The 20th UK Jewish Film Festival was launched on Saturday night with a sell-out gala screening of Indignation, an adaptation of a Philip Roth novel, at the British Film Institute in central London. The film’s director, James Schamus, was among the audience of more than 400.

Israeli ambassador Mark Regev praised the festival for showcasing Israeli movies, saying there had been an "explosion" of film-making in the country in recent years.

Nearly half the 80 films being shown during the festival come from Israel. The others span 20 countries including Argentina and Ethiopia. There is also a German version of Anne Frank’s Diary.

Jonathan Lewis, the UKJFF chairman, stressed the importance of film in combating prejudice at a time of rising antisemitism. He paid tribute to Judy Ironside, the founder and president of UK Jewish Film, presenting her with a framed collage of the 20 covers of the festival’s programmes.

Introducing the movie, Mr Schamus - an award-winning screenwriter - explained how it had become his directorial debut.

“I thought my good friend Ang Lee would direct it,” he said, “but he was too expensive. So I did it myself.”   Starring Logan Lerman, Indignation is the story of a Jewish student at an Ohio college in 1951.

The festival runs until November 20.