Israeli films scoop top honours at UK Jewish Film Festival’s 30th anniversary

Three films telling deeply personal stories of life in Israel have won top honours at the UK Jewish Film Festival, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Israeli director Moshe Rosenthal’s Tell Me Everything took the Best Film Award, while Father Father, following a Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli couple’s journey to parenthood, was named Best Documentary.

Shalom, a documentary set in Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo, became the first winner of the Judy Ironside Award, a new prize recognising female filmmakers.

The winners were announced on Thursday evening as the festival opened its anniversary edition, featuring more than 70 films from around the world.

Rosenthal’s Tell Me Everything follows a 12-year-old boy growing up in 1980s Israel who discovers that his father is secretly gay during the AIDS crisis.

The film, which premiered at Sundance, won ten Israel Film Academy Awards and will receive its UK premiere at Curzon Mayfair on Sunday.

Rosenthal said: “The UK Jewish Film Festival holds a very special place in my heart, and it means a great deal to have this film embraced in this way.”

Meanwhile, Father Father, directed by Jake Witzenfeld, follows Aviv Agami, a Jewish Israeli, and his Palestinian-Israeli husband, Khader Abu-Seif, as they try to start a family through surrogacy.

Filming began in 2021, before the 7 October attacks and subsequent war in Gaza placed new strains on their relationship.

Witzenfeld and producer Kat Mansoor said: “When we started making this film in 2021, we could never have imagined how the world would change around Khader and Aviv on their journey to fatherhood.”

The documentary will have its world premiere at Curzon Bloomsbury on 15 November, followed by a discussion with the couple and director.

The festival’s newest award went to Meital Zvieli for Shalom, which follows staff at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo as they grapple with the fate of an ageing white rhino during wartime.

The film brings together the perspectives of Israeli and Palestinian zoo workers, exploring how they navigate political tensions while caring for the animals.

The award is named after Judy Ironside, who founded the festival in Brighton 30 years ago.

Ironside said: “To have the Judy Ironside Award added to our jury awards for the first time, championing female filmmakers, is an honour, and I am delighted that its first winner is Meital Zvieli’s Shalom, a film of such originality and humanity.”

Michael Etherton, chief executive of UK Jewish Film, said he hoped the winners would encourage both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences to explore the wider programme.

The festival runs in London cinemas. Until 15 November, before touring 14 other UK cities until 3 December. Selected films will also be available to watch online from 18 to 30 November.

Tickets and the full programme are available here.