The 38th ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL in Los Angeles, taking place November 18th – 24th, will host the Los Angeles Premiere of writer/producer/director Moshe Rosenthal’s Tell Me Everything, winner of 10 Ophir Awards (Israel’s equivalent of the Academy Awards®) and Israel’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards®, at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills for its Opening Night Gala on November 18th. Celebrating the very best of Israeli cinema and culture, the evening will also honor producer Kevin S. Bright (Friends, The Bridge), with the 2026 Israel Film Festival Career Achievement Award, and Moshe Edery, CEO and Co-Founder of United King Films, with the 2026 Israel Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. Recognizing the extraordinary life of legendary Israeli actor Chaim Topol, the North American premiere of the documentary Topol: On Top of the World will serve as the Festival’s Centerpiece Spotlight. The announcement was made by Meir Fenigstein, Founder and Executive Director of the Israel Film Festival, and Festival chairman Alon Shtruzman.
“The Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles remains the most renowned and preeminent showcase in the United States to highlight Israeli filmmakers and talent. This year’s slate of 15 feature films and thought-provoking documentaries explicitly prioritizes and reflects nonpartisan programming to foster and engage in healthy dialogue, offers perspectives of differing points of view across multiple cultural divides, and aims to create understanding of its culture through storytelling,” noted Fenigstein. “We are thrilled to be hosting the Los Angeles Premiere of writer/director Moshe Rosenthal’s Tell Me Everything, winner of 10 Ophir Awards and Israel’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. Among our many premieres will be the Centerpiece screening of Topol: On Top of the World, a documentary about legendary and iconic Israeli actor Chaim Topol. We are also pleased to recognize the extraordinary creative contributions of this year’s honorees, Kevin S. Bright and Moshe Edery. The Festival remains indebted to all our corporate, foundation, and individual sponsors for their financial support.”
Visit www.israelfilmfestival.com, email meir@israelfilmfestival.org, or call 310-247-1800 to purchase tickets for the November 18th Opening Night Gala. A full schedule of film festival programming/filmmaker Q&As will be available on November 4th. Screenings will take place at the Fine Arts Theatre located in Beverly Hills and the Laemmle Town Center 5 located in Encino. Connect with the Israel Film Festival on Facebook (The Israel Film Festival) and Instagram @IsraelFilmFestival for festival news and highlights, and join the conversation with #IsraelFilmFestival.
Among the highlights of the 38th ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL in Los Angeles:
Blue Marks
Stay!
Tell Me Everything
Topol: On Top of the World
What is to Come
Select screenings will include exclusive post-screening interview Q&As with Israel’s most influential filmmakers and talent, each moderated by distinguished Israeli and American journalists.
Among the filmmakers and talent scheduled to attend are:
Reut Akkerman, Writer/Director/Actress, Stay!
Alon Gur Arye, Director, Topol: On Top of the World
Noa Ohayon, Actress, Blue Marks
Ruthy Pribar, Director, What Is to Come
Moshe Rosenthal, Director/Writer, Tell Me Everything
Yaakov Zada-Daniel, Actor, Double Panther, What is to Come
The following is a listing of the 38th ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL programming:
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
TELL ME EVERYTHING | עצמאות | trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMQKhIrXlD0
LOS ANGELES PREMIERE
OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION
Twelve-year-old Boaz discovers a devastating secret about his father that threatens to tear his family apart. Nine years later, he embarks on a dark journey to find his father, seek closure, and perhaps find a second chance.
Dir: Moshe Rosenthal | 2026, 109 min
*2026, Winner of 10 Israeli Film Academy Ophir Award (Best Film, Best Director, etc.)
*2026, Opening Night Film, Jerusalem Film Festival
*2026, Nominee, Sundance, World Cinema Dramatic, Grand Jury Prize
Guest: Director Moshe Rosenthal
THE BRIDGE | trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjP-_gNqqAI&t=1s
SPECIAL SCREENING
The Bridge follows these ten young Israeli survivors of the October 7th attacks as they travel from Israel to Los Angeles to attend the legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. Bearing the weight of unimaginable trauma, they find healing and resilience through music, mentored by icons from bands like Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen, and Black Sabbath. What begins as a leap into the unknown becomes a once-in-a-lifetime journey where music is more than sound – it’s salvation.
Dir: Brad Allgood| 2026, 68 min
Guest: Producer Kevin S. Bright
TOPOL: ON TOP OF THE WORLD | טופול: על גג העולם
NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE
CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION
Chaim Topol was Israel’s most internationally successful actor, earning two Academy Award nominations. Yet behind his remarkable career lies a story of surprising choices, missed opportunities, and unexpected paths. Through his personal archive and lifelong portraits, the film reveals a complex man beyond the charismatic star—an actor, inventor, and Mossad operative who gradually devoted himself to a world far removed from the spotlight.
