Area West Bank Showbiz Latest News and Updates

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Israel’s newly appointed Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar has lashed out against Israeli filmmaker David Wachsmann’s award-winning documentary Two Kids A Day, probing the country’s detention of Palestinian children in the West Bank, and is threatening to take back its state funding.

The third season of Ramy Youssef’s award-winning show Ramy, which dropped on Hulu at the end of September, saw the titular American-Egyptian protagonist head to Jerusalem to cut a business deal with a tough-talking diamond dealing clan in an episode entitled Egyptian Cigarettes.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Fremantle has acquired international distribution rights to “East Side,” the latest series from “Shtisel” producer Abot Hameiri, starring Yehuda Levi, a Series Mania 2022 best actor winner for “Fire Dance.” Taking 100% ownership of Abot Hameiri last year, Fremantle, which also co-financed the series, will bring “East Side” onto the  market at this next week’s Mipcom trade fair and conference in Cannes. To debut on Israel’s Kan 11 channel, “East Side” turns on Momi,  a former Israeli secret service agent hired to take over a Palestinian neighbourhood, one home at a time. He attempts one last sale in order to set up for life his 18-year-old daughter Maya who is on the autism spectrum. The challenge is to wrestle ownership of a grand hotel which dominates entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City. Whoever controls the entrance controls the City, Momi is told. But the owner, the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, says he is not for selling.  

Ed Meza @edmezavar “H2: The Occupation Lab,” a documentary by Israeli filmmakers Idit Avrahami and Noam Sheizaf, chronicles the impact Jewish settlers and military occupation have had on the Palestinian city of Hebron and how the repressive methods of control there are being widely adopted in other areas of the occupied territories. The film screens in the Zurich Film Festival’s Border Lines sidebar, which showcases works that deal with territorial and social conflicts and humanitarian issues. Avrahami and Sheizaf had long wanted to collaborate on a project about the West Bank. “We both feel that the occupation is the most urgent issue Israeli filmmakers face,” says Sheizaf.

FIFA+ & Others License Football Doc ‘Brazil 2002: The Real Story’

Naman Ramachandran Collective Media Group and Entourage Sports and Entertainment‘s soccer documentary feature “Brazil 2002: The Real Story,” recounting the story of the 2002 World Cup on its 20th anniversary, has sold a raft of territories worldwide. The film uses six hours of unseen archive material shot by Brazilian soccer player Juliano Belletti during the tournament, and also features interviews with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Gilberto Silva from the World Cup winning Brazil team; and, from the opposing teams across the tournament, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Oliver Kahn, Hasan Şaş and Marc Wilmots as well as referee Pierluigi Collina. FIFA has taken the film for its own streamer FIFA+, for territories including Asia (excluding Japan), Turkey and New Zealand. This is complemented by deals confirmed by distribution partner Abacus Media Rights including: Canal+ Group for Canal+ Foot and myCanal (France); Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg); Sky Italia (Italy, Republic of San Marino, Vatican City, Malta, Capodistria, Montecarlo and Italian speaking Switzerland); DBS Satellite Services (Israel and West Bank); Supersport Africa (for Africa); NOS Portugal (Portugal and PALOPs); Movistar Plus+ (Spain); and Stan Entertainment Pty (Australia).

EXCLUSIVE: The 1/52 Project, a new financial grant program founded by Tony Award-winning set designer Beowulf Boritt, has selected the first seven early-career designer recipients to benefit from $100,000 in grants. Each of the inaugural recipients will receive grants up to $15,000, with applicants chosen based on talent, creativity, innovation, and potential for future excellence in the professional theatrical field.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ari Folman (“Waltz With Bashir”), Nadav Lapid (“Ahed’s Knee”) and Hagai Levi (“Our Boys”) are among a group of 250 Israeli filmmakers that has signed an open letter to protest against the recently launch of the Shomron (Samaria/West Bank) Film Fund. The Fund, which held its inaugural film festival in the occupied West Bank in July , was founded by Miri Regev, the controversial former culture minister of Israel who was highly criticicized within the local film community for her right-wing views. Regev was believed to have put pressure on the Israel Film Fund to ban films that were critical of Israel from receiving subsidies. The signatories of the public letter said they will not seek funding from, nor cooperate with the Shomron (Samaria/West Bank) Film Fund and have urged the Israeli Academy of Film and Television not to partake in “whitewashing the Occupation” ahead of the Ophir Awards, the country’s version of the Academy Awards, later this month. The filmmakers claim that the Shomron (Samaria) Film Fund has one goal: inviting “Israeli filmmakers to actively participate in whitewashing the Occupation in exchange for financial support and prizes.”

