The 21st Israel Film Festival kicked off November 30th at Los Angeles
(Nov. 30th - Dec. 15th)
The festival’s mission is to “bring the voice of Israeli film to American audiences" said Festival Chairman MEYER GOTTLIEB (COO of Samuel Goldwyn Films). Indeed, the Festival, MEIR FENIGSTEIN launched 21 years ago has turned into the largest showcase of Israeli films in the U.S. This edition will screen over 40 titles, including features, documentaries, television dramas and selected student films.
The Opening Night Gala honored BERNIE BRILLSTEIN (founding partner of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment) with a Lifetime Achievement Award, Focus Features Co-Presidents DAVID LINDE and JAMES SCHAMUS with a Visionary Award and Israeli Filmmaker AMOS GITAI with a Cinematic Award.
It was followed by the Opening Night Film, “What a Wonderful Place”, directed by EYAL HALFON. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and is nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film section at the 78th annual Academy Awards.
Stephanie Ronnet
Documentaries:
As a Great River Flows - Yitzhak Haluzi
Be Fruitful and Multiply - Shosh Shlam
The Birthday Party - Ruth Walk
Family Matters - David Noy
In Joseph's Tomb - Yael Kipper-Zareski
Kibbutz - Racheli Schwartz
Men on The Edge-Fisherman's Diary - Avner Faingulernt, Macabit Abramson
Secrets - A God Given Voice - Ofer Naim
Short - de Edan Alterman

Feature Films:
Campfire - Joseph Cedar
Comrade - Eyal Shiray
Distortion - Haim Bouzaglo
Free Zone - Amos Gitai
A Green Chariot - Gilad Goldschmidt
Janem, Janem - Haim Bouzaglo
Joy - Julie Schles
Metallic Blues - Danny Verete
Out of Sight - Daniel Syrkin
The Schwartz Dynasty - Shmuel Hasfari, Amir Hasfari
The Syrian Bride - Eran Riklis
Turn Left At the End of the World - Avi Nesher
Wasserman-The Rain Man - Idit Shechori
What a Wonderful Place - Eyal Halfon

Television Programs:
Catching The Sky - Roni Ninio,Yankool Goldwasser
Cutting Free Suzie - Oren Stern
Diana's Child - Uri Barabash
It's Now or Never - Eitan Londner
Katzchen - Guy Michael
The Last Suspect - Arik Lubetzky, Matti Harari
Love Hurts - Ram Nahari
Mimon - Emil Ben Shimon
Summer Story - Shmuel Peleg Haimovitch
Until Tomorrow Comes - Oren Stern
Winning with Miki - Ori Inbar
Wolve's Moon - Shai Kanot

Short Films:
Student Shorts Marathon #1:
Which Moped with Chrome-plated Handle Bars at the Back of the Yard - Gideon Smilansky
Draft - Naomi Levari
Shabbos Mother - Inbar Namdar
Student Shorts Marathon #2:
Dark Night - Leonid Prudozsky
Mirrors - Orly Malessa
America - Sigal Mordechai

Stéphanie Ronnet