Dir: Alon Gur Arye| 2026, 70 Min
*2026, Special Screening, Haifa Film Festival
Guest: Director Alon Gur Arye
MATCHMAKING 3 | 3 בחורים טובים | trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IjygQBfbaM (Hebrew Version)
NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE
CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION
The third film in the Matchmaking trilogy follows Baruch Auerbach, an unlucky Orthodox matchmaker from Bnei Brak, who is engaged to Ruth, a struggling baker caring for her brother with Down syndrome. Desperate for money, Baruch reluctantly reunites with veteran matchmaker Malki to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a wealthy American Jewish millionaire offering $100,000 to anyone who finds a suitable match for his daughter. Their journey to New York plunges them into a world of wealth, luxury, and unexpected complications. A heartwarming, energetic comedy about love, money, identity, and discovering what truly matters in life.
Dir: Erez Tadmor| 2026, 105 Min
WHAT IS TO COME || שעתיד לבוא | trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oQ87C2KLyE
WEST COAST PREMIERE
For the first time in forty years, Yehudit is left alone. Now she has to deal with fears, guilt that doesn’t let go, and debts that are only growing. Yehudit flees to Eilat, hoping to start a new life there. In the foreign city, Eli, the manager of a motel, recognizes her distress and agrees to employ her as a chambermaid. Gradually, Yehudit begins to build a new life for herself. Despite the difficulties, she allows herself, with inspiring courage, to fulfill forgotten dreams.
Dir: Ruthy Pribar| 2026, 82 Min
*2026, Official Selection, Tribeca Film Festival
*2026, Official Selection, Jerusalem Film Festival
Guest: Director Ruthy Pribar
STAY! | הביתה! | trailer: https://vimeo.com/1217212748/0d39411485?fl=pl&fe=vl (Hebrew Version)
U.S. PREMIERE
Amit, a 30-year-old woman. Struggling with an emotional turmoil, attempts suicide and is forced to return to her adoptive parents on a kibbutz, grappling with her past. Based on the life story of the director.
Dir: Reut Akkerman | 2026, 75 min
*2026, Winner, Haifa Film Festival, Best Debut Feature
*2026, Nominee, Israeli Film Academy Ophir Award
Guest: Director Reut Akkerman
BLUE MARKS | סימנים כחולים| trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_JQuH19DUY
LOS ANGELES PREMIERE
An adaptation of the novel by former Knesset member Emily Moatti, published in Israel in 2017 and praised by critics and public. Iris, a young Israeli woman, arrives in Paris to start a new life and study fashion design. Everything seems to be going well but a chance encounter with a handsome Parisian on the Metro turns violent and she is left with an unwanted pregnancy. Now the mother of a child she never wanted, she is drawn to taking her revenge on the man, who ruined her life and killed her dreams but at what cost. An homage to french Cinema and “The Lacemaker” with Isabelle Huppert.
Dir: Dina Zvi Riklis| 2026, 110 Min
*2026, Winner, Haifa Film Festival, Jury Prize Best Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay & Best Actress
Guest: Actress Noa Ohayon
WHERE TO? | לאן? – لوين| trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBv0Eq-v68k&t=1s
LOS ANGELES PREMIERE
In Berlin’s lively nights, Hassan, a Palestinian Uber driver, carries partygoers across the city’s endless streets. When Amir, a young Israeli discovering himself far from home, keeps reappearing in his back seat, their late-night rides grow into an unexpected friendship. Between chance encounters and shared stories, both find new ways to move forward.
Dir: Assaf Machnes | 2026, 95 min
*2026, Nominee, Berlinale, Perspectives Award
*2026, Winner, Jerusalem Film Festival, Best Feature, Best Script, Best Performance
*2026, Winner, Israeli Film Academy Ophir Award, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor
DOUBLE PANTHER |פנתר כפול | trailer: https://vimeo.com/1232984931?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci (Hebrew Version)
WEST COAST PREMIERE
Set in 1970s Jerusalem and based on confidential police files, Double Panther follows Yaakov Elbaz, a criminal recruited by Police Superintendent Avraham Turjeman to infiltrate the Black Panthers movement as a mole. In exchange, the police turn a blind eye to Elbaz’s illegal gambling club. After connecting with charismatic protest leader Saadia Marciano, Elbaz gradually identifies with the movement’s cause and reconnects with his estranged family. Caught between Turjeman’s ruthless demands and growing suspicion from the Panthers, Elbaz’s duplicitous game threatens to destroy everything.
Dir: Marco Carmel | 2026, 97 Min
*2026, Winner, Haifa Film Festival, Jury Prize Best Narrative Feature & Best Actor
FAREWELL TO DOUGH |פרידה מבצק
U.S. PREMIERE
Farewell to Dough follows Itzik, a bachelor living in Jerusalem above his parents. His days revolve around a simple ritual: a pastry from Musa’s bakery. When dizzy spells lead to an unexpected diagnosis, Itzik is forced to give up carbs. In a city where the sacred and the everyday collide, this small dietary change turns into a life crisis. As he struggles to part with the comfort that has always been there for him, Itzik embarks on an absurd and painful journey that may lead him to love.