More than 250 of Israel’s top filmmakers have signed an open letter, saying they will not seek funding from, nor cooperate with the recently–established Shomron (Samaria/West Bank) Film Fund, following the fund’s inaugural film festival in the occupied West Bank.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentYes Studios has unveiled the new trailer for the highly anticipated fourth season of “Fauda,” which will launch July 13 on Yes TV in Israel and will be available on Netflix worldwide.The plot of the new season involves Hezbollah activists from Lebanon and Palestinian militants in the West Bank, and new cast members include Inbar Lavi (“Lucifer”), Amir Boutrous (“The Crown”), Lucy Ayoub, Danny Steg (“Kvodo”) and Loai Nofi (“Hashoter Hatov”).Following the events of the previous season, Doron (Lior Raz) feels guilty over the death of his teammate, and angry and frustrated after his dismissal from the unit. Captain Ayub (Itzik Cohen) tries to bring Doron out of his difficult situation and enlists him for a basic security mission in Brussels.

EXCLUSIVE: The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Janet Yang Productions announced the four winners of the inaugural Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge, which awards a $15,000 production grant to four AAPI women or non-binary filmmakers.

Caitlin Quinlan Returning to Cannes’ Un Certain Regard with her second feature film, Palestinian director Maha Haj tackles the dynamics of male friendship and the strain of living under occupation in “Mediterranean Fever.” The subtly tender film follows family man Waleed, whose chronic depression hinders his dreams of a writing career and leads him into the path of neighbor and petty criminal Jalal, where tragedy awaits. “Mediterranean Fever” is a co-production between Palestine, Germany, France, Cyprus and Qatar, with sales handled by Luxbox.“The idea came to me five years ago,” says Haj, “but I can’t really tell you how or what exactly inspired me.

confirmed Wednesday.The network accused the Israeli army of targeting the veteran war correspondent, a Jerusalem-born U.S. citizen who had come to be known as “the face of Al Jazeera in Palestine.” The Israeli Defense force has denied that, suggesting she might have been hit by Palestinian fire.Abu Akleh was covering early-morning Israeli raids on a refugee camp in the city of Jenin.

Al Jazeera has accused the Israeli authorities of a “blatant murder, violating international laws and norms,” after one of its journalists was killed amidst live fire in the West Bank this morning.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefShireen Abu Akleh, veteran TV journalist for Al Jazeera, has been shot and killed in the West Bank. Abu Akleh, 51, was covering an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Her death was confirmed by the Palestine health ministry and later by Israeli sources.

Roland Emmerich’s big-budget sci-fi disaster pic Moonfall has been set for a March 25 release in China (check out the new poster below). The movie, which released via Lionsgate domestically on February 4, is heavily backed by China’s Huayi, so this is an important piece of its recoupment prospects. The China date falls one week after the PRC start of Warner Bros/DC’s The Batman.

“Death on the Nile” was being released in the rest of the Middle East over the weekend, according to Deadline.Gadot, 36, served in the Israeli armed forces for two years, as is required of all young Israelis, before she entered show business.It’s not the first time the former Miss Israel’s nationality has caused controversy as tensions persist between the two warring nations.

The Scottish Government is investigating whether public money has been handed to companies with links to “illegal” Israeli ­settlements in Palestine.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentJordan’s Royal Film Commission has pulled Egyptian director Mohamed Diab’s drama “Amira” – which was filmed in Jordan and is set in the Palestinian West Bank – as its submission to the 2022 international feature Oscar race following a storm of social media controversy against the film.Pic, which takes its cue from real-life instances of Palestinian children conceived behind bars in Israeli jails with smuggled sperm, has suddenly prompted a rapidly

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentPresident Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have taken a stance against antisemitism, condemning hate against the Jewish community.The statements from the White House come as attacks on Jewish people have been on the rise with a staggering surge over the past week, prompted by the escalation of deadly violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Kim Kardashian are among the celebrities who have taken to social media, urging for peace and calm amid the alarming escalation of deadly violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The mounting toll of more than 200 casualties threatens to inflame the entire Middle East.The tensions across the world have been reverberating in the U.S.

