2011 Festival

7-16.7.2011

Opening Film: Super 8 Dir.: J.J. Abrams  

The winner of the Haggiag Family Award for Israeli Cinema Best Full-Length Feature is Restoration, directed by Joseph Madmoni, and produced by Chaim Sharir

The winner of the Van Leer Award for Israeli Cinema for Best Documentary Film is The Law in these Parts, directed by Ra’anan Alexandrowicz and produced by Liran Atzmor

Following are the winning films in the Festival competition:

 FULL-LENGTH FEATURE AWARDS

The Haggiag Award for Best Full-Length Feature Film, in the amount of NIS 100,000,goes to director Joseph Madmoni and producer Chaim Sharir for the film Restoration.

Jury statement:

For its exploration of fatherhood in its many manifestations – tender, angry and finally hopeful – in a highly original and moving context.

The Van Leer Group Foundation Audience Choice Award for Best Full-Length Feature, in the amount of NIS 10,000, goes to director Ami Drozd and producers Marek Rozenbaum, Itai Tamir, Michael Rozenbaum, Dariusz Jablonski, Violetta Kaminska, and Izabela Wojcikl for the film My Australia.

The Pirchi Family Awardin Memory of Anat Pirchi for Best Director, in the amount of 70,000 NIS, goes to director Hagar Ben-Asher, for the film The Slut.

The Van Leer Group Foundation Award for Best First/Second Feature Film, in the amount of NIS 35,0000 goes to director Hadar Friedlich, for the film Beautiful Valley.

The Gottlieb Award for Best Screenplay in a Full-Length Feature in the amount of NIS 13,000 goes to scriptwriter Nadav Lapid, for the film The Policeman.

The Haggiag Family Award for Best Actress, in the amount of NIS 10,000, goes to Nataly Attiya and Moran Rosenblatt, for their roles in Lipstikka.

The Haggiag Family Award for Best Actor, in the amount of NIS 10,000, goes to Gur Bentwich, for his role in Off-White Lies.

The Haggiag Family Awardfor Editing in the amount of 10,000 NIS, goes to Ayala Bengad, for editing work on the film Restoration.

The Haggiag Family Award for Music in the amount of 10,000 NIS, goes to Avi Belleli, for his work on the film Restoration.

The Van Leer Group Foundation Award for Cinematography in a Full-Length Film in the amount of 10,000 NIS, goes to Shai Goldman, for his work on the film Restoration.

Members of the Jury:

Eitan Evan Producer & Head of Israel’s Producer’s Guild; Mike Goodridge Editor of Screen International; Michel Reilhac Executive Director of ARTE France Cinéma; Richard Schickel Author, film critic, and director-writer-producer; Tali Shalom Ezer Director and scriptwriter.

DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARDS

The Van Leer Group Foundation Award for Best Documentary Film, in the amount of 35,000 NIS, goes to Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, for the film The Law in these Parts.

Jury statement:

This is an important achievement in documentary filmmaking. In an even handed way, this film reveals the process through which both the law and documentary are constructed. In so doing it invites audiences to question what we typically take for granted. It is a film for the big screen as well as small.

The Best Director of a Documentary Film Award, in the amount of 20,000 NIS, goes to Arnon Goldfinger, for the film The Flat.

This is a beautifully composed film about uncomfortable truths and the challenge of confronting them. Mr. Goldfinger undertakes expert research and leads us through his findings in a way that is not only gentle and sensitive, but also compelling and creative.

Honorable Mentions go to The Dolphin, directed by Dani Menkin and Yonatan Nir and Ameer Got his Gun, directed by Naomi Levari.

Jury statement:

A film that lusts for complexity and has the technical skills to realize them. Large issues are compressed in a very small space – a border checkpoint with tragic consequences.

For its powerful portrayal of teasing adolescent sexuality and its failure to realize the consequences of flirtatious games.

THE JERUSALEM PITCH POINT

The Jerusalem Pitch Point is a meeting place for Israeli filmmakers and producers with key-members of the international film industry, to encourage and promote international co-productions with Israeli full-length fiction feature films.

