The DocAviv festival for docu-documentaries will be held this year for the 25th time, between the dates of May 11-20 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and throughout the city. A selection of the festival’s films will be available to watch online on the DocAviv website starting May 17. As every year, the festival will screen Israeli and international films on the subjects of freedom, equality and democracy.
At the festival, the Frank Law Award for the best Israeli film will be awarded in the amount of 70,000 NIS, and in addition the winning film will receive a financial grant of 100,000 NIS on behalf of DocAviv for the marketing and promotion of the film in preparation for the Oscar race. This is the largest financial award in Israel for a documentary work. In addition, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor’s Award for Debut Films, the Jury Award courtesy of Harel Investments in Insurance and Financial Services, the Yossi Kaufman Award for Directing, the Editing Award, the Photography Award, and the Research Award will also be awarded as part of the competition, and for the first time, the Felicia Blumenthal Association Award will be awarded for creating the soundtrack.
Again this year, a prize of NIS 50,000 will be given – “The Keder Prize for the Israeli Storyteller” – for a documentary film inspired by the history of the Israeli state and society. The prize is awarded by the Keder Foundation for Culture, Art and Science, founded by Dr. Avraham Keder. The winning film will be selected Among the films of the Israeli program.
For the Israeli competition, 13 new films by Israeli filmmakers were selected which present unique, rich and diverse documentary work. The selected films are: “Inbal Perlmutter – if it’s over”a portrait film about the life and work of Inbal Perlmutter, a groundbreaking artist and local rock legend, Cancer by Abigail Shaferber and Sharon Luzon (yes doco); “Ribbon in the chin” Directed by Kobi Farage and Maurice Ben-Mior, a historical and contemporary look at Dizengoff Center, the place that has become much more than a symbol of Tel Aviv (HOT8); “1948” by the director Neta Shoshani (here 11) about the founding war of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from the perspectives of the people who lived it then and are living it today; “The Rebellion of Amos” by director Dan Shador, a moving portrait of the founder of the drug-trafficking network community “Telegrass” (yes docu); “Doomsday” by Guy Davidi, the story of young men who enlisted in the army despite the alienation they felt towards him and against the dictates of their conscience (HOT8); “Prisoner X”which follows Michal as she searches for answers to the mystery of her life in video interviews with the biggest psychopaths in the world, a film by Limor Panchasov (here 11); “The Orchestra”the story of the “Israeli Broadcasting House” radio station, which engaged in propaganda in Arab countries directed by Ofer Panhasov (yes docu); “The Madrasah” (here 11) Tal Becher and Yair Agmon’s film about the rise and fall of the “Midrashya” – the mother of high school yeshivas in Israel (here 11); “The lowest bar”a film by Noor Pivak in which four actors reveal an investigation file about sexual abuse suffered by the director of the film in her childhood (yes docu); “observation log”a journey following the diaries of Amit Gefen, a boy who was an avid ornithologist, by the director Itai Marom; “Lies I Told Myself” by the director Yafim Garboy, a family cinematic journey about love, lies, betrayals and everything in between (here 11); “Zipora and Rachel are not dead”Cancer by Hadar Morg and Tahl Ran, which follows Tahl who convinces her sister to leave Abarbanal and move in with her, after 30 years of attempts; “light bulbs” of Matan Ben Mora, about a woman who lives with 500 bats in a shelter she set up for them and for every abandoned animal that comes her way.
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In the Beyond the Screen competition by Ilana Tzur, the Israeli films will compete: “Wedding Night” directed by Rachel Elitzur, which deals with the wedding night which is the night of all nights in ultra-Orthodox society (yes doku); “From the Depths I Call You” by Yaron Zilberman, a moving human journey of eight participants who experienced harm sexually in childhood.
