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 The
mission of the Israel Film Festival is to spotlight Israel¹s thriving
film and television industry, to enrich the American vision of
Israel¹s social and cultural diversity and to advance tolerance and
understanding. In the last two decades, more than 540 films have been
enjoyed by over 550,000 film enthusiasts in Los Angeles,
New York, Chicago and Miami.
NEW FILMS PREMIERING THIS YEAR
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| BONJOUR MONSIEUR SHLOMI |
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16-year-old Shlomi is the caretaker and mediator of
his dysfunctional family. His schoolwork is suffering from his
responsibilities at home. He baths and feeds his ailing
grandfather, tolerates his over sexed macho older brother, cooks
and cleans for his family and tries to make peace with his
estranged father and angry mother. His life changes when a new
math teacher and principal discover his genius and he discovers an
attractive girl next door. A well-written comedic drama that makes
you laugh and cry. Winner Best Film and Direction at the Moscow
International Film Festival for Young People. |
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Director: Shemi Zarhin |
Length: 96 Min |
| COLUMBIAN LOVE |
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The story of three friends trying to bridge the gap
between lust, love and marriage. Omer is finding it difficult to
follow his wife’s plans to have a baby. She’s his first love… but
is she his true love? Meanwhile, sentimental Ori can’t break away
from his domineering father until his new wife sets an ultimatum.
Then, there’s the free-spirited Zydan, who sets out on a journey
to find true love. A compelling and clever look into the different
faces of the Israeli male, as he struggles with love and
relationships. |
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Director: Shay Kanot |
Length: 96 Min |
| HENRY’S DREAM |
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Henry works at a film school in the equipment room.
He used to work in movie production and always dreamed of making
his own film. Inspired by a student’s dark personal script and
encouraged by his family and other students, he decides to direct
a film and casts his son as the lead actor. The filmmaking process
becomes very difficult and when it seems almost impossible to
overcome the problems, Henry wanting to give up is encouraged to
finish the film by his son. Father and son become closer through
the experience which turns out to be therapeutic. A compelling
film sensitively directed, with wonderful characters. |
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Director: Eitan Green |
Length: 106 Min |
| LIFE IS LIFE |
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An ironic, sweet story about lust, longing for true
love and the nature of the creative process. Moshe Ivgi plays a
professor and a writer who is having an affair with an emotionally
unstable woman who is in the midst of separation. He has writer’s
block and chronically seeks inspiration to write from women he has
affairs with. Out of frustration he finally finds inspiration from
someone who has stood by him and finds a way to re-enter his life.
A sometimes sad but mostly joyful journey into the intimate
thoughts and insecurities of love. Received the Jack Naylor Award
for Photography in a Feature Film at the Haifa International Film
Festival 2003 |
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Director: Michal Bat-Adam |
Length: 87 Min |
| MISS ENTEBBE |
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Jerusalem the summer of 1976. The lives of Noa, a
12-year-old girl and her friends change when the mother of Danny,
a neighbor, is a passenger on the plane hijacked to Entebbe. Noa’s
plan is to kidnap an innocent Arab boy as a negotiating card for
the release of Danny’s mother. Once done, her plan becomes
increasingly complicated as the youngsters discover the Arab boy
is flesh and blood with feelings like them. This film examines the
relationship of what happens at home and the violent reality of
the world in which we live. This is a compelling drama that lances
your heart as you feel the children’s deep emotion, desperation
and struggle for justice. |
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Director: Omri Levy |
Length: 80 Min |
| NO LONGER 17 |
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A kibbutz is in crisis and heavily in debt. The
older “unproductive” founders are being ousted to make room for
younger, more productive new members. The falling apart of the
system mirrors the drama that surfaces when several inhabitants
are no longer able to hide their secrets. When lies and affairs of
the heart come to light it causes two families to face the past
and what can never be undone. Against the background of a
disintegrating society, the film resurrects the protagonists of
the film “Noa at 17”, at the time of a new, perhaps terminal,
crisis of the Kibbutz. A touching drama about the fears of aging
and life’s choices.. Best Israeli Film Haifa International Film
Festival 2003. |
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Director: Isaac Zepel Yeshurun |
Length: 96 Min |
| ONE SMALL STEP |
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Sahar’s dad works as a chief engineer in aviation.
