Cultural exchange is an integral part of the Haifa International Film Festival with international members of the film industry conducting master classes and workshops, screenings of films and programs encouraging the development and promotion of Israeli films worldwide.
British Shorts – British Animation Showcase 2010 is the first part of a three year project of the British Council in partnership with the festival to promote short films. Animation consultant for the project is Tsvika Oren, and it is produced by Ruth Lev Ari and Gitit Wainer. In addition to screenings, three British animators will conduct master classes during the festival: Jonathan Hodgson, Peter Baynton and J.P. Vine.
New this year at the Haifa International Film Festival is the First Haifa Israeli CineMarket, directed by Ruth Lev Ari and produced by Gitit Wainer. A complementary program to Our Story – 7th International Pitching Forum, CineMarket will include a showcase of new Israeli cinema and screenings of works in progress. The Geyer Award – a 25,000 Euro post production grant will be awarded to a work in progress, by CinePostProduction. The events will take place at the Dan Panorama Hotel and Beit Hecht.
The international pitching forum, now in its 7th year, will include one on one training session with Judy Counihan, author of “The Pitch” and Jean-Luc Van Damme, on Friday, September 24, followed by an Open Pitch seminar by Counihan. A round table launching the new co-production agreement between Brazil and Israel will follow from 14:00 – 16:00 with Sabrina Nudeliman, Executive Director ELO and Andréa Borrotchin, curator of the Israeli Festival in Brazil.
The Pitching Conference will take place on Sunday, September 26 in the Mirrors Hall at Beit Hecht from 9:00 to 19:00. The participating international visitors will be: Linda Beath, Business Strategy, Ideal Filmworks, Italy and Canada; Alexander Bohr, Commissioning Editor, ZDF/ARTE; Judy Counihan, Producer, UK; Yael Fogeil, Producer, Films du Poisson, Paris; Elie Meirovitz, Producer, Paris; Joe Oppenheimer, Executive Producer, BBC Films, UK; Thomas Tschuly, Producer, Germany; Yael Fogiel, Producer, Films du Poisson, Paris; Danny Krausz, Producer, DOR Films, Austria; Jean Luc Van Damme, Producer, Banana Films, Belgium; Judy Counihan, Producer, UK; Sabrina Nudilman, producer, ELO, Brazil; and Stephen Greenwald, Producer, GandHMedia, USA.
Israeli filmmakers pitching projects include: Black Angel – Hanan Efrati, Rotem Shamir, Omri Givon, Haim Sharir; The Embryo Who Came From the Cold -Ganit Orian, Nisim Levy; Father’s Business Deal Leon Pordovsky, Michal Vinik; The First Gypsy President – Eitan Anner, Susan Adam; Kidney Pie – Roni Ninio, Mosh Danon; Limasol – Eitan Green, Ishy Sarid, Arik Lubetzky, Mati Harari; Maajar- Leora Kaminetzky; Manshad – Amit Ron, Avi Musel, Oriana Givoli-Genigar; The None-Existents – Eran Barak Medina, Maayan Rogel; Paradise – Simon Shai, Noa Erenberg; Salon of the Rejected- Avia Ben David, Ranny Blair, Chaim Sharir; Seven Clean Days – Reut Akerstein Blum, Julie Shles, Saar Yogev, Naomi Levari; Staff Seargeant Mustafa Rabinowitch – David Ackerman, Ran Shmueli, Yoav Halevy; Zero Motivation – Talia Lavie, Eilon Razkobski, Yochanan Kredo.
The Haifa/US Film Initiative will award of $20,000 – $25,000 to filmmakers with a completed script who will be selected from the pitching forum. The funds will be used to create a promotion and marketing package, including a budget for trips to the US to pitch the project. The award is sponsored by Stephen Greenwald of G & H Media LLC.
French director of photography Phillipe Ros will conduct a master class: Cinema and Television Photography in the Digital Age. Using his experience creating Oceans, Ros will discuss the different aspects of digital processing and the significance of the choices involved. The master class is for professionals, by invitation only.
An international conference will take place in partnership with the Forum of Documentary Filmmakers on the status of the documentary in an age of multi-channel commercial television. Content managers from Hot, Channel 10, Reshet, Keshet, Channel 8, Channel 1, the Second Authority for Television and Radio, journalists and other media representatives will participate in the conference.
