The 23rd Israel Film Festival, the largest showcase of Israeli films in the United States will open with a star-studded Awards Gala and Premiere Screening at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Wednesday, October 29, and will continue at the Clearview 62nd & Broadway Cinema through November 13, 2008. The 23rd Israel Film Festival will present close to 40 Israeli new features, documentaries, TV dramas and award-winning student films, ranging from cinéma vérité and comedies to thought-provoking, powerful dramas and documentaries. Over 20 Israeli producers, directors and stars are expected to attend and participate.

Co-Chairs of the 2008 Israel Film Festival are Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, and Arnon Milchan, Owner/Founder, Regency Enterprises.

Under the expert supervision of Founder/Executive Director Meir Fenigstein, The Israel Film Festival is presented by IsraFest Foundation, Inc., in association with the Consulate General of Israel in New York. The Festival has been responsible for introducing Israeli life and culture to American audiences through the powerful medium of film, providing a comprehensive intercultural exchange and has brought hundreds of Israeli filmmakers to the United States to share their art. Through the years, more than 900,000 filmgoers across the country have experienced the best of Israeli cinema by viewing more than 800 feature films, documentaries, television dramas, short films and student shorts.

The Festival is the only film festival that will visit three American cities - Los Angeles, New York and Miami. The 23rd IFF opened in Los Angeles June 11 – 26, and was a huge success. Among the Festival’s L.A. Honorees were Kirk Douglas, Jeff Berg and Carl & Rob Reiner. The Festival continues in New York, October 29 - November 13, and then to Miami, December 10 - 18, 2008.