American Film Market Dailies

31st ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL IN LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCES PROGRAMMING TO RUN NOVEMBER 5th – 21st, 2017

Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeffrey Tambor will receive the 2017 IFF Achievement in Television Award, and multiple award-winning (including the 2017 Israeli Academy Ophir Award for Best Actor), Israeli movie star Lior Ashkenazi will be honored with the 2017 IFF Cinematic Achievement Award at the 31st Israel Film Festival Opening Night Gala, Award Presentation and Screening in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 5th at the Steve Tisch Cinema Center at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, announced Festival Founder and Executive Director Meir Fenigstein.

This year's Festival Chairman is Adam Berkowitz, Co-Head of TV at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Serving as Honorary Chairman of the Festival is Arnon Milchan, owner of New Regency Productions.

The 31st edition of the Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles runs November 5th – 21st.  Festival screenings will take place at the Ahrya Fine Arts by Laemmle (Beverly Hills), Laemmle Royal Theater (West L.A.) and the Laemmle Town Center 5 (Encino).  The Opening Night film, on November 5th, is Yariv Mozer’s Documentary Ben-Gurion, Epilogue, Winner of the 2017 Israeli Academy Ophir Award for Best Documentary, to be screened following the Award Presentation at the Saban Theatre.  For further information or to purchase tickets, contact IsraFest Foundation:  310.247.1800 or info@IsraelFilmFestival.org.  Tickets will also be available to purchase on the website as of October 20th:  www.IsraelFilmFestival.com

“We are so proud to announce the lineup for the 31st Israel Film Festival, presenting the largest showcase ever of Israeli films and, for the first time, television programming, in the United States," noted Fenigstein. "The Israel Film Festival transports moviegoers across the world and provides audiences with the opportunity to experience the rich Israeli culture first hand."

Among this year’s highlights are the narrative feature films Longing, The Testament, Scaffolding, Azimuth, The Cakemaker, Heroine, Holy Air, In Between, Maktub and The Cousin, while the documentaries include Muhi and When the Smoke Clears.  Also, the IFF will present the second season Premieres of two of Israel’s most popular television programs of all time, Fauda and Mossad 101, which became huge successes worldwide.

Over 20 Israeli filmmakers will attend this year’s Festival, accompanying their films and participating in Q & A sessions, including:

Dan Wolman, director/producer, An Israeli Love Story
Michael Aloni, actor, And Then She Arrived
Arik Rothstein, director, Antenna
Yariv Mozer, director, Ben-Gurion, Epilogue
Mike Burstyn, director, Azimuth
Yiftach Klein, actor, Azimuth
Sammy Sheikh, actor, Azimuth
Shuki Friedman, producer, Azimuth
Ehud Bleiberg, producer, The Cousin
Lior Raz, actor/writer, Fauda
Avi Issacharoff, writer, Fauda
Laëtitia Eïdo, actor, Holy Air and Fauda
Alon Aboutboul, actor, Harmonia and The Harem
Shady Srour, actor/writer/director, Holy Air
Ilan Moskovitch, producer, Holy Air
Guy Amir, actor/writer, Maktub
Hanan Savyon, actor/writer, Maktub
Roni Abramowsky, producer, Maktub
Adar Shafran, producer, Maktub
Yehuda Levi, actor, Mossad 101
Yossi Vassa, writer/actor, Nevsu
Ofer Naim, producer, Operation Egg and Almost Famous
Alon Gur Arye, director, Operation Egg
Anya Bukstein, actor, A Quiet Heart

Jeffrey Tambor has earned deep respect for being one of the most versatile and accomplished character actors in film and television.  He stars in Amazon Studios hit series Transparent, playing family patriarch Mort Pfefferman, who over the course of the show becomes the unforgettable Maura.  Tambor’s groundbreaking performance earned him two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award and a Critics’ Choice Award.  He’s also starred in the Emmy-winning sitcom Arrested Development, playing twin brothers George and Oscar Bluth, and played Hank Kingsley, the self-centered sidekick on HBO's critically acclaimed The Larry Sanders Show.

Tambor will next be seen in the Disney feature Magic Camp directed by Mark Waters opposite Gillian Jacobs and Adam Devine, 55 Steps directed by Billie August opposite Hilary Swank and Helena Bonham Carter, and Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin opposite Steve Buscemi, Olga Kurylenko and Timothy Dalton.  He’s lent his talents to numerous films, Broadway shows and animated features.  His memoir Are You Anybody? was released in May 2017. Tambor lives in New York with his wife Kasia and their four children. 