14-year-old Sahar watches helplessly as his parents marriage
crumbles. He documents his life through a story he is writing for
a writing competition. He chooses to write about his family which
is coming apart due to his mother’s love affair and his fathers
stilted dreams. Sahar and his friends are typical, they talk about
girls and dream about sex. They are also concerned with their
friend who is battling cancer and don’t want him to die a virgin.
A touching coming of age story with mature themes. |
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Director: Shahar Segal |
Length: 95 Min |
| THE SYRIAN BRIDE |
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Mona’s wedding day is the saddest day of her life.
She knows that once she crosses the border between Israel and
Syria to marry a Syrian TV star, she will never again be allowed
back to her beloved family in Majdal Shams, the largest Druze
village in the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967. Soon,
the family will finds themselves facing an uncertain future,
trapped in a no-man’s land between Israel and Syria. Winner of the
prestigious Grand Prix of the Americas Award at the 2004 Montreal
World Film Festival and shot on location in the Golan Heights, The
Syrian Bride is a story about physical and emotional borders, and
the will it takes to cross them. Winner, Grand Prix of the
Americas Award, 2004 Montreal World Film Festival |
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Director: Eran Riklis |
Length: 97 Min |
| TURN LEFT AT THE END OF
THE WORLD |
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In the late sixties, in a tiny Israeli village,
isolated in the middle of nowhere, two immigrant families one
from Morocco and the other from India become neighbors. They
share nothing but a dream. And as they are forced to live
together, the two communities, eying each other, attempt to build
a sense of identity. In order to assert their imperial identity,
the Indians from the village put together a rag tag cricket team.
The Moroccans, who take the game as a ritualistic act of
condensation, do their utmost to disrupt. Meanwhile, each family
has a teenage daughter negotiating the landscapes of the sexual
revolution. When the sultry Moroccan Nicol and the heady Indian
Sara become friends, their youth and desire for freedom help them
overcome prejudices. In this isolated place, the road to harmony
twists joyfully with many surprises. |
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Director: Avi Nesher |
Length: 108 Min |
| A LIFE’S WORK |
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Jacob Binyamini, presently a successful
businessman, returns to the kibbutz he left many years ago.
Binyamini is interested in acquiring the bankrupting kibbutz’
cosmetics factory. He meets with the kibbutz members who had not
accepted him in the past, and woes we his ex-girl friend Dorit.
Hilik, who considers the kibbutz factory as his life work, is
forced into battle against all odds, regarding the disintegrating
kibbutz society, his values and the heart of his wife Dorit. This
Drama was filmed on the grounds of Kibbutz Gal-On located in the
south of Israel as well as in Tel Aviv. It displays the collapse
of the ideals that the kibbutz embodi |
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Director: Gadi Nemet |
Length: 60 Min |
| A SILENCE OF THE SIRENS |
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The days leading up to the 1973 Yom Kippur war were
difficult for military intelligence who were having a hard time
deciphering information they were receiving about troop movements
in Egypt and Syria. False alarms were already handled badly and
military officials conclude that there is a low probability of
aggression. This film depicts the decisions that lead to the state
of unprepared ness of IDF forces when the unsuspecting attack
came. It is a suspenseful and intriguing story with fine acting
and true to life accounts of what was happening in military
intelligence prior to the break of the war. |
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Director: Ori Inbar |
Length: 69 Min |
| CAFE TALES |
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Moshe Ivgy is Yutz, a frustrated poet past his
prime, who with his aging bohemian friends frequent Café Braun run
by Leah a sympathetic mother figure who has kept the place going
for over 30 years. The café was once a home to artists and
intellectuals, now it is a haven for oddballs and outcasts
including: a violent Arab painter fresh out of an insane asylum,
an alcoholic mama’s boy who stutters, a macho heartbroken musician
and an outcast Belgian immigrant photographer. The landlord puts
the squeeze on Leah and threatens to demolish the building.
