THE 21ST INTERNATIONAL JERUSALEM FILM FESTIVAL


The 21st International Jerusalem Film Festival ended Saturday, July 17, with the award presentation ceremony.
The awards were as follows:
The Wolgin Awards for Israeli Cinema
In the category of Israeli feature films:
Best Films
“Atash –Thirst” and “Or”
“Atash – Thirst” (Israel) – A family abandoned their home 10 years earlier and live in the middle of nowhere with two goats and a donkey. The father decides to illegally divert water to their land and parallel to the arrival of the water, the desire for former freedom resurges. Directed by Tofik Akbaria Abu Wol. Produced by Avi Klinberg.
“The film is a damning statement on patriarchal order of Arab society,” says Ali Jafaar of Lebanon’s Daily Star.

For Meir Schnitzer of Israel’s Maariv, the film is “Full of pathos and symbolism. Abu Waed steers his first film with confidence. Skilful and powerful direction of amateur actors, giving birth to a new and original cinematic voice.”
“Atash - Thirst” is Tawfik Abu Wael’s first feature film. It won the Fipresci Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“There is no film without politics,” Abu Wael is quoted as saying, “but in Atash I'm dealing with the relationships between human beings. I didn’t want to use the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to make a movie. I made a film about human beings.”

“Or” (Israel/France) - The 18-year-old daughter of an ailing prostitute, whose life is an endless succession of petty jobs, decides that things must change. Directed by Keren Yedaya. Produced by Mark Rosenbaum, Etti Tamir, Emanuel Agnaray and Jerome Glitriff.

Best Screenplay
“Metallic Blues –Travelogue”
(Israel/Canada/Germany) - A tragicomic journey to Germany by an Israeli used car salesman and his faithful assistant. Directed by Danny Verete. Produced by Danny Verete, Susan Grad and Klaus Retting

In the category of Israeli documentaries:
“Sentenced To Marriage”
Three young women whose husbands refuse to grant them a divorce struggle for two years with the help of female orthodox rabbinical advocates. Directed by Anat Zuria. Produced by Amit Breuer.

In the category of Israeli short films:
“The Red Tape”

Best Photography in an Israeli film:
“Watermarks”
The story of the champion female swimmers of the legendary Jewish Sports Club Hakoah Vienna (1909-1938). Directed by Yaron Zilberman. Produced by Yaron Zilberman, Yonatan Israel, Paul Rozenberg and Philippa Kowarsky,

Best Editing in an Israeli film:
. “The Oligarchs”
(Israel) - Seven bankers, mostly Jews, known as “Yeltsin’s Family,” ran Russia behind the scenes and avoided a return to Communism. Directed by Alexander Gentelev. Produced by Arik Bernstein.

The judges for the Wolgin documentaries were: David Robinson (UK), Asher de Bentolila Tlalim (Israel/UK) and Alan Rosenthal (Israel).

Drama Award in Memory of Anat Pirchi: Best Achievement in the field of Drama.
“Mirrors” - Directed by Orly Malessa. Produced by Orly Malessa and Meital Zamuhi-Margalit

The winner of the Jerusalem Foundation Prize for Best Screenplay is:
“Or”

The New Foundation for Film and Television Grant was awarded to:
“Odessa Mama”
A trilogy about the vanishing Odessa community and its immigrants. Directed by Michael boganim. Produced by Mrek Rozenbaum, Itai Tamir, Frederic Niedermayer.

International Competitions
The winners of the Wim van Leer In the Spirit of Freedom Award are:
“Mur” (France/Israel)
“The Passion Of Maria Elena” (Mexico)
“Witnesses” (Croatia).

The winner of In the Spirit of Freedom Production Grant is:
“Badal” by Abtisam Marana. The film focuses on the tradition of badal marriages among Arab families in which a brother and sister marry a brother and sister from another family, another chink in the chain of oppression of women.

The judges for the Spirit of Freedom are: Avner Feingelernt (Israel), Johanna Frener (Israel), and Goni Rivlin Tsur (Israel).

The winners of the Jerusalem Municipality Prize in the category of Jewish Experience are:
Best Feature:
“Le Tango des Rashevski”
(France/Belgium/Luxembourg ) An exploration of Jewish identity and family meaning at the beginning of the 21st century combined with comic family drama.
Best Documentary:
“Appelfeld’s Table” - An intimate insight into the world of Aharon Appelfeld, one of the most prominent and internationally recognized Israeli writers
The judges for the Jewish Experience were: Claudia Landsberger (Netherlands), Hillel Tryster, (Israel) and Amos Kollek (Israel).

Statistics of the 21st International Jerusalem Film Festival
During the 10 days of the festival 250 films were screened, to 65,000 viewers. There were over 50 premieres and the budget of the festival was $1.2 million.