Lior Ashkenazi is an award winning Israeli screen and stage actor who has received the Ophir Best Actor Award from the Israeli Film Academy twice, for his roles in Late Marriage and Footnote. He was also nominated for that award several other times. The former film premiered in Cannes in 2001, while Joseph Cedar’s Footnote premiered in Cannes in 2011 and won the screenplay award.  It was also nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars.

In 2016 Ashkenazi played opposite Richard Gere in Cedar’s Norman.  His other film credits include Eytan Fox’s Walk on Water and will soon be seen in Foxtrot, Samuel Maoz much-anticipated next film which has been selected as the Israel submission for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2018 Academy Awards.  Ashkenazi is also known for his role in the successful TV series In Treatment.  His latest television role is in the series The Exchange Principle (2016), in which he plays a former police forensic detective living on the streets, that returns to investigate his last case.   He was also nominated for the best actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Australia for his performance in Footnote and won the High Commendation for Best Performance by an Actor in 2012.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMMING

 

FEATURE FILMS:

 

LONGING | געגוע                                                                  

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Savi Gabizon

 A middle-aged Israeli bachelor is forced to evaluate his life choices when he discovers an ex-girlfriend had given birth to his son 20 years before. | 2017, 100 Min  

2017 Israeli Academy Ophir Awards - Best Screenplay                                                                 

2017 Jerusalem Film Festival - Best Script and Audience Award

 

 

THE CAKEMAKER | האופה מברלין                                     

U.S. PREMIERE 

Dir: Ofir Raul Graizer  

A young German baker is having an affair with an Israeli married man who tragically dies in a crash. Keeping his secret, the baker begins work in a small café owned by his lover's widow. His delicious cakes become a success even as he stretches his lie to the point of no return | 2017, 104 Min 

2017 Jerusalem Film Festival Winner – Best Editing, the Lia Van Leer Award

2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Winner – Award of Ecumenical Jury 

 

 

SCAFFOLDING | פיגומים                                                     

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Matan Yair

17-year-old Asher has always been a troublemaker. His strict father sees him as a natural successor to the family's scaffolding business, but Asher finds a different male role model in his gentle literature teacher. Torn between two worlds, Asher seeks a chance at a new identity and life. |

2017, 92 Min

2017 Cannes Film Festival – Official Selection 

2017 Toronto International Film Festival – Official Selection

2017 Jerusalem Film Festival – Best Cinematography, Best Israeli Feature, Best Actor

 

 

MAKTUB |מכתוב                                                                             

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Oded Raz

Two criminals, Steve & Chuma, are the sole survivors of a terrorist attack in Jerusalem. Seeing it as a sign from G-d, they resolve to become flesh-and-blood angels. Stealing notes from the Wailing Wall, they go about fulfilling people’s prayers while being chased by the Israeli mob.|

2016, 100 Min

Guests in Attendance: Writers & Actors Guy Amir and Hanan Savyon, and Producers Roni Abramowsky & Adar Shafran

 

 

THE TESTAMENT |העדות                                                   

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Amichai Greenberg

Yoel, a Holocaust researcher, is in the midst of a legal battle with Austria. He examines testimonies of Holocaust survivors concerning a brutal massacre of Jews—and is shocked to find his mother’s testimony. His unshakable commitment to the truth drives him to carry on even at the cost of destroying his life. | 2017, 93 Min

2017 Venice Film Festival – Winner Orizzonti Competition

2017 Haifa Film Festival - Winner Best Feature Film

 

 

A QUIET HEART |  לב שקט מאוד                                       

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Eitan Anner

Naomi seeks refuge in Jerusalem from the pressures of her life as a concert pianist. Her unlikely friendship with an Orthodox boy and a Italian organist monk allows her to reconnect with her love of music. Unfortunately, these friendships make her a target in a city increasingly dominated by religious fanaticism.| 2016, 92 Min

Guest in Attendance: Anya Bukstein

2016 Grand Prix at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

 

 

HOLY AIR | אוויר קדוש                                                         

L.A. PREMIERE

Dir: Shady Srour

Adam, a Christian Arab and poor businessman, is thoroughly in love with his pregnant wife Lamia. He could really use a break and needs money. On the biblical hilltop Mount Precipice, he embarks on his latest, riskiest business venture: bottling the holy air and selling it to the city’s tourists|2017, 81 Min

