Indian film festival kicks off in Haifa, Israel

Haifa (Israel), Oct 31 (PTI) The second Indian Film Festival in Israel this year kicked off to a rousing welcome in Haifa with over two hundred people attending the inaugural screening of the two week event despite mass demonstrations in Jerusalem jamming traffic movement across the country.

Amid a push by the Government of India to make the country a global film production hub, the Embassy of India in Israel, in partnership with Haifa Municipality, hosted the inaugural reception of the film festival on Thursday to celebrate the rich and diverse heritage of Indian cinema through the screening of six critically-acclaimed movies.

The Indian mission had organised a film festival earlier this year in February which had generated a lot of interest among India enthusiasts in the country, prompting the second edition.

Veteran Israeli filmmaker, Dan Wolman, called this an important initiative as it brings quality Indian cinema not only to the big cities, like tel Aviv and Jerusalem, but also to smaller townships across the country.

Popular movies "Padmaavat", "Gangubai Kathiawadi", "Jawan", "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Andhadhun" and "12th Fail" will be screened in Haifa, Netanya, Afula, Tel Aviv, and Dimona (popularly known as Little India) during the two week event.

"I am a veteran filmmaker. I have made many feature films and I am very much involved with India and in love with Indian Cinema. I have been serving on juries of many Indian film festivals. There is a lot of Indian cinema that the world is not aware of," Wolman said during the reception.

"I think this festival is very important with all the films that are being shown here because it is being taken to cities across Israel, not necessarily Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, which will help people in Israel to know other kinds of Indian cinema", the veteran filmmaker said. Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian embassy, Sarvjeet Soodan, welcomed the guests and expressed gratitude to the City of Haifa for its support in bringing Indian cinema closer to Israeli audiences.

“Indian films capture the spirit of India – its cultural diversity, emotions, values, and traditions. Through this festival, we hope to build deeper cultural bridges and people-to-people ties between India and Israel”, Soodan said.

Neta Bohbot, Member of the Haifa City Council, emphasised on the deepening friendship between India and Israel through these cultural endeavors.

“The events like today’s strengthen the bonds between our peoples and allow us to deepen cultural and community cooperation. The City of Haifa is always open and happy to host more such events that bring our communities closer, enrich local culture, and bring joy to Haifa’s residents”, she said.

The event was supported by partners including Haifa Port, Satguru, GMT, Movieland, and ISG media, as per a press release.

"It is a special honour for us, as representatives of the Adani family, to host the opening of the festival here in Haifa — the city where Adani’s journey in Israel began. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Indian Embassy in bringing the colors, sounds, and spirit of India to the Israeli audience — a beautiful bridge of culture and friendship between our two peoples", Captain Sumit Chauhan, President of Haifa Port, said.

"A lot of excitement could be seen in the audience too with Jenny mentioning how she and her mother can "spend hours watching Indian movies" and Ilan, who works with Indian workers, appreciating the initiative as it will help "bring Indians in Israel close to India".

There are about 46,000 Indians working in Israel across various sectors as the country faces acute shortage of manpower due to the ongoing more than two years of conflict in the region.

With India's M&E industry poised for significant growth with a potential market size of US$50 billion by 2029, India has been calling upon Israeli producers to explore opportunities for co-productions with India, deepening the cultural ties between the two countries.

The Indian mission has been emphasising on GOI's commitment to make India a global film production hub by offering significant incentives, including up to 40% reimbursement of production costs.

"India has stunning locations, skilled technicians, large market and cutting-edge technology, making it an ideal destination for international filmmakers", an Indian diplomat pointed out.

The initiative had led to significant participation from Israel in the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai in May this year. PTI HM BK BK