Press Releases
April 7, 2011 - NEW YORK
New York, NY (April 7, 2011). Award-winning actor Liev Schreiber will be honored with the IFF (Israel Film Festival) Achievement in Film Award and producer/director Micha Shagrir will receive the IFF Cinematic Achievement Award at the Opening Night Gala for the 25th Anniversary Israel Film Festival, taking place Thursday, May 5th at the Paris Theatre in New York City, it was announced today by Meir Fenigstein, Founder and Executive Director of the Israel Film Festival. The Festival will be held in New York City May 5-19, 2011.
Intimate Grammar directed by Nir Bergman has been selected as the opening night film. This coming of age story set in 1960s’ Israel received the Sakura Grand Prix from the Tokyo International Film Festival and was named Best Feature Film at the Jerusalem International Film Festival. In Intimate Grammar, Aharon Kleinfeld is rapidly approaching the end of his childhood and eager to understand his friends, family and the world around him. Living within the complex and ever-changing framework of Israeli society, Aharon realizes that figuring out who he is, as well as who he is destined to become, might prove to be harder than it appears.
Liev Schreiber is considered one of the finest actors of his generation with a repertoire of resonant, humanistic and oftentimes gritty portrayals that have garnered him praise in film, theatre and television.
He most recently appeared in the contemporary action thriller Salt with Angelina Jolie from director Phillip Noyce. He starred opposite Daniel Craig and Jamie Bell in Defiance, the World War II-era drama directed by Edward Zwick. His other film credits include X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Taking Woodstock, Repo Men, The Painted Veil with Edward Norton and Naomi Watts, The Manchurian Candidate with Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington, The Omen, The Sum of All Fears, Hamlet, The Hurricane and A Walk on the Moon, among many other projects.
Schreiber’s stage work includes the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross,” for which he won the Tony Award, “Macbeth” directed by Moises Kaufman. “Talk Radio,” for which he was Tony nominated and most recently “A View from the Bridge” opposite Scarlett Johansson for which he received his third Tony Award nomination.
Schreiber’s television credits include his portrayal of Orson Welles in HBO’s RKO 281 and Lackawanna Blues. His expressive voice is also showcased in his voiceover and narration work to numerous projects for HBO, PBS and various documentaries.
In 2005, Schreiber made his directorial debut with Everything is Illuminated for which he also wrote the screenplay. The film starred Elijah Wood and was recognized by the 2006 National Film Board as one of the top ten films of the year.
“Liev Schreiber is the perfect choice to receive this award as he is one of the most admired and respected actors working today,” said Fenigstein. “His incredible work in an impressive variety of films has entertained and inspired audiences worldwide.”
Micha Shagrir is credited with planting the seeds of the Israeli film and television industry in the 1960s. After working with the BBC during a year-long internship, he returned to Israel and went on to produce and direct a long line of documentary films. Over the next four decades, he focused extensively on the Israeli and Jewish experience.
Among his credits include “A Matter of Size,” “Mabatim, Yerushalayim 2005” and “Avanti Popolo” which will be screened at the festival this year in honor of Israel’s Independence Day.
“We are delighted to honor Micha Shagrir, who for over four decades has beautifully portrayed Jerusalem through his cinematic work,” said Fenigstein.
About the Israel Film Festival
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.
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 in three major cities and brought hundreds of Israeli filmmakers to the U.S. to share their art. The 25th Anniversary festival is sponsored in part by the Government of Israel, New York Post, Israel Film Fund, Bank Leumi USA, Nu Image/Millennium Films, Rabinovich Foundation-Cinema Project, Israel Bonds, EL AL Israel Airlines, and many others.
The 25th Honorary Festival Chairman is Arnon Milchan; the Honorary Committee includes Avi Arad, Mark Canton, Gil Cates, Michael Douglas, Meyer Gottlieb, Oren Heiman, Penny Marshall, David Matalon, Mike Medavoy, Bette Midler, Rob Reiner, Terry Semel, Nina Tassler, and many others.
To attend the opening night gala and for sponsorship opportunities, call IsraFest Foundation toll-free at 877-966-5566 or visit www.IsraelFilmFestival.com
Contact:
Jeff Sanderson/Chasen & Company
310-274-4400
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