The 6th Jerusalem Pitch Point winners:

Zero Motivation, July August Productions. Director: Talya Lavie. Producers: Eylon Ratkovsky and Yochanan Kredo.

Three Sisters, Eran Riklis Productions. Director: Suha Arraf. Producer: Eran Riklis.

THE “IN THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM” AWARDS IN MEMORY OF WIM VAN LEER

The Nathan Cummings Foundation Award, in the amount of $4,000, goes to director Paula Markovitch, for the feature film, The Prize.

Jury statement:

“For her fascinating artistic ability based upon the director’s autobiography, emphasizing the feeling of anxiety, detachment, and persecution of the mother and daughter under the repressive fascist regime of 1970s Argentina. For making use of unique cinematic means, Markovitch succeeds in reaching emotional intimacy with the characters while motivating the actors specifically the young girl in the main role, in a touching and convincing manner.”

The Ostrovsky Family Foundation Award, in the amount of $2,000, goes to director Marina Goldovskaya, for the documentary film, A Bitter Taste of Freedom.

Jury statement:

“For the fascinating documentation of the life and death of Anna Politkovskaya, the brave journalist who fearlessly set out against Russia’s higher powers during the war in Chechnya in order to deliver her message of truth. The film is a clear warning against the violence of power and intolerance of a society that strangles the rights of the individual with excuses of existential fear.”

Honorable Mentions go to Ali Samadi Ahadi for The Green Wave and to Nurit Kedar for the film Concrete.

The Members of the Jury:

Daphne Merkin Writer and cultural critic; Gidi Orsher Teacher and film critic; Yael Perlov Editor and producer of feature and documentary films and projects.

THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE AWARDS ENDOWED BY LEON AND MICHAELA CONSTANTINER

The Lia Award,presented by the Joan Sourasky-Constantiner Holocaust Multimedia Research Center of the Jerusalem Cinematheque, in the amount of $3000, goes to director Joseph Dorman, for the film Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness.

Jury remarks:

“There is nothing more whole than a broken Jewish heart, says Menachem Mendl of Kotzk. The director cleverly interweaves the deep Jewish experience along with the personal and communal experience. The film leads the viewer along an epic description of the Jewish community in Eastern Europe, from the old world to the new world, through the fascinating portrait of Sholem Aleichem, one of the great Jewish writers of the modern era.”

The Avner Shalev Yad Vashem Chairman’s Award, presented by the Yad Vashem Visual Center, in the amount of $3,000 goes to director Marcus Rosenmuller, for the film Wunderkinder.

Jury remarks:

“The film is dedicated to the memory of half a million Jewish children who perished during the Holocaust and tells the story of the friendship between children growing up during the darkest time of the Jewish people. Their story is told in an unusual and delicate manner that steers away from banality. The choice to include children in each one of the film’s scenes is commended for its thought and natural execution. We also commend the choice of the Jewish family to hide a German family and vice-versa. ”

An Honorable Mention goes to Britta Wauer for In Heaven, Underground: The Weissensee Jewish Cemetery.

Members of the Jury:

FORUM FOR THE PRESERVATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL MEMORY IN ISRAEL AWARD

The Forum for the Preservation of Audio-Visual Memory Award, courtesy of Craig Emmanuel and the Friends of the Jerusalem Cinematheque, USA, in the amount of 10,000 NIS, goes to Matej Minac, for Nicky’s Family.

Jury remarks:

“The filmmakers succeeded in making intelligent, precise, and clear use of archival materials that were collected from many and varied sources. The archival materials were artistically intertwined alongside the historical reconstruction of this wonderful and heartwarming story portrayed in this humane and monumental film. The archives, the drama, and the testimonials combine in an unusual collage. The clever use of color in the archival films creates a differentiation between the Nazi enemy, which is painted in a cold blue tone versus the victims and their saviors, whose shades appear in warm brown tonalities. The subtitles appearing in the body of the picture aid the viewer to situate the events within the archival materials.

