Hager - Ertez Wins Best Israeli Film at Haifa Festival

The 42nd Haifa International Film Festival concluded with the announcement of its award winners. "Hager - Ertez," directed by Shmuel Bero and produced by Gil Ro'eh, took home the award for Best Israeli Film. The film, inspired by historical tragedy, explores the fate of Ethiopian Jews and was praised by judges for its exceptional cinematic cohesion, blending plot, direction, ensemble acting, cinematography, and art direction into an emotionally powerful visual language. It also received an artistic achievement award for cinematography by Itzik Portal, Uri Ackerman, Ran Aviad, and the cinematographer.

The Jury Prize for a Narrative Film was split between two films. "Double Panther," by Marco Carmel and Yoav Shotten Gush, was recognized for bringing a pivotal chapter of Israeli society's fight for justice and equality to life. Yaakov Zada Daniel won Best Actor for his portrayal of Yaakov Elbaz in the film, described by judges as a "criminal with a moral compass." Dina Tsabari Riklis's "Blue Signs," about a young woman trying to escape her past, also shared the jury prize, with Noa Ohayon winning Best Actress for her role as Iris. Tsabari Riklis also won for Best Screenplay, based on a book by Emily Moati.

Tomer Heyman's documentary "I Want to Tell My Story" won the Jury Prize for Best Documentary. Shimon Rothschild, the film's subject, was noted by the judges for becoming an active participant in shaping the film and insisting on the accuracy of his personal experiences. Tali Shamir-Wertberger and Nadan Fines won the award for research for the film.

Reut Ackerman's "Habaita!" received the Amit Peled Award for Best Debut Film. The film, which Ackerman wrote, directed, and stars in, is based on her own experiences. Nitzan Giladi, who passed away in July, was honored with two posthumous awards: his final film, "Ve'ahavta," received a special mention for its social issues, and his short film "Nechama" won Best Independent Short Film. Judges described Giladi as a prominent creator who opened space for LGBTQ+ stories in Israel, continuing this theme until his last film.

In the short film competitions, Yair Luria's "On the Margins of Things" from the Sam Spiegel School won Best Student Film, and Shirley Neeman's "Pircho Zichroni" won Best Animated Film. Special mentions went to Guy Haliwa's "A Night of Murders in Tel Aviv," and in animation, to "Glug" by Ori Gold and "Let's Solve This Once and For All" by Shaliv Ben Eliyahu and Michael Yaakov Buchstab.

Internationally, the Carmel Competition for International Cinema was won by the British-American film "Lost Queen," directed by Lance Hammer, starring Juliette Binoche and Tom Courtenay, who received special praise for his performance. The film, which deals with a family coping with Alzheimer's, had previously screened at the Berlin Film Festival. A special mention in the competition went to "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The Golden Anchor Award in the "Breaking Waves" competition was presented to the Chinese film "Unknown Girl," the debut of Zou Jing, with a special mention for Sandra Wollner's "Again and Again."

During the festival's industry forum, grants totaling approximately NIS 150,000 were awarded, including a Cinemark grant for films in development to Itai Akirav's "Land of Deception." Additionally, director Avi Nesher was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. His latest film, "Our Loves," which opened the festival, was inspired by true events and follows seven characters whose lives intertwine, all believing October 6th was the worst day of their lives, only to face new perspectives on their past and future in the wake of the October 7th events.