Israel - Event

Good things come in small parcels, and this is certainly true of the Jerusalem Film Festival, which provides an intimate environment in which film-makers and film buffs can mingle. Themes and categories range from new cinema to outstanding documentaries.

Avant-garde films, shorts, animations, retrospectives, classics and restorations, Mediterranean and Israeli Cinema are all represented at the festival. Jerusalem's Cinematheque is usually the main venue, but films are also shown in neighbouring local theatres, while the opening night gala screening - drawing some 5000 people - is generally held under the stars in the nearby Sultan's Pool Amphitheatre, with a film and fireworks.

Lia van Leer founded the festival in 1983 and it has become Israel's most prestigious cinematic event, showcasing international talent. Prizes are awarded in three categories - Best Israeli Feature Film, Best Israeli Documentary and Best Israeli Short Subject, and there is an additional prize for Israeli film-makers in thge form of the Lipper Foundation Award for Best Israeli Screenplay. International prizes include the Wim van Leer In Spirit of Freedom award for feature films and documentaries relating to human rights issues, and the Mediterranean Cinematic Manifestations (MCM) In Pursuit of Peace & Tolerance for Mediterranean Cinema.

Full details of this year's programme are published on the festival website as soon as they are available.