Other Israel Film Festival

The latest incarnation of Israel's Sesame Street is directed by one of Israel's top directors and focuses on building tolerance and understanding between Arab and Jewish children - including the first Arab Muppet "Mahbub". The show was developed by Arabs, Jews and professionals from around the world to create a well balanced educational environment.

Free Admission.

Many artists in Israel are torn by their conflicted identity and their political integrity. Some are taking a stand and refusing to participate in certain Israeli productions in order not to create a situation of what they are calling "normalization". Join us for an in-depth panel with artists who have to make tough choices in a complicated political climate - Filmmaker Mohammad Bakri, hip hop musician Sameh Zakout, and Mahmood Shalbi. Moderated by Daniel Chalfen.

Free Admission.

Israeli cinema has a relatively short history. The visions of Arabs in Israeli cinema has been developing since the early days of cinema and play a major role in this young industry's development. With a segment from a new documentary scanning the milestones of Arabs in Israeli cinema.

Free Admission.

Despite being one of Israel's leading columnists, novelists and screenwriter, Sayed Kashua feels he doesn't belong. The Jews don't like him because he's an Arab. The Arabs don't like him because he's successful. The Arabs think he's a collaborator. The Jews think he's a drunk. He's always the "other" and he's always scared. This intimate portrait follows Kashua over seven years through the upheavals and events that change his life, wandering from place to place, from nation to nation, belonging neither here nor there.

'A Badal deal marriage' is the common practice of a Muslim tradition where a brother and sister from one family marry a sister and brother from another family - interlocking the two couples forever. Divorce on the part of one couple will immediately lead to the divorce of the other part of the deal. The film follows a family during the process of putting such a deal together. It portrays the lives of Palestinian women living within Israel, their difficulties and struggle to be a part of their traditional society vs. the quest to maintain their full rights as women, and citizens of a democratic state.

Two new episodes from the five-part travel-log by legendary news person Chaim Yavin, examining different sectors of Arabs living in Israel, presenting matters of life, history, and culture in Arab society in Israel.

A comically existential fable about a day in the life of a former-judge-turned-taxi driver, on the day of his daughter Laila's seventh birthday. His only goal is to be home early with a present and a cake, but life takes him through many twists and turns before he gets home. His customers include a young Romeo who hires the taxi to have a place "alone" with his lover; a housewife who'll stop anywhere there's a free-food giveaway, armed Palestinian militia members, and an ex-convict who leaves his cell phone in the cab.

In this Cannes Film Festival favorite, Director Keren Yedaya (Or) brings forth the dramatic story of Mali, who lives with her family in Jaffa, and works with her brother and father at the family owned car repair shop. Mali falls in love with Tauffik, a mechanic in the garage. Despite underlying racism and jealousy that surrounds them, their love affair grows. When Mali finds out she is pregnant, the couple decides to run away and get married abroad. On the morning of the flight, a tragic event reshapes this couple's future.