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By Jacqueline van den Driest

The Jerusalem International Film Festival will take place for the 36th time this year between July 25st and August 4th. The opening film “Parasites,” will be screened in the Sultan’s Pool, an ancient water basin by the west side of Mount Zion, directly beneath the walls of the Old City, for a crowd of 5000 spectators.

 ‘Parasites‘ is an intriguing movie from the South Korean director Bong Joon-ho (“The Host”, “Snowpiercer,” “Okja”) which was warmly received at the last Cannes Film Festival and has been awarded the Palme d’Or.

On May 17, 1984, Le Bal, directed by Ettore Scola, opened the first Jerusalem Film Festival. Over the course of three weeks, about 100 films were screened, including Israeli premieres, alongside the year’s best selection of international films. In addition, a distinguished group of guests honored the first festival, among them, the First Lady of Silent Film, Lillian Gish, as well as Jeanne Moreau, Warren Beaty, and John Schlesinger.

From its inception, the Festival has dedicated a central and unique place to Israeli cinema, premiering features, documentaries, and shorts. In 1989, the Festival granted an official stamp of validity to Israeli cinema with the introduction of the Wolgin Competition, which became the leading platform to showcase the majority of the most important Israeli films of the year.

Beyond its contribution to Israeli film, the Jerusalem Film Festival is the leading platform in Israel for presenting the world’s finest contemporary cinematic trends to its local audiences. Over the years, the Festival has screened film debuts by Wong Kar Wai, Tsai Ming-liang, John Sayles, Jim Jarmusch, Stephen Frears, Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and others that have turned into masters of our time. Many of these directors have kept showcasing their work at the Festival, and have become personal favorites with the Israeli audience.

An impressive and exciting group of guests has blessed the festival with their presence, among them: Jeanne Moreau, Warren Beaty, Marcello Mastroianni, Robert De Niro, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Chantal Ackerman, Mike Leigh and many, many more.

Beginning with the 1990s, the Festival has been growing and spreading its wings. It has reached out to a wide range of audiences: from the glamorous outdoor opening night at the Sultan’s Pool, through avant-garde and innovative works, to professional events catering to the international film industry.

Nowadays, the July Festival spans 11 days, offering a rich and varied program with more than 200 films. These are showcased through numerous competitive and non-competitive sections, amongst them: Gala Screenings, Israeli Cinema Competitions, International Debuts Competition, In the Spirit of Freedom Competition, Contemporary Masters of Cinema, Panorama, Classics and Restored Films, Jewish Experience and as from 2016, the Wilf Competition for International Features. 

Alongside the Festival program, the JFF holds professional events for Israeli and international film industry members, led by the Jerusalem Pitch Point. The JPP offers a meeting place for Israeli filmmakers and producers with key-members from the international film industry, thus encouraging and promoting international co-productions of Israeli feature projects in development or in post-production. The Festival also initiates various workshops and professional master classes, and hosts the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab, which holds its final pitching and various events in the framework of the Festival. 

This variety of events has gradually turned the Jerusalem Film Festival into the most important cinematic gathering in Israel.