RUTH FERTIG … the Cherry Hill native will premiere her film, “Yizkor,” on Apr. 25. Five new films, most making their New Jersey debuts, will consider the Holocaust from distinct perspectives at the April 18- 25 Cherry Hill Volvo Jewish Film Festival of the Katz JCC. These diverse works include short film, German classroom drama, art exposé, provocative documentary, and sweeping love story.

On Thursday, April 15, a Preview Party exclusively for Festival patrons of will feature the East Coast premiere of “Yizkor,” written and directed by Cherry Hill native Ruth Fertig. Fertig will speak at the preview party, which includes wine and hors d’oeuvres at HIFI Sales.

Fertig’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors who never talked about their experience. Years after they died, she found a memoir her grandmother had written in the last years of her life and finally learned her grandparents’ story. “Yizkor” blends her grandmother’s words, animation, and Super 8 footage to tell a story of survival and resilience in the face of crushing loss.

At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 19, “The Wave” premieres in New Jersey at the Showcase at the Ritz Center in Voorhees. According to Ron Jones, this new German production comes closest to the true story of the experiment in social order and fascism that he tried with Palo Alto high school students. Jones will speak following the screening, which is presented in conjunction with the Jewish Community Relations Council’s Goodwin Holocaust Museum and Education Center (GHMEC).

Poet Maya Angelou narrates the 1 p.m. screening on Tuesday, April 20 at the Katz JCC, “As Seen Through These Eyes” tells of a brave group of people who fought Hitler with the only weapons they had: charcoal, pencil stubs, shreds of paper, and memories. These artists made a compelling statement about the human spirit, surviving against unimaginable odds.

Director Gaylen Ross will discuss her documentary, “Killing Kasztner: The Jew Who Dealt with Nazis,” at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, at the Showcase at the Ritz Center. Presented in conjunction with the GHMEC, the film profiles Rudolf Kasztner, whose negotiation with Adolf Eichmann saved almost 1,700 fellow Jews during the Holocaust. Kasztner later settled in Israel and was accused of Nazi collaboration, triggering an infamous trial and shocking murder that divided the public. Ross’ film explores Kasztner’s motivation and impact through interviews with Jews he saved, as well as his family, political opponents, and assassin.

The Festival’s closing film, “Fugitive Pieces,” brings together world-class actors. Premiering in New Jersey on Sunday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Showcase at the Ritz Center, it stars Stephen Dillane (“John Adams,” “The Hours”), Ayelet Zurer (“Angels & Demons”), and Rosamund Pike (“An Education”). The story starts when Athos, while directing an archaeological dig in Nazi-occupied Poland, discovers a little boy, Jakob, hiding after witnessing his family’s massacre. Jakob does not know his beloved sister’s fate, and as he becomes a man, his family’s tragedy consumes him, coloring his relationships.

For the full Festival schedule, more information, and to purchase Patron, Series Subscriber, and General Admission tickets, log on to www.katzjcc.org, or call (856) 424-4444 ext. 226. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are also available. .