2017 Jerusalem Film Festival - Journalists' FIPRESCI prize

2017 Tribeca Film Festival – Official Selection

Guests in Attendance: Director Shady Srour, Producer Ilan Moskovitch & Actor Laëtitia Eïdo

 

 

AN ISRAELI LOVE STORY | סיפור אהבה ארץ ישראלי   

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Dan Wolman

Based on the true love story of Pnina Gary and Eli Ben-Zvi, the son of Israel ‘s Second President. The two fall in love during the turbulent years of pre-state Israel, and they move in together, planning to marry—but Israel's harsh reality intervenes before their wedding day arrives. | 2017, 93 Min

Best Actress Audience Award to main actress Adi Bielski at The Golden Rooster, One Hundred Flower Festival ("The Chinese Oscar")

Guest in Attendance: Director & Producer Dan Wolman

 

 

IN BETWEEN | לא פה ולא שם 

WEST COAST PREMIERE

Dir: Maysaloun Hamoud 

Three modern Palestinian women, freed from their families and the weight of tradition in Tel-Aviv, struggle to be true to themselves. Three stories come together to tell a single tale of conservatism vs. liberalism. The big city offers freedom and independence… but is it worth the price of their identity?| 2016, 103 Min

2017 Israeli Academy Award – Winner Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress

2016 Haifa International Film Festival - The Danny Lerner Award for a Debut Feature Film

2016 Winner - NETPAC Award - Toronto Film Festival 

2016 Winner - Best Film - San Sebastian Film Festival

 

 

HARMONIA |הרמוניה                                                             

WEST COAST PREMIERE

Dir: Ori Sivan

Sarah, the harpist of the Jerusalem Philharmonic, is married to Abraham, the orchestra’s conductor. When a young musician from East Jerusalem named Hagar joins the orchestra, Sarah's world is turned upside-down. The two women’s unique friendship is challenged when Hagar offers to have a baby for Sarah… fathered by Abraham.| 2016, 97 Min

2016 Jerusalem Film Festival – Best Cinematography, Lia Van Leer Award

Guest in Attendance: Actor Alon Aboutboul

 

 

AZIMUTH |אזימוט   

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Mike Burstyn

At the end of The Six Day War of 1967, two soldiers, Egyptian and Israeli, encounter each other in the Sinai desert. Divided by war, they share a common goal: survival. | 2017, 75 Min  

Guests in Attendance: Writer & Director Mike Burstyn, Actors Yiftach Klein and Sammy Sheikh, and Producer Shuki Friedman

 

 

THE COUSIN | הבן דוד                                                         

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Tzahi Grad

Naftali, an open-minded Israeli begins to question his liberal convictions when the Palestinian laborer he hires, Fahed, is suspected of assaulting a local girl. The village spirals into fear and panic. Naftali defends Fahed but finds it difficult as his life spins out of control in this dark comedy. | 2017, 93 Min

2017 Venice Film Festival – Official Selection

2017 Haifa Film Festival – Best Actor 

Guest in Attendance: Producer Ehud Bleiberg 

 

 

BETWEEN THE WORLDS |בין העולמות                             

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Miya Hatav

While caring for her estranged son who was wounded in a terror attack, Bina bonds with Amal, a young Arab woman who turns out to be the secret lover of Bina’s son. Together they learn truth, faith, understanding, acceptance, and a love that replaces fear. | 2016, 84 Min

 

 

ANTENNA |אנטנה                                                               

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Arik Rothstein

Yehoshua, 84 years old, Holocaust survivor, discovers that his neighbor has rented out his roof to a cellular company. Yehoshua becomes obsessed that it is making him ill and wages war with his neighbor. His family gets swept into the battle. They begin to confront their own lives and the dark shadow of Yehoshua’s past.     | 2016, 100 Min

Guest in Attendance: Director Arik Rothstein 

 

 

HEROINE |גיבורה                                                                   

L.A. PREMIERE                                                 

Dir: Atara Frish, Heli Hardy, Yasmin Schryer-Ozary, Shira Pajurski, Shira Porat

Five cinematic short stories, written and directed by five women. Each episode’s title represents the main character’s profession: The Officer, The Babysitter, The Nurse, The Stripper, and The Director, reflecting the heart of each woman.  A cinematic revelation of real women and their choices in 21st Century Israel. | 2017, 87 Min

 

 

EWA | אווה                                                                             

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Haim Tabakman

Ewa, a holocaust survivor, has been married to Yoel for decades. While caring for his ailing wife, Yoel finds a bank note, with Ewa's signature on it, informing him of a lien on a property he owns and never knew about. His investigation will change their lives forever of Ewa's private nature, Yoel investigation of the matter will change their life forever.  | 2016, 82 Min

