The Jerusalem Film Festival, Israel's leading film event, will be held for the 43rd time from July 9-19. The festival will open at the Sultan's Pool with the premiere of "Independence," directed by Moshe Rosenthal ("Karaoke").
The festival's international program includes dozens of full-length films - feature films, documentaries and experimental films, screened in a series of settings.
The full program is available on the festival website
The program includes many notable films from the past year, including the Palme d'Or winner and the Golden Bear winner, along with the big winners of the world's most significant international festivals such as San Sebastian, Toronto, Tallinn, SXSW, Tribeca and Rotterdam.
The films will be screened in the four halls of the Jerusalem Cinematheque, and in the Lev Smadar Cinema. This year, the festival will host over 20 international guests, including directors, producers and actors from all over the world.
This year, over three-quarters of the international curated films in the program are exclusive to the Jerusalem Film Festival, a unique opportunity to view them in Israel.
This edition of the festival will also feature award-winning competitions for international cinema: the International Competition, the International Debut Competition, the In the Spirit of Freedom Competition, and the Chantal Ackerman Competition.
Alongside the official competitions, international films will be screened in a variety of additional settings, including: Masters and Masters, Panorama, Gala, Cinemania, Midnight Films, Classics, and Art at the Intersection.
The festival's international program settings:
The International Competition - the festival's main competition for international cinema. Debuts - an international competition that looks to the next and most promising generation of cinema art. In the Spirit of Freedom - an international competition for works that deal with man's eternal pursuit of freedom and justice. Chantal Ackerman Competition - a competition for international films that deal with an event or a true story through innovative and experimental means.
On the Radar - the promising and intriguing voices of international cinema in fiction and documentary. Masters and Masters - new films by renowned and influential directors in the field of cinema. Panorama - acclaimed films from around the world. Gala - festive premieres • films with movie stars • films for a wide audience. Losing It - wild films that walk on the edge.
Cinemania - films that deal with the love of cinema and the stories behind the great films and filmmakers. Classics - new and restored tributes and copies of unforgettable masterpieces. Art at the Crossroads - a framework for experimental cinema in collaboration with the "Mamatoa" Art and Media Center.
Among the notable international films that will be screened at the festival
"Fjord" - winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Christian Monjou's film ("4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"), with the participation of Oscar nominees Sebastian Stan and Renata Rainsev.
"Yellow Letters" - winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. A film by Ilker Cetak (Oscar nominee for "The Teachers' Room").
"Fatherland" - Pawel Pawlikowski's new film, winner of the Cannes Film Festival's Best Director Award.
"La Bola Negra" - Winner of the Cannes Film Festival's Best Director Award. A timeless epic produced by Pedro Almodóvar.
"Hercules Falling" - Winner of the Tallinn Film Festival's Best Debut Film and International Critics' Award, starring Dar Salim ("Game of Thrones").
"A New Dawn" - An anime film from the official competition of the Berlin Film Festival.
"Paper Tiger" - James Gray's new film, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, from the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival.
"The Dreamed Adventure" - Winner of the Cannes Film Festival's Jury Prize.
"A Man" - A Man of his Time
Winner of the Cannes Film Festival Screenplay Award.
Barrio Triste – The debut film of Stills, director of the Bad Bunny music videos, from the Venice Film Festival’s Orizont program.
Skateboarding is not for Girls – Winner of the Tribeca Film Festival’s Nora Ephron Award for Best New Director.
And Her Body Was Never Found – A suspense drama by Polaris Banks and Moore Cohen, from the SXSW Festival program.
The Samurai and the Prisoner – Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s new film, an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival.
Broken Voices – Winner of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s Best Actress Award.
Iron Boy – Animation, winner of the Jury’s Special Prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.
Robert Richardson: The White Devil – An extraordinary documentary about the legendary cinematographer (“Kill Bill”, “Platoon”, “Shutter Island”), straight from its premiere in Karlovy Vary.
Rose – A stylish period drama that brought Sandra Haller the Best Actress Award at the Berlin Film Festival.
Ivan & Hadoum – Winner of the Berlin Film Festival Teddy Award.
Silent Flood – Winner of the IDFA Film Festival Cinematography Award.
Trial of Hein – A unique historical drama from the Berlin Film Festival’s Perspective Competition for First-Time Films.
Their Town – A coming-of-age drama from the makers of “Lost in Baltimore”, from the SXSW Film Festival lineup.
My Wife Cries – Angela Schnellek’s new film, from the official competition of the Berlin Film Festival.
Nagi Notes – Koji Fukada’s new film, from the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival.
Another Day – A stunning performance by Adele Exercopole in a drama from the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival.
No Mercy – A documentary examining the cinema created by female directors over the years, with the participation of Celine Sciamma, Catherine Brey, Anna Lili Amarpour, Alice Diop and more.
The Christophers – Steven Soderbergh’s new film starring Ian McKellen.
In the Land of Arto – A travelogue starring Kami Kota and Raz Amir Ibrahimi (“Tatami”).
"The Red Rocks" - Bruno Dumont's surprising new film, from the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
"The Day She Returned" - The new film by South Korean master Hong Sang-su, from the Berlin Film Festival program.
"Noga" - A documentary about Israeli musician Noga Erez, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The classics will include:
A tribute to Roberto Rossellini - with the new documentary by the Italian master ("Roberto Rossellini: Living Without a Script" winner of the Donatello Award) we will screen four of his greatest works: the documentary "India: Mother Earth", "Germany Year Zero", and "Fear" and "Journey to Italy" starring Ingrid Bergman. "3:10 to the Moon" - A new restoration of the classic Western. "The Promised Land" - A new restoration of Andrzej Wajda's magnificent film, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best International Film.
"Dead Travelers Hotel" – A New Restoration of the Lost Soviet Cult Film.
About the Jerusalem International Film Festival 2026:
The Jerusalem Film Festival will take place this year from July 9-19. The festival will present a rich artistic program that includes dozens of film premieres from around the world, first exposure of the best of Israeli cinema, as well as talkies that have won awards at leading festivals in the world, including Berlin, Cannes, Tribeca, IDFA and others.
The Jerusalem Film Festival, conceived and initiated by Israel Prize laureate and founder of the Jerusalem Cinematheque, Lia van Leer, is considered a leading and important film festival in Israel, enjoys a prestigious status in the international arena and has established itself as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The festival is expected to attract approximately 70,000 film and culture enthusiasts from Israel and around the world, and invited guests from the international film industry, along with Israeli film professionals, including actors, directors, producers, festival directors, film fund directors, and more.
Festival Director: Roni Mahadav-Levin, Artistic Director: Or Sigoli.
The Jerusalem Film Festival is held with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Van Leer Foundation, the Jerusalem Foundation, and the Jerusalem Municipality.
Full details, screening dates, and ticket reservations - via the festival's official website https://jff.org.il/he
Photo credit: "Courtesy of the Jerusalem Film Festival"