Honorable Mentions goes to Duki Dror for Incessant Visions and Tiffany Shlain for Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death and Technology.

The winner of the Haggiag Family Award for Israeli Cinema Best Full-Length Feature is Restoration, directed by Joseph Madmoni, and produced by Chaim Sharir

The winner of the Van Leer Award for Israeli Cinema for Best Documentary Film is The Law in these Parts, directed by Ra’anan Alexandrowicz and produced by Liran Atzmor

Following are the winning films in the Festival competition:

FULL-LENGTH FEATURE AWARDS

The Haggiag Award for Best Full-Length Feature Film, in the amount of NIS 100,000, goes to director Joseph Madmoni and producer Chaim Sharir for the film Restoration.

Jury statement:

For its exploration of fatherhood in its many manifestations – tender, angry and finally hopeful – in a highly original and moving context.

The Van Leer Group Foundation Audience Choice Award for Best Full-Length Feature, in the amount of NIS 10,000, goes to director Ami Drozd and producers Marek Rozenbaum, Itai Tamir, Michael Rozenbaum, Dariusz Jablonski, Violetta Kaminska, and Izabela Wojcikl for the film My Australia.

The Pirchi Family Award in Memory of Anat Pirchi for Best Director, in the amount of 70,000 NIS, goes to director Hagar Ben-Asher, for the film The Slut.

The Van Leer Group Foundation Award for Best First/Second Feature Film, in the amount of NIS 35,0000 goes to director Hadar Friedlich, for the film Beautiful Valley.

The Gottlieb Award for Best Screenplay in a Full-Length Feature in the amount of NIS 13,000 goes to scriptwriter Nadav Lapid, for the film The Policeman.

The Haggiag Family Award for Best Actress, in the amount of NIS 10,000, goes to Nataly Attiya and Moran Rosenblatt, for their roles in Lipstikka.

The Haggiag Family Award for Best Actor, in the amount of NIS 10,000, goes to Gur Bentwich, for his role in Off-White Lies.

The Haggiag Family Award for Editing in the amount of 10,000 NIS, goes to Ayala Bengad, for editing work on the film Restoration.

The Haggiag Family Award for Music in the amount of 10,000 NIS, goes to Avi Belleli, for his work on the film Restoration.

The Van Leer Group Foundation Award for Cinematography in a Full-Length Film in the amount of 10,000 NIS, goes to Shai Goldman, for his work on the film Restoration.

Members of the Jury:

Eitan Evan Producer & Head of Israel’s Producer’s Guild; Mike Goodridge Editor of Screen International; Michel Reilhac Executive Director of ARTE France Cinéma; Richard Schickel Author, film critic, and director-writer-producer; Tali Shalom Ezer Director and scriptwriter.

DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARDS

The Van Leer Group Foundation Award for Best Documentary Film, in the amount of 35,000 NIS, goes to Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, for the film The Law in these Parts.

Jury statement:

This is an important achievement in documentary filmmaking. In an even handed way, this film reveals the process through which both the law and documentary are constructed. In so doing it invites audiences to question what we typically take for granted. It is a film for the big screen as well as small.

This is a beautifully composed film about uncomfortable truths and the challenge of confronting them. Mr. Goldfinger undertakes expert research and leads us through his findings in a way that is not only gentle and sensitive, but also compelling and creative.

Honorable Mentions go to The Dolphin, directed by Dani Menkin and Yonatan Nir and Ameer Got his Gun, directed by Naomi Levari.

Jury statement:

A film that lusts for complexity and has the technical skills to realize them. Large issues are compressed in a very small space – a border checkpoint with tragic consequences.

For its powerful portrayal of teasing adolescent sexuality and its failure to realize the consequences of flirtatious games.

THE JERUSALEM PITCH POINT

The Jerusalem Pitch Point is a meeting place for Israeli filmmakers and producers with key-members of the international film industry, to encourage and promote international co-productions with Israeli full-length fiction feature films.