As part of Panorama, the films will be screened: “The 50 Weeks and 5 Days of Yossi Sharid as Minister of Education” by Avida Livni; the ever-relevant life story of the eternal oppositionist who refused to compromise (HOT8); “The end of the season of love” by the director Shay Gal, which describes a funny, painful and surprising family journey of breaking up a relationship after 55 years (yes docu); “Incoming Call” by Sharon Ya’ish and Golan Raiz, a first look at the dramas that take place in Aran’s aid lines (yes docu); “Secularism – Religion and State” directed by Anat Zeltzer – an episode in the series about the story of Israeli secularism (here 11); “Life And death in Lod”, a film by Hila Medalia, about the fate of three families that became intertwined, as a result of a vicious cycle of violence in the mixed city of Lod.
“Life and death in Lod” (photo: Avner Shaf)As part of the music film program, the films “Pulikar, the child in me” by Etti Ante and Viniv Amdoi will be screened, which presents openly documented encounters with rare intimacy, without a trace of stuttering. This is a direct internal look, beautiful and full of self-acceptance, as never seen before (yes Doku); “Days of Pick” by director Shai Lahav in collaboration with Ron Omer, about the dramatic life story of Zvika Pick, Israel’s first pop star who never let his downfalls interfere with the fact that he is king. Consists of rare archive footage and interviews, including with Peake himself, just before his death (yes docu).
“Days of the Pick” (Photo: Gabriel Beharlia)As part of art and culture films, we will screen: “The Activist” by Benjamin Freidenberg, which describes the topical life story of Karl Marx, the man who never stops changing the world (here 11); “Nurit Aviv – A Woman with a Camera” directed by Zohar Burnett – the groundbreaking story of filmmaker Nurit Aviv.
This year, 11 films from the best art and film schools in Israel were selected for the student film competition: from the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television – Tel Aviv University, Levatnik Foundation – “Gorda” by Hillel Rata; “Blind Spot” by Bar Meyer; without conditions” by Neta Fat Ben-Yitzchak. From the Uri Elitzur Ma’ale Film and Television School – “The Gun” directed by Shaya Chesner and Nahar Cohen’s Birthing Ropes; From Camera Obscura – “Golda’s Prince” directed by Roy Sebo; From Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem – “Girl (with the) Evil” by Shelli Shalu; Mesem Spiegel – School of Cinematic Creation – “Rejoicing” directed by Yasmin Sheft and Amit Gabish, “Moments” before bedtime by Fabio Silberman will be prepared; From Mansher College of Art – “The Gospel according to Ellen” directed by Jordan Malka Bona and from the School of Sound and Screen Arts Sapir College “118” – a grouping of documentary animation films by various creators.
Championship in the Jewish state
As part of the festival, a tribute evening will be held to creator and media personality Modi Bar-On, who passed away a year ago. Actors, creators, artists and intellectuals salute Modi’s special work in Israeli culture. In the films and documentary series he created together with Anat Seltzer, in the sketches and personal columns he wrote, in the unique television programs he edited and presented on the Sports Channel, and more. Among the participants in the event: Aya Zahavi Feiglin, Alon Idan, Assi Yisraelof, Geva Alon, Doval’a Navon, Hami Rodner, Yosef El Dror, Israel Katorza, Miri Nebo, Menashe Noy, Keren Mor and others
Editors: Etti Ante-Segav and Anat Seltzer
The event was initiated and sponsored by the Kader Foundation for Culture, Art and Science, founded by Dr. Avraham Kader.
Moody Bar On (Photo: Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90)“Do you agree that I take a picture of you?”
A collection of three debut films by women filmmakers from Arab society, initiated and supported by the new Film and Television Fund, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The documentaries were created in a mentoring and incubator process led by director Michal Aharonson and they bring different angles, on the personal, the family and the social in the Arab society in Israel, from the perspectives of three young women: “Something of my own/My own to me” by Rosalin Agbaria; “My support/Akazi” by Arkan Hosseini; “A drop in the sea / نُنقة بِبَحر” by Malak Aruk.
Pre-sale of tickets for the festival at a discounted price has opened on the DocAviv website