Through a bizarre chain of events, Yutz and his friends band
together to save the café and in turn save themselves. An off beat
comedy about people struggling to maintain their sanity in an
insane reality |
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Director: Amit Leor |
Length: 87 Min |
| HALLELUJAH |
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It is 1979 and Shuki a reservist, is in love with
the girl next door. He has plans to go home on leave and when
Israel’s entry “Hallelujah “ wins the best song in Eurovision
Contest held in Israel he will ask his girlfriend’s tough scary
Eurovision- loving father permission to marry. All is planned
until his commander retracts his leave and he desperately tries to
escape and get back home for the big event. The adventures and
mishaps he has on his way involve an aging drug dealer, a
beautiful Dutch girl and a strange German Dancer. A very funny
period comedy. Best TV Drama Haifa International Film Festival
2003 |
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Director: Daniel Syrkin |
Length: 52 Min |
| INSIGHT |
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A month after traumatic battles in the Yom Kippur
War, tank crews gather and struggle with their daily routine as
they try to digest the tragic incidents that have formed indelible
memories. A war historian and his assistant arrive to gather
information and log stories from each man. They hear more than
they bargained for as the men recount their experiences. We learn
about the tragedy of war, loss of innocence and feel sorry for the
men who each have difficult troubling stories to tell. Best TV
Drama Jerusalem International Film Festival 2003 |
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Director: Eyal Halfon |
Length: 77 Min |
| JERUSALEM BREW |
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a middle class religious family struggles with
modern day issues. Itzik the oldest son is a rock musician and
finds it hard to be both religious and seek his musical destiny. A
handicapped child becomes adopted and changes the family’s
dynamics. Profound moments and life’s challenges pervade in this
down to earth series of a family holding tightly onto tradition
and faith. Best TV Drama Jerusalem International Film Festival
2003 |
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Director: Jacob Goldwasser & Nir Bergman |
Length: 90 Min |
| PRETTY YARDENA |
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In this charming film a young woman (Ayelet Zurer)
gets fired from her job and decides to take charge of her life
after 10 unsuccessful years in the big city failing to fulfill her
dream of becoming a famous dancer. Wanting a higher education in
order to get a better job, she is forced to return temporarily to
her small hometown and re-take an exam. When she arrives, she
stumbles into old friends who resent her showing up on the wedding
day of her ex-boyfriend Arik who is still in love with her. This
is a comic love story with a little something extra that keep you
laughing |
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Director: Yuval Granot |
Length: 60 Min |
| PURIM |
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A young Arab who doesn't want to die is sent to
carry out a suicide bombing in the heart of Tel Aviv, but can't
find the place where he is supposed to blow himself up. Against
the background of preparations for the Purim carnival and the
alert of possible terror attacks, several stories are Inter-woven
into a human mosaic where we are introduced to a diverse group of
people who are about to come together through the tragedy of a
terrorist attack. The random and senseless atmosphere that binds
the story reflects the victims who are chosen randomly to suffer.
This is a well-produced drama with powerful acting and direction
that examines how terror directly affects individuals and society |
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Director: Lavi Ben Gal |
Length: 78 Min |
| RINA AND ARIK FOREVER |
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Arik is a professional handyman, unsure of his
place in the world, a world represented and fulfilled by his life
partner Rina. His desire to hold on to the security provided to
him by Rina’s presence causes him to act out of his need to
satisfy her. One day Rina is forced to leave home for a few days.
