Youth Film Festival in Efrat

After the tremendous acclaim for the recent Efrat/Gush Etzion production DAMES of the DANCE 3 - The 7 DAYS of CREATION, did you think that Efrat is only the capital of dance in Israel? Well...it's actual a capital of creativity of all sorts.

Today, Rosh Chodesh Nissan, more than 600 high school students came to Efrat from all over the country for the Festival Kol Noar (Youth Film Festival), headed by filmmaker Yarone Shane. The festival, hosted in the Efrat Community Center, is now in its third year and the foremost showcase of student films in the country.

A total of 150 graduation films, student films and one-minute personal films were submitted from 130 different schools over the past four months. The films were judged by a very respected panel of judges, headed by renowned filmmaker Menachem Golan (maker of some of the most memorable action and fantasy films of the past three decades -Masters of the Universe, Operation Thunderbolt [about Operation Entebbe], Superman IV, Death Wish, Captain America).

About 40 films were screened at the Festival throughout the day. There were also workshops on music in films, special effects, costumes and fascinating panels with Israeli filmmakers, actors, backstage technicians, and the head of Tel Aviv University's film department.

All film-enthusiasts are invited to participate in the rest of the festival, which ends at 10 PM tonight.

At 6:30 PM, the panel of judges, headed by Menachem Golan, will present awards to the winners of the festival. At 7:30 PM, there'll be a personal meeting with legendary filmmaker Golan, during which he'll recount stories of the film industries in Hollywood and Israel during the past 50 years. And then at 8:30, there'll be an open screening of the classic Golan film "Kazablan."

Tonight, the highlight of the evening will be a Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Mr. Menachem Golan by the Matnas of Efrat and the Efrat Local Council.

You are invited to these closing ceremonies at the Efrat Community Council. Now stop reading this blog and rush over to the Matnas. Roll 'em.

To view the VOICES TV clip about the festival, visit http://voices-magazine.com/voices-videos.php?id=118.