2016 Tokyo International Film Festival

 

 

AND THEN SHE ARRIVED |ואז היא הגיעה                         

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Roee Florentin

Dan Freilich, a handsome nerd, has his life organized and planned for the next 50 years. He is getting ready to marry his high school sweetheart, Tamar. That’s all you need, right? Apparently not.| 2017, 104 Min  

Guest in Attendance: Actor Michael Aloni  

 

 

INDOORS | חדרי הבית                                                     

WEST COAST PREMIERE

Dir: Eitan Green  

Avraham is a small–time contractor trying to make it big. His career ambitions overshadow his family, until one of his projects finds them drowning in debt. Under the threat of financial ruin, his wife and son come to his aid, helping him rediscover their strength and love for him. | 2016, 109 Min

2016 Jerusalem International Film Festival – Official Selection

 

 

OPERATION EGG |מבצע ביצה                                           

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Alon Gur Arye

In order to win a cooking contest and a big prize, a couple of con men decide to grab a rare eagle’s egg that’s being transferred from the Ramat Gan Safari Park to a venue on the Golan Heights so it can be added to their dish. | 2017, 90 Min

Guests in Attendance: Director Alon Gur Arye & Producer Ofer Naim

 

 

ALMOST FAMOUS |כמעט מפורסמת                                   

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Marco Carmel

A contemporary drama that sensitively describes what it is to be a teen in the world today.  It exposes the price of the glittering lights and what fame does to a young person’s identity, examining what young people dream of being and the courage to choose who they really are. | 2017, 95 Min. 

Guest in Attendance: Producer Ofer Naim

 

 

HOMEPORT | נמל בית                                                 

WEST COAST  PREMIERE

Dir: Erez Tadmor

After years at sea, Aaron returns to the port of Ashdod hoping to reconnect with his kids.  He clashes with his new corrupt boss and falls in love—then is forced to make a cruel choice as he realizes that life on land is more complicated than he thought. | 2016, 95 Min  

2016 Haifa International Film Festival Winner – Best Cinematographer

 

 

DOCUMENTARY FILMS:

 

BEN-GURION, EPILOGUE | בן גוריון, אפילוג    

31IFF OPENING NIGHT GALA PRESENTATION 

Dir: Yariv Mozer

Lost for decades, this interview of an 82 year-old David Ben-Gurion reveals the mind and soul of one of modern history's greatest leaders. Interviewed in his desert home, far from the political fray, his deep reflections provide a surprising vision for today's world leaders and for the future of Israel. | 2016, 70 Min

2017 Ofir Awards – Winner Best Documentary

Guest in Attendance: Director Yariv Mozer

 

 

PHOTO FARAG | פוטו פרג'

L.A. PREMIERE

Dir: Kobi Farag 

A real -life story of the first Iraqi-Jewish family to become a household name in Israel. The Farag family built a hugely successful photography business that revolutionized the way Israelis created and related to pictures. Photo Farag explores the destructive forces within a family determined to leave its mark on Israeli society.| 2017, 77 Min

2017 Silver Award at the Spotlight Documentary Film Awards

 

 

DIMONA TWIST | דימונה טוויסט 

WEST COAST PREMIERE

Dir: Michal Aviad

Dimona Twist combines conversations and rare archival footage of seven women who came to the desert decades ago. Coming from far regions of the world, they share stories full of humor, fashion and sorrow, facing with dignity their struggles to create a rich and meaningful life in the middle of nowhere.

2016, 71 Min

2016 Jerusalem Film Festival – Best Israeli Documentary

 

 

MUHI | מוחי      

WEST COAST PREMIERE                          

Dir: Rina Castelnuovo, Tamir Elterman

For the past seven years Muhi, a brave boy from Gaza and his devoted Muslim grandfather, have been living in an Israeli hospital, unable to return home. Saved by those considered enemies of his people, Muhi’s story transcends identity, religion and the conflict that divides his world.|

2017, 89 Min

2017 Jerusalem Film Festival – Best Documentary 

 

 

WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS |כשהעשן מתפזר  

U.S. PREMIERE

Dir: Rebecca Shore

True stories of young war veterans whose unthinkable battle experiences leave them with life-altering mental and physical scars that disconnect them from society. A revolutionary idea gives them the courage to face their obstacles and pain. Their shared healing and personal growth transforms them into the heroes of their own lives. | 2017, 85 Min

