News Summary

• The Israeli Film Council has called for film festivals to be eliminated from a points system used to set film fund budgets.
• At the same time, it has also recommended a new state backed funding strand for films celebrating the “heroism” of Israeli soldiers.
• The recommendations follow an emergency meeting called in the wake of the NAZA world premiere in Venice last week where it garnered a 25-minute ovation a nd won the Special Jury Prize.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is fighting for his political survival ahead of elections on October 27, has threatened to strip Israeli co-directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor of their citizenship.