Jerusalem Film Festival unveils its 43rd international lineup

The Jerusalem Film Festival announced Wednesday morning the full international program for its 43rd edition, set for July 9 to 19. Organizers said the lineup highlights some of the most talked-about films from major festivals worldwide, along with prize competitions and tribute events for classic cinema.

Among the marquee titles are this year’s top award winners, "Fjord," the Cannes Palme d’Or winner starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, and "Yellow Letters," which won the Golden Bear in Berlin. The festival will also host more than 20 international guests, including directors, actors and producers. Other notable selections include James Gray’s "Paper Tiger," with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, Pawel Pawlikowski’s "Homeland," which won Cannes’ directing prize, Steven Soderbergh’s "The Christophers" with Ian McKellen, "Rose," featuring Sandra Huller, who won Berlin’s acting prize, and the documentary "Nga" about Israeli musician Noga Erez, which screened at Tribeca.

As in previous years, the festival will stage several official international competitions with awards: the main international competition, a debut competition for emerging filmmakers, the "In the Spirit of Freedom" section for films about struggles for justice and liberty, and the Shantal Akerman competition for experimental cinema based on true stories. Additional sections will include "Masters and Maestros," "Midnight Films," and "Art at the Crossroads."

The festival will also present new restorations of classics, including an extensive tribute to Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini and a screening of the western "3:10 to Yuma." Earlier this month, organizers said the opening film will be "Independence," the new film by Moshe Rosenthal, starring Assi Cohen, Keren Tzur, Yair Mzrahi and Itay Taku. Ticket sales open Friday, June 26, on the festival’s official website.