Jerusalem Film Festival|Israel Festivals

Jerusalem Film Festival, July 2009

The Jerusalem Film Festival (Hebrew: פסטיבל הקולנוע ירושלים‎) is an international film festival held annually in Jerusalem. The festival was the brainchild of Lia van Leer, who inaugurated it on May 17, 1984. Feature films and documentaries from all over the world are screened, and awards are presented in many categories.

##History

Gila Almagor and Claude Lanzmann at Jerusalem film festival, 2010

After serving as a judge at the Cannes film festival, Lia van Leer decided to organize a similar event in Israel. Jeanne Moreau, Lillian Gish, Warren Beatty and John Schlesinger arrived in Israel to attend the debut.

In 1989, van Leer persuaded American philanthropist Jack Wolgin to set up a competition bearing his name for the best Israeli films. The Wolgin Prize has become the country's most prestigious feature film award.

In 2008, van Leer, 84, stepped down as director of the festival and turned the job over to a new CEO, Ilan de Vries.

##Awards

Competitions at the festival include the Wolgin Award for Israeli Cinema, the Anat Pirchi Drama Award, the Spirit of Freedom Awards, the Forum for the Preservation of Audio-Visual Memory in Israel Award for the Creative use of Archival Footage and the FIPRESCII competition for first time filmmakers.