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DOCAVIV 2019

Docaviv announces Israeli Competition titles

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- Yonatan Nir and Dani Menkin's Picture of His Life will open the 21st edition of Docaviv, set to take place from 23 May-1 June and screen over 120 films

Docaviv announces Israeli Competition titles
Picture of His Life by Yonatan Nir and Dani Menkin

Israel's biggest documentary festival and one of the world's 28 Oscar-qualifying festivals, Docaviv, has announced the titles in its Israeli Competition and the opening film for its 21st edition, which takes place from 23 May-1 June.

The festival will open with Picture of His Life [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Yonatan Nir and Dani Menkin (Dolphin Boy), which follows wildlife photographer and explorer Amos Nachoum during his final attempt to swim with a polar bear as he seeks personal redemption.

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The film is one of the 15 titles selected for the Israeli Competition, out of 77 submissions. The section features a total of 12 world premieres, including Barak Heymann's Loving DovThe Viewing Booth by Ra'anan Alexandrowicz (best known for the Sundance winner The Law in These Parts), Zohar Wagner’s 21 Days InsideDuki Dror's There Are No Lions in Tel Aviv [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
, Sharon Yaish and Yael Shachar'A Whore Like Me, Ilan Mizrahi's Best Unkept Secret, Shay Fogelman's Chasing Yehoshua, Karin Kainer's Kosher Beach, Uri Levi's Once Upon a Boy [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, Ari Davidovich's Shai K and Itamar Chen's The Rabbi from Hezbollah.

The competition also includes the Israeli premieres of Advocate [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rachel Leah Jones, Lea Tsemel
film profile
]
by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche, which world-premiered at Sundance and recently triumphed at Thessaloniki; Leftover Women by Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia, which will first bow at Tribeca; and the IDFA title Mussolini's Sister [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Juna Suleiman.

In addition, two Israeli films will have their world premieres in the Depth of Field Competition: Resonance [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
by Itay Marom and Woman by Israela Shaer Meoded

Over 120 new local and international documentaries will be screened at the festival, making it the largest film festival in Tel Aviv, and the only one dedicated exclusively to documentaries. Last year, on its 20th anniversary, the festival set an all-time attendance record of 60,000 visitors and was subsequently chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as one of the world’s 28 Oscar-qualifying festivals.

This year, the Mifal Hapais Council for Culture and Arts will earmark up to €36,000 for the marketing and promotion of the winner of the Israeli Competition at Docaviv in preparation for the Oscars. The new prize will be awarded alongside the Howard Gilman Award for Best Israeli Documentary, worth €17,000, making it Israel’s largest prize for documentary filmmaking. Other trophies include the Special Jury Award, the Mayor’s Award for Best Debut Film and the Yossi Kaufman Best Director Award, as well as the Editing, Cinematography and Research Awards.

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