Haifa Film Festival Unveils Israeli Competition Lineup

The 42nd Haifa International Film Festival has announced the lineup for its Israeli competition, set to take place during the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday, from September 26 to October 3. This year's competition will feature 12 films, divided into seven narrative features and five documentaries.

Notable entries in the narrative competition include "Agra - Land" by Shmuel Bero, which chronicles the immigration of Ethiopian Jews; "Double Panther" by Marco Carmel, about a police informant within the Black Panthers movement; and "Blue Signs" by Dina Zvi Riklis, based on a novel by Emily Moatti.

Among the documentaries are Tomer Heymann's "I Want to Tell My Story," focusing on a Holocaust survivor directing his life story at age 100, and Uri Levy's "Shalom 30 20," detailing the activities of Ma'oz Yinon.

A new section, "Cultural Icons," will premiere documentaries about prominent Israeli figures, including "Alice. Last Conversations" on feminist activist Prof. Alice Shalvi, "Naomi Shemer, Between Grass and Stone" about the poet Naomi Shemer, and "Topol: On Top of the World" celebrating actor Chaim Topol.

Special screenings include "Yehoram and Gila," starring Yehoram Gaon and Gila Almagor, which addresses their struggle with Gaon's Alzheimer's diagnosis. Avi Nesher's new film, "Our Loves," following seven characters against the backdrop of October 7th, and Amos Gitai's "The Road to Jericho" will also be shown.

The festival will also highlight technological and television advancements with the "Haifa Conference on Cinema in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" and the premiere of the documentary series "Lahav 433" by Kan 11. The short Israeli film competition will present 24 films, with the independent film winner eligible for an Oscar nomination. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Tourism, the Haifa Municipality, and the Ministry for Regional Cooperation.