The reel Israel

ISRAEL’S vibrant culture is being showcased through its films, according to Israel’s ambassador to Australia Yuval Rotem.

Speaking at the opening of the Israeli Film Festival in Melbourne on Tuesday night, Rotem said it was an opportunity for the community to celebrate the current popularity of Israeli films. “The success of Israeli films in recent years is testament to the power of Israeli stories,” said Rotem.

Also speaking at the opening ceremony at the Como cinema in South Yarra, which was attended by about 500 people, were Labor MP Michael Danby and Liberal MP Kelly O’Dwyer.

The six-day film festival opened with the screening of Ajami, a drama set in Jaffa  and co-directed by an Israeli and a Palestinian. The film received an Oscar nomination this year in the best foreign film category.

The Israeli Film Festival, organised by the Australian Israel Cultural Exchange, will open in Sydney on August 31.