PORTLAND

T he Maine Jewish Film Festival opens Saturday, March 9, with the romantic comedy “Dorfman in Love” starring Sara Rue (“Rules of Engagement,” “Malibu Country”) as a lovelorn 20-something and Elliott Gould (“Oceans 13,” “M.A.S.H.”) as her difficult father.

The festival runs through March 16.

Screenwriter Wendy Kout will be in attendance for opening night and a participant in the Sunday, March 10, Women Filmmakers Forum, sponsored by the Davis Family Foundation.

A news release describes “Dorfman in Love” as follows:

After her mother’s death, Valley gal Deb Dorfman finds herself in the role of caretaker for her cantankerous father, while being the unrecognized brains of her brother’s accounting firm and the object of her sister-in-law’s relentless matchmaking efforts. Through a series of awkward events Deb discovers the confidence she needs to stand up to her meddling family and find love in her own unexpected way.

“This year’s festival offers a terrific range of choices for film lovers — from a crowd pleaser like ‘Dorfman in Love’ to challenging documentaries such as ‘The Last White Knight’ about the director’s facing the KKK in Mississippi decades after they attacked him, to full-on entertainment such as ‘Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy’ or the edgy Sean Penn/Frances McDormand/ Judd Hirsch film ‘This Must Be the Place,’” MJFF Executive Director Louise Rosen said in a news release.

The festival is also offering several free screenings: a youth film for ages 13 to 17 on Sunday, March 10; a film on adaptive skiing at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies on March 11; and “Broadway Musicals” at USM’s Abromson Center, free for seniors on Wednesday, March 13 (advance registration is required). Tickets are required for all free events.

This year, the Women Filmmakers Forum includes a continental brunch for ticket holders followed by a panel discussion featuring four of the festival filmmakers, joined by noted Boston entertainment attorney Sandra Forman.

In addition to personal appearances by seven of the filmmakers during the festival, acclaimed soprano and Maine Public Broadcasting music director and radio host Suzanne Nance will introduce and facilitate the Q&A session following a period drama directed by Percy Adlon about the last summer of composer Gustav Mahler’s life, titled “Mahler on the Couch.”

“In addition to our schedule of films and events around Portland and in many other locations, we’re honored to be partnering with organizations and institutions such as the Maine Film & Video Association,

Maine Adaptive Sports, the Portland NAACP, Maine Media Workshops + College, the Museum of African Culture and others to promote engagement with a wide range of audiences. MJFF is truly a dynamic part of Maine’s growing cultural diversity,” Rosen said.

The festival runs from March 9 to 16, taking place at the Nickelodeon Cinemas, 1 Temple St., and other locations around Portland and the state; including Frontier Cafe, Fort Andross, 14 Maine St., Brunswick; Colby College in Waterville; and a post-festival special screening of “Dorfman in Love” at the Bangor Opera House on Sunday, March 17. Tickets are on sale now.

The Maine Jewish Film Festival is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide a forum for the presentation of films to enrich, educate and entertain a diverse community about the Jewish experience. Portland is the smallest city in the nation to boast an independent, professional Jewish film festival.

For full festival schedule details, film trailers and to purchase tickets, visit www.mjff.org.

Full schedule of films at www.mjff.org

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