During the international film festival that will take place on Sukkot in Haifa, 50 new Israeli films will be screened in various settings – the Israeli cinema competition and the Israeli short film competition, premieres of Israeli series will be shown and special events for Israeli classics will be held
Published on: 6.9.22 12:55
50 new Israeli films and two premiere screenings of television series will be screened during the 38th International Film Festival which will take place on Sukkot – October 8-17.
The Israeli Cinema Competition
As part of the Israeli film competition, seven new feature films will be screened: “Virgins” directed by Maor Zagouri; “The Gospel According to Yehuda”, which is based on the book by Amos Oz, directed by Dan Wellman; “The good soul” directed by Eitan Aner; “My Neighbor Adolf” directed by Leon Prodovsky; “The Fat” directed by Gudis Schneider; “Valeria is getting married” directed by Michal Vinik; and “Nobody’s Children” directed by Erez Tadmor.
Eight films will participate in the Israeli documentary film competition: “44 Hours” directed by Rotem Gross; “We will never part” directed by Alon Gor Aryeh; “Empty Hands” directed, written and produced by Moriah Ben Avot; “Bronka!” Directed by Tomer and Shlomo Slutsky; “Nitza’s Choice” directed by Uri Barbash; “Live in the movie” directed by Amit Miller and Miri Orman; “Full Hands” directed by Efrat Livy; and “Honey Trap” directed by Elmwerk and Kobi Davidian.
“Virgins” (Photo: Boaz Yonatan Yaakov)
Israeli short film competition
33 short films will participate in the Israeli short film competition this year, which are divided into three categories: the competition for short student films, the competition for short independent films and the competition for short animated films. The winning film in the Israeli short film contest in the short feature independent film category will be screened before the members of the American Academy and will compete for a place on the Oscar short film shortlist.
Premiere screenings for Israeli series
The festival will feature premieres of two Israeli television series: “Who heard about Hava and Nava?” – a comedy drama from the creators of “My Successful Sisters” directed by Guri Alfi for yes; “The Mandate” – a documentary mini-series of three episodes here 11 which illuminates in a new way the period of the British Mandate in the Land of Israel and the decisive years in shaping the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the entire modern Middle East. Directors: Yaron Nisky and Avi Mercado.
Special Events
“Corridors of Power” by director Dror Mora who continues to explore the corridors of power. His new film provides an in-depth examination of how American leaders have responded to reports of genocide and crimes against humanity since the fall of the Soviet Union, when the United States stood as the world’s lone superpower. “Corridors of Power” combines intensive in-depth interviews with personalities such as Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, Jim Baker, Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell and Anthony Blinkin, and many others who were in the same rooms in the Corridors of Power, together with rare archival material from the field and photographs exceptions from the rooms during the discussions, which have not been seen until today.
“Shear of the flowers – Bab al-Ward” by HDirected by Haim Bouzaglo and with the participation of Arik Mashali, Int Cohen, Haim Zanati, Raymond Amsalem, Hila Saada, Albert Iloz, Sasha Demidov, Itzik Zohar, Zeev Varach and Mittal Faran. It is a dramatic and neo-realistic Moroccan-speaking comedy, centered on the Vaknin family – a Moroccan Jewish family that immigrated to the picturesque town of Bab al-Ward, which is an imaginary town that unites the entire periphery. The film shows moments of laughter alongside moments of crying and a daily existential war, when the characters do live in Israel but their hearts are still in Morocco.
“One Language” – world premiere screening of the film directed and written by Assaf Ben Shetrit. Does music have the power to break down borders and walls and bring souls together? In 2017, Ben Shatrit was invited to a concert by Israeli and Palestinian teenagers. He was so impressed by the effort to break the cycle of suspicion and fear that he has since devoted his time to making the documentary “Prophets of Change”. This is a film about music, coexistence and everything in between.
Tribute to the Steve Tisch Film and Television School
The Haifa Festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Steve Tisch School of Cinema and Television at Tel Aviv University and invites the audience to a special and festive gathering of a journey through time, to the works of the final films of the best people in the Israeli industry. The screening will take place in the presence of the creators and accompanied by exciting and nostalgic stories from the process of working on the films. “Lazardan” directed by Menashe Noy (1989); “Tasnim” directed by Ilit Zakzar (2010); “Shaanan Shia” directed by Ari Pullman and Uri Sion (1991); “Idle” directed by Michal Vinik (2011); and “Lily” directed by Livna Hakim (1990).
Restoration of an Israeli classic
“Wedding in Jerusalem” directed and produced by Ranan Shor was the opening film of the 1985 Haifa Festival. It documents the wedding night of Uri Zohar’s son with Eric Einstein’s daughter and the meeting between the two in-laws, one of the prominent representatives of Israeli culture. In 2022, after the death of Einstein and Zohar, Schor made a renewed restoration of the film dedicated to their memory. The restoration will premiere in the creators’ class.
“Jellyfish” directed by Shira Gefen and Etgar Keret presents the story of three women whose lives are shaken by a sudden change. The film about its three stories, which deals with longing, echoes each other and drains into Tel Aviv, earned its creators three awards at the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The event will take place in the creators’ class.
* The Haifa International Film Festival is held with the support of the Israel Film Council – the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Regional Cooperation and the Haifa Municipality. The festival is produced by Atos – the Haifa Art, Culture and Sports Society, and its artistic director is Yaron Shamir
“My neighbor Adolf” (photo: Radek Ledzok)