TAU film wins at International Student Film Festival

The Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, one of the largest and most influential student film festivals in the world according to CILECT, the International Association of Film and Television Schools, was held at Tel Aviv University and Tel Aviv's iconic Cinematheque on May 31–June 6, 2015. 

Established in 1986 by students from TAU's celebrated Department of Film and Television and previously held every two years, the festival is now an annual event supported by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, the Israel Film Council and Tel Aviv University. This year, Hollywood producer Steve Tisch announced that he would be supporting the department with a major gift, which will enable TAU to substantially upgrade capabilities and to dedicate the new Steve Tisch School of Film and Television.

The 2015 festival attracted some of the world's most distinguished filmmakers, including the titan of independent cinema in America, Hal Hartley. Several of Hartley's early films were screened at the festival, including Trust (1990), starring the late Adrienne Shelly and Martin Donovan; Amateur (1994), with Isabelle Huppert; and Flirt (1995), with Michael Imperioli. Henry Fool (1998), the first part of a recently completed trilogy that includes Fay Grim and Ned Rifle, was also featured.

"I am very proud of our students who initiated this project. It has since become one of the — if not the — most important student film festivals in the world," said TAU President Prof. Joseph Klafter at the festival's opening ceremony in Yaffo's scenic Summit Garden.

"UNESCO recently added Tel Aviv-Yafo to its list of Most Creative Cities in the World," Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said at the ceremony. "Why is that? Because, in part, of festivals like this one. I am proud of the young people here who are enriching our lives. May you continue to do so and may you continue to make films."

The winners of different festival competitions were announced at the weeklong event's official June 6 closing ceremony. In the International Competition, Best Film went to an Israeli entry for the first time since 2010, Blackout directed by TAU film student Adi Kutner. Best Documentary in the International Competition went to If Mama Ain't Happy, Nobody's Happy by Dutch director Mea de Jong, The Best Independent Short Film Award went to Line of Grace by Israeli director Rotem Kapelinsky; and the Festival Critics Award for Israeli Film went to Semper Idem by director/screenwriter Nachman Picovsky.

"Young filmmakers, free from commercial considerations, express their views through an uncompromised unique cinematic language," said Festival Directors Talia Bernstein and Roni Shamiss, who, as TAU student chairs, organized a veritable army of volunteers. "They are able to strengthen aspects of innovation and freshness essential to any art medium."

Other star guests in attendance included native-turned-Hollywood producer Ram Bergman, who recently produced Natalie Portman's directorial debut, an adaptation of Amos Oz's A Tale of Love and Darkness; film editor Dylan Tichenor; producer Effie T. Brown; and television writer-producer Kate Barnow.

In addition to the screenings and cultural events, the festival's unique Film Bus, a travelling theater that brings the short films to all parts of the country, particularly its periphery, made its fourth nationwide circuit this year.