The dangers of covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been ever apparent in multiple TV live shots during the past week, as network correspondents describe the tense situation against a backdrop of incoming missiles and falling shrapnel.

Gal Gadot‘s message of unity amid ongoing rocket attacks in the West Bank created a firestorm from online critics, who contend the former Israeli Defense Forces fighter is a “propaganda” tool for the Israeli military.The 36-year-old “Wonder Woman” actress took to Twitter to express how her “heart breaks,” because her “country is at war,” as tensions over a disputed Jerusalem region led to deadly exchanges of rocket fire attacks between Israel and Hamas militants.“This is a vicious cycle that has

direct to your inboxA man has been charged after a robbery at the Nat West Bank in Knutsford.Jason Jenyons, 51, of Overfields, Knutsford, was due to appear at North Cheshire magistrates court today. He is charged with one count of robbery.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentU.S indie distributor Film Movement has acquired North American rights from Italian sales company True Colours to Palestinian director Ameen Nayfeh’s drama “200 Meters,” about a Palestinian construction worker who takes huge risks to cross the West Bank wall to reach his hospitalized son.In September, “200 Meters,” which marks Nayfeh’s debut, launched from the Venice Film Festival’s Venice Days section, where it won the audience award.

Also Read: How 'Arracht' Actor Starved Himself, Then Packed on Weight for Irish Famine Drama (Video)Nayfeh said that the story for “200 Meters” came about because he “lived this separation,” being apart from his family on the Israeli side of the wall after it was initially built.

Palestinian National Authority: Call for the immediate release of Sama Abdulhadi – Sign the Petition! chng.it/BdwKrv2wPosted by Roger Waters on Thursday, December 31, 2020Abdulhadi has now been released from the Jericho jail in which she was held on bail. She is not allowed to travel outside of Palestine and is subject to further investigation on the charges of desecrating a holy site and religious symbols as well as violating COVID-19 emergency measures.

For politicians, a statement like, “Our goal is to provide municipal services first,” isn’t a call to action. Not much in David Osit’s documentary “Mayor” is.

Rev. Raphael Warnock, Democratic Senate candidate in Georgia who advanced to a January runoff race, was found to have last year signed a statement comparing Israeli control of the West Bank to “previous oppressive regimes,” such as “military occupation of Namibia under apartheid South Africa.” Warnock, who won 32.87 percent of the vote in his race, will face Sen.

Also Read: 'Belushi' Film Review: Celebratory Documentary Can't Escape John Belushi's Sad EndThe competitive Viewfinders section consists of 11 films, including films set in Venezuela (“A La Calle”), Puerto Rico (“Landfall”), the Dominican Republic (“Stateless”) and the West Bank (“The Viewing Booth”).The Metropolis competition is made up entirely of films set in New York, among them films about NYPD detective-turned-informant Bob Leuci (“Blue Code of Silence”), fashion queen Ruth Finley

For a lot of Americans, words like “West Bank,” “Palestine,” and “Israel” exist more as political ideas rather than actual places, denoting a struggle that transcends a particular location. To understand this region and the reasons people live the way they do there (behind walls, passing through checkpoints, in the midst of one’s fiercest enemies) takes a nuanced understanding of history spanning World War II, conflicts in 1948 and 1967, and a series of accords over the last 20+ years.

For a lot of Americans, words like “West Bank,” “Palestine,” and “Israel” exist more as political ideas rather than actual places, denoting a struggle that transcends a particular location. To understand this region and the reasons people live the way they do there (behind walls, passing through checkpoints, in the midst of one’s fiercest enemies) takes a nuanced understanding of history spanning World War II, conflicts in 1948 and 1967, and a series of accords over the last 20+ years.

Mayor Musa Hadid is a celebrity of sorts in Ramallah, the historic Palestinian capital in the central West Bank, situated just a few miles north of Jerusalem. But it’s hard out there for this idiosyncratic, handsomely attired and mustachioed character, greeted often by excited kids and curious adults whenever he is spotted in the streets of the bustling town he tries to better for its citizens, burdened by the stifling politics of the region.

Responding to the uproar over a clue on Friday’s episode of “Jeopardy!” about the location of a church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the show’s producers issued a statement Monday that said the clue had been voided during taping and the uncorrected version of the game was mistakenly broadcast due to “human error in post-production.”