Her absence releases a new Arik who is funnier, warmer, more
lovable and independent as he obsessively analyzes all his
thoughts and actions. This is a very funny film dominated by all
of Arik’s strengths, personality flaws, insecurities and
fantasies. As you enter the mind of Arik he becomes a one of a
kind protagonist who you will never forget |
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Director: Shay Capon |
Length: 50 Min |
| ROOTS OF RAGE |
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A television drama inspired by the true story of
the Israeli boxing world champion Nikolay Melandovich , who plays
himself and won best actor award for his leading role at the
Jerusalem International Film Festival 2003. Danny, a filmmaker,
begins shooting a movie about his big brother Nikolay. Through the
course of the shooting Danny discovers the struggle his family
went through in Nazareth during the years of his absence .His
mother remarried an Arab man who abused her and his brother
Nikolay. This made Nikolay racist and violent, but it is this
characteristic that turned him into a successful boxer |
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Director: Danny Raisfeld |
Length: 60 Min |
| VALLEY OF DREAMS |
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An IDF Unit in Lebanon (1998) are a week away from
release. They are the subject of a documentary at the time and are
informed that they must go on a dangerous mission into the “Valley
of Dreams” an enemy area that is fabled to be very dangerous and
bad luck. The story is shown in both flashback and from many
perspectives that includes an inquiry into a tragic deadly
incident. We learn about a rivalry in the unit that could be the
cause of murder. Realistic and powerful this is a suspenseful
story with many surprises. |
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Director: Omri Givon |
Length: 53 Min |
| CHANNELS OF RAGE |
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A provocative exploration of popular rappers in
Israel who use the power of words and music to say what the
politicians can’t seem to say. As an aspiring rapper, Tamer used
to watch Subliminal perform in Tel Aviv’s underground clubs. As
Subliminal became a symbol for a neo-patriotic Israeli right wing,
Tamer himself became admired among Arab audiences, thirsty for a
hero who spoke for them. Will the increasing national gap prevent
the two from communicating with each other? Winner of the Best
Documentary Award at the Jerusalem International Film Festival
2003, Channels of Rage follows the parallel and intersecting story
of two poets of wrath in a violent times. |
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Director: Anat Halachmi |
Length: 72 Min |
| COLUMBIA: THE TRAGIC
LOSS |
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Two months following the tragic loss of the
Columbia, the personal diary of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon was
found at one of the crash sites. The diary was sent to the Israeli
police who, in cooperation with the Israel Museum, had managed to
reconstruct the partly erased handwriting. After finding Ramon’s
diary, the filmmakers trace the journey of the first Israeli
astronaut based on e-mails from space and correspondence with NASA
during the 16 day mission. Exclusive footage is at the heart of
this poignant documentary, depicting the charged moments of the
exciting launch and, sadly, the heartbreaking disaster that
followed. |
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Director: Naftaly Gliksberg |
Length: 60 Min |
| DO THEY CATCH CHILDREN
TOO? |
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“I was born here, so if they catch me, will I be
returned?” This is the heart-wrenching question from Ryan, a
ten-year-old Filipino boy whose father is arrested as an illegal
worker in Israel. Meanwhile, Ryan’s cousin has a father whose
legal work permit only raises more questions. Both children find
themselves caught in the grips of immigration laws that continue
to restrict the lives of illegal immigrants trying to make a
better life for themselves and their families. |
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Director: Hedva Galili-Smolinsky |
Length: 49 Min |
| GOOD VIBES |
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A touching document about a young man’s struggle
with cancer and his search for a donor. Itzik, a trance party
organizer and hip optimist, felt strong stomach pains one day.
After a routine CAT scan, doctors discovered a large, malign tumor
in his liver. A stranger answers his call and commits to donating
part of his liver. The only thing they had in common was the
desire to save and to be saved. A real life tragedy with an
uplifting message is captured sensitively in this human story. |
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Director: Avner Benaim |
Length: 50 Min |
| IN THE NAME OF GOD |
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In The Name of God reaches far to the realms of
radical Islam to bring authentic voices on self sacrifice for
God’s will. The film features unique scenes such as Al-Queda
supporters in Pakistan, women in religious schools there and
inside their homes, or the startling and bloody images from the
Ashura festival in South Lebanon. If the World Trade Center was
the tip of the iceberg, this is its base. In the Name of God
people would go all the way. |
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Director: Dan Setton, Tor Ben-Mayor |
Length: 67 Min |
| MY 100 CHILDREN |
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An impassioned documentary about orphaned children
who found themselves in Krakow after World War II. These children
were cared for by Lena Kuchler, who was forced to take the
children on a perilous journey to France, and then to Israel. It
is here where Lena completes her mission; she says good-bye to the
children as they are accepted into the Schiller Kibbutz. Lena’s
daughter hosts this film and, through a trip back to Poland with
many of the now-adult survivors, we hear about the experiences
that brought them together and the long-overdue recognition of one
woman’s ultimate sacrifice. Winner, Jerusalem International Film
Festival Jewish Experience Award |
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Director: Amalia Margolin & Oshra Schwartz |
Length: 69 Min |
| NO. 17 |
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In June 2002, a bus on its way to Tiberius from Tel
Aviv was bombed, killing 17 people. Sixteen victims were
identified; No. 17 wasn’t. Working closely with authorities,
filmmaker David Ofek takes the audience on a somber investigation
to identify the anonymous victim and piece together the puzzle.
