International Haifa Film Festival opens
Despite budgetary problems, Haifa Film Festival celebrated its 25th year, awarding excellence prize to American actor Elliot Gould. President Peres sends note calling for greater efforts to be made to promote Israeli cinema
The Haifa Film Festival marked its 25th year Saturday with a festive ceremony.
"We've traveled a long way since the founding of the international film festival tradition in Haifa and the cinema in Israel. We started as a small event with a communal character and developed into an internationally acclaimed festival," said Pnina Blayer, the festival's director.
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Elliot Gould. Happy to be here (Photo: Moran Shavit)
Many representatives of the Israeli film industry arrived in Haifa to take part in the festivals. While Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat did not attend the event, President Shimon Peres sent a warm note in which he regretted not being able to attend, yet said he sees the festival as an opportunity to "praise the magnificent achievements of Israeli Cinema, which reflects the character of Israeli society and its pluralism.
"The Israeli cinema is successful despite the world's cultural boycott," Peres wrote, adding that "films made following the Lebanon War, such as "Beaufort", "Waltz with Bashir" and "Lebanon" received massive acclaim not for being war movies, but as movies that highlight personal stories and raise difficult human dilemmas .
"Hollywood took part in making the United States influential no less than Washington. Cinema can create opportunities just as much as the political scene, and greater efforts must be made to promote it."
Continuing its annual tradition, the film festival awarded a special prize for excellence and contribution to global cinema, which was awarded this year to the festival's guest of honor, American actor Elliot Gould. Gould was received on stage with a big round of applause, saying "to be Jewish and receive an invitation to come here is a great opportunity."
Another award for contribution to Israeli cinema was given to director, scriptwriter and producer Avi Nesher. Nesher, upon receiving his prize, recalled what he used to say to his students at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School: "Don’t try to make a successful movie. FolloW your inner truth…I share this honor with the people who have bonded with me, old and new alike. Without their determination the dream could not have been realized."
The international Haifa Film Festival will run through October 10. The festival will screen 150 films from over 40 countries, among them the new films by Woody Allen, Lars Von Trier, Werner Herzog and Nora Ephron. For its opening night, the festival screened Ang Lee's new film "Taking Woodstock".