Dir: Shimon Shai| 2026, 101 Min
*2026, Winner, Israeli Film Academy Ophir Award, Best Supporting Actress
*2026, Official Selection, Haifa Film Festival
CHECKOUT! – THE MOVIE | קופה ראשית – הסרט | trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0zp3Bqw0a8 (Hebrew Version)
LOS ANGELES PREMIERE
The beloved TV series hits the big screen! To win a major competition, the crazy crew of supermarket employees will do anything. But when a difficult customer turns their world upside down, they are accused of a serious crime. Escaping custody, they embark on a wild, hilarious action-comedy chase.
Dir: Kobi Havia | 2026, 93 min
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
THE WOMAN IN WHITE | האישה בלבן
SNEAK PEEK
The mysterious life of Tamar Golan: the unofficial diplomat who paved the way for historic peace between Israel and Egypt. Drawing on her never-before-seen private archive, the film reveals the power of female diplomacy, built on trust and human connection, in a world that needs it more than ever.
Dir: Emmanuelle Mayer | 2026, 90 Min
*2026, Winner, Docaviv Film Festival, Best Film & Best Research
ESTHER |אסתר| trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CqJaIZtrv4
U.S. PREMIERE
Late-night phone calls between Tel Aviv and Hamburg during wartime unravel the story of Esther Ofarim. This film is a portrait of a legendary voice caught between international stardom and national rejection, exploring the price of choosing silence over the spotlight. It traces the myth of an artist who refused to be claimed as a public icon or a national treasure.
Dir: Shaked Goren| 2026, 60 Min
*2026, Winner, DocAviv Film Festival, Best Director & Best Editing
*2026, Nominee, Israeli Film Academy Ophir Award
MOSHE MIZRAHI: CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN |משה מזרחי – לטפס על ההר
trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDC60iH3R5Q
NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE
A cinematic tribute to Oscar-winning auteur Moshe Mizrahi, charting his legendary international career through the lens of his partner, filmmaker Michal Bat-Adam. As Mizrahi creates masterpieces abroad, his family navigates the bittersweet realities of distance. Through daily letters, this intimate documentary uncovers the profound cost of artistic genius and love.
Dir: Michal Bat-Adam| 2026, 88 Min
*2026, Special Screening, DocAviv Film Festival
THE SIXTEENTH SHEEP – THE REUNION | הכבש השישה עשר – האיחוד
NORTH AMERICA PREMIERE
48 years after becoming the soundtrack of Israeli childhood, The Sixteenth Sheep returns to the stage. The film follows the emotional reunion and discovers what happens when a collective memory comes alive.
Dir: Ran Tal | 2026, 88 Min
*2026, Opening Film, DocuText Festival, National Library of Israel
Bright began his career in 1977 producing television variety shows featuring Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Glen Campbell. He also produced six Emmy Award-winning Magic of David Copperfield specials, including the Vanishing of the Statue of Liberty. Moving to Los Angeles in 1982, he shifted to comedy, producing HBO’s The History of White People in America and winning an Emmy for In Living Color. As Executive Producer of NBC’s Friends, and together with Marta Kauffman and David Crane, he received the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and 10 People’s Choice Awards. He also directed over 60 episodes, including every season finale. His documentary work includes Best and Most Beautiful Things (2016), Nureongi and Never Too Late – The Doc Severinsen Story (2021), It’s Dorothy, and his latest project, The Bridge.
Edery, CEO and Co-Founder of United King Films, is a visionary producer, cinema tycoon, and media executive widely recognized foundational figure in the modern Israeli entertainment industry. In 1976 he co-founded United King Films Distribution with his brother Leon Edery (R.I.P.). United King Films stands at the forefront of every aspect of local entertainment industry. It’s business properties cross the field of entertainment from Cinema City movie Megaplexes, to being the owner of the biggest catalog of Israeli movies as well as of foreign independent titles. United King Films has become in recent years a major player in the film distribution of mainstream and cinema. The company is considered the home for Israeli cinema and is one of the leading producers in the Israeli film industry, and has produced over 400 Israeli films. In 2024 Moshe Edery was a awarded the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement (Special Contribution to Society and the Stare).
The mission of the ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL in Los Angeles is to spotlight Israel’s thriving film and television industry, enrich the American vision of Israeli life and culture, and provide an intercultural exchange through the powerful medium of film. As an international entertainment industry event, the Festival has brought acclaim to both films and filmmakers, and has opened new possibilities for cooperation, distribution and co-production between the American and Israeli film and television industries. Presented by Israfest Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 1982 and made possible by the generous support of the Hollywood Community, the Government of Israel, corporate sponsors, cultural foundations and individuals.
The Festival solely relies on the financial support of its sponsors and benefactors to produce the event. Some of the 38th ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL in Los Angeles sponsors include: Mattel, Skydance, Ruth Flinkman Marandy & Ben Marandy, Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation, Molly & Israel Weinberg, Consulate General of Israel Los Angeles, Jewish Federation Los Angeles, Adelson Family Foundation, CNW Courier Network, Hanna Rubinstein, Cold Open, and Outfront, among others.