Just when it appears the investigation has reached a dead-end, a
vague lead appears. Winner of the Best Documentary award at
DocAviv 2003 (Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival)
and the Best Documentary award from the Israeli Film Academy, NO.
17 is an acute portrait of a diverse society living under the
shadow of fear. |
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Director: David Ofek |
Length: 75 Min |
| ORIENTAL |
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In the aftermath of the collapse of the
Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations at Camp David in 2000,
Oriental follows multiple firsthand accounts and gives the
audience a rare inside look into what went wrong at the high-level
talks. Weaving the story of story of Russian-Israeli belly dancer
Elina Pechersky preparing for an ambitious performance with five
Arab-Israeli musicians, renowned director Avi Nesher examines the
way in which different cultures communicate with one another.
Juxtaposing history and mythology -- and questioning the
unbearable communication failures within both major and minor
conflicts -- Oriental takes a subversive, unique and clever look
at an ongoing conflict that continues to plague the Middle East. |
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Director: Avi Nesher |
Length: 46 Min |
| THE RINGWORM CHILDREN |
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In the early years following Independence,
approximately 100,000 immigrant children, primarily from North
Africa, received X-ray radiation treatment for ringworm. At that
time, the medical world perceived ringworm as a degenerative
illness and a danger to humanity. It was discovered that these
treatments caused high rates of infertility, cancer and mortality.
This tragic affair was hidden from the public eye for decades…
until now. Through exhaustive research and testimonies of
survivors, this emotional documentary unearths a possible
conspiracy between American and Israeli health officials. Best
Documentary Haifa International Film Festival |
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Director: David Belhassen & Asher Hemias |
Length: 46 Min |
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A year ago my father, a former military officer in
his late 50’s, left Israel and his family and went to Vienna with
nothing short of his own principles. He declared that he is fed up
with the occupation of the Palestinian territories, that the
Jewish people of Israel have disappointed him and that PM Sharon’s
policy is state-terrorism. I, his eldest daughter, fly to Vienna
to understand why he left his five children and beloved country. |
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Director: Yael Ingber |
Length: 30 Min |
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A clock salesman, trapped in a life of routine and
desperate existence, finds himself spending a night at a dark and
isolated motel. At night, he suddenly notices strange sounds
coming from the other side of the wall. He listens attentively and
doesn’t know that what he will discover beyond that wall will
change his life and death forever. |
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Director: Shunit Aharoni |
Length: 0 Min |
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Zvi a young officer in the Israeli defense Force (IDF)
and his girlfriend Khen are on their way to a "rave" in the
desert. While walking through the desert they meet Krishna a
hippie guy, who is also on his way to the same party. The
hallucinatory journey of these three characters brings out the
stereotypes of young people in the current Israeli reality and
deals with one of its most revered institution, the military
service. |
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Director: Hila & Peretz Markish |
Length: 0 Min |
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It’s Sabbath eve. Rachel sneaks out of her
religious parents’ house to go out with her secular friends. On
their way to the party, the worst of all happens- an accident on
Sabbath. |
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Director: Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun |
Length: 21 Min |
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Eli, a single religious guy, is forced to go out on
a blind date. He picks up the wrong girl, and the two of them
spend a bizarre evening driving around the streets of Jerusalem. A
romantic comedy about dating the orthodox way. |
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Director: Ilan Eshkoli |
Length: 25 Min |
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The story takes place in village in Ethiopia. Almo,
an eight years old boy of a rural family, returns home from the
fields suffering of acute headaches. There is a controversy
between the parents regarding the treatment of their son. While
the father favors the traditional Ethiopian treatment - the mother
tends to rely more on the western modern one. As a result the
child looses his hearing and becomes totally deaf. His speech
alters and his communication with the environment is limited, a
situation which causes him to enclose in his silent world. |
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Director: Dana Yimharen |
Length: 26 Min |
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