Get access to five film screenings of your choosing as part of the 5th Annual Israel Film Center Festival at JCC Manhattan.

For full schedule of the festival please visit http://www.israelfilmcenter.org/festival2017.

Pass does not guarantee seating. Please call the JCC box office (646-505-5708) to reserve your tickets.

Dir. Avi Nesher, 112 min, Narrative

Based on a true story, Past Life tracks the daring 1977 trans-European odyssey of two sisters - one an introverted ambitious classical music composer, and the other a combative politics and porn magazine editor - who are daughters of Holocaust survivors. As they try to unravel a disturbing wartime mystery that has cast a foreboding shadow on their entire lives, they realize that freedom from the shackles of the past requires painful sacrifices, as does the struggle to discover one's unique voice. Will be officially released in the US on June 2nd.

Dir. Erez Tadmor, 96 min, Narrative

After 30 years at sea, Aharon is looking forward to living a normal life at last. He is appointed head of the Marine Department at the Ashdod Port. In an attempt to clean up corruption, Aharon stands up against some of the moblike behavior existing within  the port workers. The clash disrupts the status quo that has reigned at the port for years.

Nominated for 3 Israeli Academy Awards
Best Cinemathography - Haifa International Film Festival 2016

Join us for Israeli wine, jazz, and a special viewing of the exhibit "Cutting Edges: Israeli Fashion and Design" in the Laurie M Tisch Gallery with curator Keren Ben-Horin.

Followed by Friday evening screening of Mr. Predictable, tickets available here.

Dir. Roee Florentin, 103 min, Narrative

Adi made a promise to his father to always be a good boy and has since been a nice guy his entire life. But this changes when Adi meets Natalia — a sweet, young, wild girl who entices Adi into a life full of emotions, of passion and romance. Now Adi has to choose between love and reason, between dreams and reality, between Natalia and his family. Will he go on being a good boy?  Or will he, for the first time in his life, be brave enough to be what he really wants to be?

Dir. Shay Kanot, 93 min, Narrative

An outrageous comedy about three colleagues at a Tel Aviv high-tech company who are competing for a promotion from their adrenaline junkie boss. This takes them on a road trip to Sinai in search of a secret beach that does not exist. Lost in the desert, the group needs to bond to overcome a collection of hilarious mishaps.

Dir. Sylvain Biegeleisen, 70 min, Documentary (French)

The mother of Sylvain Biegeleisen, the director, is 94 years old, but in her mind she is still 20. She laughs, smokes cigarettes, sings and kisses. She is confined to bed, and her son spends hours of intimacy with her, which range from complete clarity and assertiveness to moments of loss of memory. This is a movie with a great sense of humor, joy and optimism, even when it touches upon the possibility of an imminent separation.

Nominated for Best Documentary at Israeli Academy Awards
Winner of Best Israeli Film and Best Director at Doc Aviv Festival

Copresented with What Matters: Caring Conversations About End of Life

Dir. Eitan Anner, 92 min, Narrative 

In present day Jerusalem, Naomi, a secular young woman, seeks refuge from the pressure of her life as a concert pianist. Despite her intentions to stay alone, Naomi quickly makes two unexpected connectionsâ one with a musically gifted Ultra-Orthodox young boy who lives in her building and the other with Fabrizio, a charismatic Italian monk and organist. While these relationships allow Naomi to reconnect with her love of music and sense of meaning, they also make her a target in her new community. Faced with escalating isolation and violence, Naomi must learn to use music as a bridge to overcome towering religious barriers. Will be officially released in the US on July 4th.

Nominated for Best Actress at Israeli Academy Awards
Best Screenplay - Haifa International Film Festival 2016

Dir. Meni Yaish, 105 min, Narrative

Ovadia is the strongest and most effective bouncer at a Tel Aviv night club. He and his wife have been trying to have a baby for almost five years.  When a small time gangster sees potential in Ovadia and courts him to join his operation, Ovadia sees a source of relief from some financial stress. But getting out of the clutches of the mob, will prove to be more challenging than he thought. (Film contains some violence)  

Winner of 2 and nominated for 10 Israeli Film Academy Awards 
Winner of Best Actor at Jerusalem Film Festival 2016

Followed by Closing Night reception.