Tuesday morning screening for southeastern Connecticut high school students; the group that buried and thus preserved handwritten accounts of the atrocities of the Warsaw Ghetto in "Who Will Write Our History"; and "93Queen," telling the story of the all-female ambulance corps that organized in 2011 to serve and also battle misogyny in Hasidic Brooklyn.

Others in the fest include "The Cakemaker" (German/Israeli, English subtitles, 2017); "Gentleman's Agreement" (USA, English, 1947); "The Last Supper" (Germany, English subtitles, 2018); "Disobedience" (Canada, English, 2018); and "Shoelaces" (Israel, English subtitles, 2018).  

"In the end," Fischer says, "we all recognized that these are tough times, and that's what's reflected in the movies that are available. The important thing is that I do think we have an excellent festival and some provocative and emotionally resonant films." 

If you go

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Admission is $10 for each screening except for "Schindler's List," which is free, and today's Gala Opening, which is $20. For more information, visit jfec.comor call (860) 442-8062.

TODAY

Gala Opening — "Who Will Write Our History" — 2 p.m., Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; International Film Festival gala opening with a concert by the Boston's Workmen's Circle Yiddish Community Chorus; also screening "A Night at the Garden"; $20.

TUESDAY

"Schindler's List" — 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; screening of the 25th anniversary remastered film; free.

WEDNESDAY

"Shoelaces" — 7 p.m., Mystic Luxury Cinemas, 27 Coogan Blvd., Mystic; $10.

TUESDAY, MAY 28

"The Last Supper" — 7 p.m., Olin Science Center, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Ave., New London; $10.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29

"Disobedience" — 7 p.m., Olin Science Center, Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Ave., New London; $10.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2

"The Law" — 2 p.m., Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $10.

MONDAY, JUNE 3

"Gentleman's Agreement" — 7 p.m., Granite Theatre, 1 Granite St., Westerly; $10.