25th Israel Film Festival opens in LA

Special Honorees Richard Dreyfuss, Ryan Kavanaugh, Jon Landau and Avi Lerner to receive awards at gala dinner

Ynetnews |Published: 10.19.10 , 13:28

Enriching the American vision of Israeli life and culture through the powerful medium of film, the Israel Film Festival has definitively become the largest showcase of Israeli films in the United States.

The year 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of this much acclaimed Israeli showcase that celebrates a quarter-century of Israeli cinema in the United States, and today the film festival announced its most dynamic program since its founding.

Encompassing over 30 titles, including award winning features, documentaries and television programs, the Festival runs from October 20 to November 4 in Los Angeles.

The opening night film is the West Coast premiere of Avi Nesher’s "The Matchmaker" (previously titled as "Once I Was"), which just recently won two Ophir Awards from the Israeli Film and Television Academy (the Israeli Oscars) for Best Actor and Best Actress by Adir Miller and Maya Dagan, respectively, as announced by Meir Fenigstein, the Founder/Executive Director of the Israel Film Festival.

The 2010 Israel Film Festival will begin its milestone anniversary year with a Gala Awards Dinner, honoring Richard Dreyfuss with the Career Achievement Award; Ryan Kavanaugh with the Outstanding Achievement in Film Award; Jon Landau with the Visionary Award; and Avi Lerner with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

'Noteworthy array of talent'

“We are proud and honored to celebrate both terrific, award-winning films and creative thinkers at this year’s milestone Festival,” said Fenigstein. “We have assembled a noteworthy array of talent both in front of and behind the cameras, whose artistry, vision and achievements are legendary around the world, but particularly in the United States and Israel.”

In the last two and a half decades, the Festival has presented more than 800 feature films, documentaries, television dramas and short films to over 900,000 filmgoers and brought hundreds of Israeli filmmakers to the US to share their art.

The Israel Film Festival is produced by IsraFest Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization created in 1982. The Festival’s mission is to showcase the finest new Israeli films in order to share with American audiences the country’s rich culture, diverse stories and modern Israeli life.

The 25th Festival chairman is Arnon Milchan; the dinner co-chairs are Danny Dimbort and Cheryl and Haim Saban. The Honorary Committee includes Avi Arad, Mark Canton, Gil Cates, Michael Douglas, Meyer Gottlieb, Penny Marshall, David Matalon, Mike Medavoy, Bette Midler, Rob Reiner, Terry Semel, Nina Tassler, and many others. Proceeds from the Gala Awards Dinner will provide funds to support the IsraFest Foundation and scholarship funds at the top six film schools in Israel.