The 2017 Jerusalem Pitch Point

The Jerusalem Film Festival is the home of Israeli cinema. Following the success of past editions, we have decided to continue holding the Festival's professional events under one umbrella – the Festival Industry Days – in which we will hold the Jerusalem Pitch Point, the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab, the “Hop Skip and Jump” pitching for full-length animated films, the Bernstein pitching event for student documentary graduation films, as well as workshops and professional panels, master-classes, rough-cut screenings, and personal meetings.

In recent years, Israeli cinema has achieved much success internationally, both at festivals and commercial screenings. This success owes much to both the thriving film industry and the different international bodies that continue to invest in Israeli feature film coproductions. Such investors include producers, film foundations, sales agents, distributors, and broadcasters in Europe and North America.

The Jerusalem Pitch Point is being held for the 12th year in a row as part of the Jerusalem Film Festival, with the purpose of encouraging coproductions and assisting Israeli filmmakers to realize their vision and tell their story. The Pitch Point is a joint venture of the Festival and the Israel Film Fund, with the cooperation of the Jerusalem Film & Television Fund.

The events will be held at the Jerusalem Cinematheque Industry Lounge, to allow Israeli producers and artists as well as international guests and members of the international film industry to meet, exchange ideas, and initiate professional collaborations; events will also be held at Hansen House.

This year, the Pitch Point awards will be granted to the most promising narrative films in development or in post-production. These awards include:

The Van Leer Award

The DB and Opus Award – Post-Production Lab Services

Cinelab Award – Post-Production Lab Services

The Wouter Barendrecht - Lia van Leer Award

YAPIMLAB Award

7 Projects have been selected to take part in the Pitch Point Competition

Great Light, *“Shtuka Sanook”

Asia, Gum Films

Decompression, KM Productions

King Khat, Daroma Productions

Milk, Green Productions

When the Hinds do Calve, Cassis Films

Wise Hassan, Majdal Films

4 Projects have been selected to take part in the Work in Progress Framework

Echoes, Dori Media Paran

Fig Tree, Black Sheep Film Productions Ltd.

No Future, Laila Films

Red Heifer, Laila Films

Guests:

Mike Goodridge – CEO – Protagonist Pictures – UK

Matthijs Wouter Knol - Director of the European Film Market – Berlinale – Germany

Maria Köpf - Managing Director at Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein - Germany

Dylan Leiner - Executive Vice President, Acquisitions & Production - Sony Pictures Classics – USA

Tanja Meissner – Head of International Sales & Acquisitions  - Memento Films International – France

Michal Steinberg - Executive Vice President Business Affairs - Global Film Group – Entertainment One – USA

Meinolf Zurhorst -  Head of the ARTE Film Department, ZDF – Germany