TAU film wins Student Oscar

The short film "Paris on the Water", the final degree project of Tel Aviv University film student Hadas Ayalon (director) is one of three winners in the foreign film category of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 41st Student Academy Awards. The film's producer, Rotem Alima, is also a TAU film student.

This is the first time an Israeli student film has won an Oscar in the category.

At the annual ceremony, scheduled for June 7, Ayalon and two other Best Foreign Film finalists — the UK's Peter Baumann for "Border Patrol" and Germany's Lennart Ruff for "Nocebo" — will discover whether they are to receive gold, silver, or bronze awards for their films.

"Paris on the Water" is a 27-minute film about a once-famous actress, Batya, who after years of professional frustration finally gets a chance to make a comeback. On audition day, however, an unexpected event forces her to deal with personal issues. The film reveals Batya's internal struggle to confront her most basic priorities. It is slated to premiere at the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, the largest student film festival in the world, hosted by TAU's Department of Film and Television in June and chaired by Hollywood producer Steve Tisch.

This story was originally reported by the American Friends of Tel Aviv University.