20th Annual Israel Film Festival in the United States to Run in Chicago Nov.3 - 14 - 24 New Feature Films, Documentaries and Television Films to Be Shown During Nine-Day Festival

The 20th annual Israel Film Festival, featuring 24 new films, will run in Chicago November 3 -- 14 at Loews Pipers Alley Theatre in Chicago and at the Highland Park Theater in north suburban Highland Park. The annual Festival in the U.S. is the largest foreign film event celebrating Israeli cinematic art and culture. The nine-day Festival, the 5th consecutive in Chicago, is a celebration of award-wining features, provocative documentaries and groundbreaking television dramas and comedies.

(PRWEB) October 16, 2004 -- The 20th annual Israel Film Festival, featuring 24 new films, will run in Chicago November 3 -- 14 at Loews Cineplex Pipers Alley Theater in Chicago and at the Highland Park Theater in north suburban Highland Park. The annual Festival in the U.S. is the largest foreign film event celebrating Israeli cinematic art and culture. The nine-day Festival, the 5th consecutive in Chicago, is a celebration of award-wining features, provocative documentaries and groundbreaking television dramas and comedies. The Festival provides filmgoers the opportunity to connect with Israel by enjoying the creativity, complexities and beauty of Israeli life through the universal culture of film and an opportunity for a glimpse into Israeli life beyond the daily news reports of the tragic events in the region. The mission of the Israel Film Festival is to spotlight Israels thriving film and television industry, to enrich the American vision of Israels social and cultural diversity and to advance tolerance and understanding. In the last two decades, more than 540 films have been enjoyed by over 550,000 film enthusiasts in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. The 20th Annual Israel Film Festival is presented by IsraFest Foundation, Inc. The Festivals website is www.israelfilmfestival.com.

Michael Wilmington, chief film critic for the Chicago Tribune and film reviewer for Chicagoland Television News will receive The Israel Film Festival 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nov. 3 opening night. Bill Zwecker, entertainment columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and entertainment reporter for WBBM-TV (CBS) Chicago, will emcee the evening. Zwecker received the 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Israel Film Festival.

The Israel Film Festival is an opportunity to experience the Israeli journey through the eyes of our talented filmmakers whose love, dedication and steadfast commitment to the art of filmmaking is evident in every frame on the screen," says Meir Fenigstein, founder and artistic director of the annual Israel Film Festival.

The 20th annual Israel Film Festival opens Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 pm, at Loews Cineplex Pipers Alley Theater, 1608 N. Wells, in Chicagos Old Town neighborhood. The evening features the award ceremony honoring Michael Wilmington, the Chicago premiere of the highly acclaimed TURN LEFT AT THE END OF THE WORLD" and a reception to follow hosted by Adobo Grill and Elis Cheesecake. Tickets for the opening night celebration are $75.00 per person.

The Festival continues at Loews Cineplex Pipers Alley through Thursday, Nov. 11 with an added day of screenings Sunday, Nov. 14, at Highland Park Theater, 445 Central Avenue in north suburban Highland Park. Seven feature films, eight documentaries and nine made-for-television films, which were released in their native Israel in 2003, are having their Chicago premieres during the Festival. Throughout the Festival some of the filmmakers will introduce their films and participate in audience question and answer sessions.

In Chicago, the Israel Film Festival is sponsored, in part, by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Israel Film Fund and the Government of Israel Ministry of Science, Culture & Sport/The Israel Film Council, the Chicago Sun-Times, Danziger Kosher Catering, Adobo Grill, Elis Cheesecake, Columbia College Chicago, American Technion Society, Chicago birthright israel Alumni Association and Israel Cancer Research Fund with special support from the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest.

The members of the Chicago Israel Film Festival committee are Kim Cooper, Phyllis Dreazen, Dr. Lya Dym Rosenblum, Paula Harris, John Iltis, Cheryl Jacobs Lewin, Tova Lynch, Becky Nachum and Dror Zetouni. The honorary Chicago committee members include Ellen Stone Belic; Mary Ann Childers and Jay Levine; Marc Geller; Judith Kalfon; Michael Kutza; Robert Lifton and Carol Rosofsky; Dr. Steven B. Nasatir; Sheldon Patinkin, recipient of the 2002 Israel Film Festival Lifetime Visionary Award; Hon. Moshe Ram, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest; Cynthia Stone Raskin; Dr. Louis Rosenblum; Barbara Render; Esther and Alan Saks; Maureen and Marc Schulman; Regine Schlesinger; Joyce Sloane; Myron Szold and Bill Zwecker, recipient of the 2003 Israel Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.

Opening night and group tickets are available by calling 312/297-4886. Festival Passes (5 films for $36.00 -- excluding opening night) are available now by credit card purchase by calling (toll free) 877/966-5566.

AT PIPERS ALLEY -- Single tickets are priced as follows: $6.50 for adults until 6 pm M, T, W, Th. and 1st film on Sunday; $9.25 for adults Sunday thru Thursday; $9.50 for adults at all films on Saturday; $6.50 for children and seniors at all shows. Tickets available at Pipers Alley and fandango.com. (There are no general, senior or childrens tickets available for the Nov. 3 opening. All opening night tickets are $75.00, available by calling 312/297-4886.)

AT HIGHLAND PARK -- Single tickets are priced as follows: $6.50 for adults at 1st film on Sunday; $9.25 for adults all other times; $6.50 for children and seniors at all shows. Tickets available at Highland Park Theatre.

Films and schedules are subject to change. All films have English subtitles. The films are not rated and may contain profanity and/or mature subject matter. There are no refunds or exchanges on tickets unless the program is cancelled.

The 20th annual Israel Film Festival runs in Chicago Nov. 3 -- 14 and Miami Dec. 1 -- 9 and will be presented in New York Oct. 14 -- 28. The Festival was presented in Los Angeles this past spring.

###