The 6th Jerusalem Pitch Point winners:

Zero Motivation, July August Productions. Director: Talya Lavie. Producers: Eylon Ratkovsky and Yochanan Kredo.

Three Sisters, Eran Riklis Productions. Director: Suha Arraf. Producer: Eran Riklis.

THE “IN THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM” AWARDS IN MEMORY OF WIM VAN LEER

The Nathan Cummings Foundation Award, in the amount of $4,000, goes to director Paula Markovitch, for the feature film, The Prize.

Jury statement:

“For her fascinating artistic ability based upon the director’s autobiography, emphasizing the feeling of anxiety, detachment, and persecution of the mother and daughter under the repressive fascist regime of 1970s Argentina. For making use of unique cinematic means, Markovitch succeeds in reaching emotional intimacy with the characters while motivating the actors specifically the young girl in the main role, in a touching and convincing manner.”

The Ostrovsky Family Foundation Award, in the amount of $2,000, goes to director Marina Goldovskaya, for the documentary film, A Bitter Taste of Freedom.

Jury statement:

“For the fascinating documentation of the life and death of Anna Politkovskaya, the brave journalist who fearlessly set out against Russia’s higher powers during the war in Chechnya in order to deliver her message of truth. The film is a clear warning against the violence of power and intolerance of a society that strangles the rights of the individual with excuses of existential fear.”

Honorable Mentions go to Ali Samadi Ahadi for The Green Wave and to Nurit Kedar for the film Concrete.

The Members of the Jury:

Daphne Merkin Writer and cultural critic; Gidi Orsher Teacher and film critic; Yael Perlov Editor and producer of feature and documentary films and projects.

THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE AWARDS ENDOWED BY

LEON AND MICHAELA CONSTANTINER

The Lia Award, presented by the Joan Sourasky-Constantiner Holocaust Multimedia Research Center of the Jerusalem Cinematheque, in the amount of $3000, goes to director Joseph Dorman, for the film Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness.

Jury remarks:

“There is nothing more whole than a broken Jewish heart, says Menachem Mendl of Kotzk. The director cleverly interweaves the deep Jewish experience along with the personal and communal experience. The film leads the viewer along an epic description of the Jewish community in Eastern Europe, from the old world to the new world, through the fascinating portrait of Sholem Aleichem, one of the great Jewish writers of the modern era.”

The Avner Shalev Yad Vashem Chairman’s Award, presented by the Yad Vashem Visual Center, in the amount of $3,000 goes to director Marcus Rosenmuller, for the film Wunderkinder.

Jury remarks:

“The film is dedicated to the memory of half a million Jewish children who perished during the Holocaust and tells the story of the friendship between children growing up during the darkest time of the Jewish people. Their story is told in an unusual and delicate manner that steers away from banality. The choice to include children in each one of the film’s scenes is commended for its thought and natural execution. We also commend the choice of the Jewish family to hide a German family and vice-versa. ”

An Honorable Mention goes to Britta Wauer for In Heaven, Underground: The Weissensee Jewish Cemetery.

Members of the Jury:

FORUM FOR THE PRESERVATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL MEMORY IN ISRAEL AWARD

The Forum for the Preservation of Audio-Visual Memory Award, courtesy of Craig Emmanuel and the Friends of the Jerusalem Cinematheque, USA, in the amount of 10,000 NIS, goes to Matej Minac, for Nicky’s Family.

Jury remarks:

“The filmmakers succeeded in making intelligent, precise, and clear use of archival materials that were collected from many and varied sources. The archival materials were artistically intertwined alongside the historical reconstruction of this wonderful and heartwarming story portrayed in this humane and monumental film. The archives, the drama, and the testimonials combine in an unusual collage. The clever use of color in the archival films creates a differentiation between the Nazi enemy, which is painted in a cold blue tone versus the victims and their saviors, whose shades appear in warm brown tonalities. The subtitles appearing in the body of the picture aid the viewer to situate the events within the archival materials.

Honorable Mentions goes to Duki Dror for Incessant Visions and Tiffany Shlain for Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death and Technology.