2017 Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival

 

 

TV SERIES:

 

FAUDA | פאודה                                              

WORLD PREMIERE (2nd Season)

Creator:  Avi Issacharoff, Lior Raz

"Fauda” (Arabic for Chaos) is the nail-biting Israeli television series that depicts both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. An undercover Israeli Special Forces unit operates inside Palestinian territories, hunting down terrorists. Hailed for giving both Jewish and Arab characters equal screen time and complex storylines, the second season focuses on real world events. | 2017, 34 Min

2015 Awards of the Israeli Television Academy, Best Drama Series,   Best Cinematography       

Guests in Attendance: Writer & Actor Lior Raz, Writer Avi Issascharoff, and Actor Laëtitia Eïdo 

 

 

MOSSAD 101 | המדרשה                                

U.S. PREMIERE (2nd Season)

Dir: Daniel Syrkin

Creator:  Izrah Harlev, Uri Levron, Daniel Syrkin

After a failed mission abroad, a Mossad agent is recalled to Israel where he is tasked with recruitment and development of a new training program with “out of the box” thinking for the next batch of agents. Mossad focuses on the human side of its agents and their personal experiences.

2017, 42 Min

Guest in Attendance: Actor Yehuda Levi

 

 

YOUR HONOR | כבודו

U.S. PREMIERE

Creator:  Shlomo Moshiah, Ron Ninio

A brilliant judge is on the cusp of a big promotion when his son becomes embroiled in a hit-and-run. The comatose victim is a member of a notorious crime family. This thriller weaves together high-pressure situations and ethical questions. As a parent, what would you do to save your child?

2015, 36 Min

 

 

NEVSU | נבסו

U.S. PREMIERE

Creator:  Yossi Wassa, Shay Ben Atar, Liat Shavit

Gili Chalchau, an Ethiopian-born advertiser, is married to Tamar, an artist and sculptor of Ashkenazi- Polish origin. They are trying to raise their five-year-old child in a healthy environment, despite the prejudices and tensions of the extended family. Each reunion of their families causes differences of opinion and more complications| 2017, 30 Min

Guest in Attendance: Writer & Actor Yossi Vassa

 

 

THE HAREM | הרמון 

U.S. PREMIERE

Creators: Anat Barzili, Hadar Galron

A psychological thriller about a manipulative family father living in polygamy. | 2017,  Min

Guest in Attendance: Actor Alon Aboutboul

 

 

SPECIAL TRIBUTES:

 

LATE SUMMER BLUES | בלוז לחופש הגדול

Dir: Renen Schorr

In 1970s Israel, a group of graduating high school seniors are fulfilling their personal dreams. Under the shadow of a wartime draft and the death of a friend, they turn their graduation ceremony into a pacifist showcase—a celebration of student resistance in the spirit of the musical Hair.|

1987, 101 Min

Won the Silver Menorah Award – for best film, best screenplay and best original score

Israel Film Festivals in New York and Los Angeles - prize for Outstanding Film

 

 

THE TROUPE | הלהקה 

Dir: Avi Nesher

This offbeat musical follows members of a military band whose mission is to entertain the Israeli Army following the Six Day War in 1967. Suffering tensions, romances, heartbreaks and internal fights, they must come together if they are to be crowned the best band.| 1978, 112 Min

 

For 31 years, the Festival has presented over 950 feature films, documentaries, television dramas and short films to close to a million film goers and brought hundreds of Israeli filmmakers to the U.S. to share their art.  The Israel Film Festival is produced by IsraFest Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization created in 1982.  Among the Sponsors of the 31st Israel Film Festival are long-time partners Millennium Media, Adelson Family Foundation, The Hollywood Reporter, Rabinovich Film Project, Israel Film Fund, Variety, Eclipse, Maurice Marciano Family Foundation, Max Webb Foundation, David and Judy Shore Foundation, CAA, Screen International, New Regency, Bank Leumi USA, Four Seasons Hotel, The Orlando Hotel, SLS Hotel, Pacific Holdings, Yvel and the Israel Consulate in Los Angeles, to name a few. 

Ticket sales start OCTOBER 20th
Opening Night Gala VIP Tickets: $150
Opening Night Gala Tickets: $50

To attend the 31st IFF Opening Night Gala, Award Presentation and Screenings of the Israel Film Festival, or to purchase tickets contact IsraFest Foundation:
Office: 310.247.1800 • Email: info@IsraelFilmFestival.org

Visit us at www.IsraelFilmFestival.com