New prize in memory of Nechama Rivlin to be awarded at Jerusalem Film Festival
The festival, which begins on July 25, will include the Pitchpoint competition for up-and-coming Israeli feature film projects.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFNechama Rivlin looking through a graphic novel based on The Diary of Anne Frank.(photo credit: Mark Neiman/GPO)
A new prize in memory of Nechama Rivlin, wife of President Reuven Rivlin, will be awarded at this year's Jerusalem Film Festival. The festival, which begins on July 25, will include the Pitchpoint competition for up-and-coming Israeli feature film projects.The prize in memory of Rivlin will be awarded courtesy of the Jerusalem Foundation and is intended for filmmakers at the beginning of their careers. At this year's festival, 19 projects will participate: 12 in the production track and seven in the post-production track.Nechama Rivlin had been battling illness for several years and passed away in June at the age of 73.The Jerusalem Film Festival said, "We are honored to commemorate the memory of Nechama Rivlin, the wife of the President of the State of Israel. Nechama Rivlin was very much at home at the Cinematheque and at the Jerusalem Film Festival and was a source of inspiration and encouragement for many cultural and creative people in Israel. The new prize reflects Nechama’s deep connection with creative people and her extraordinary love of cinema, and encourages filmmakers at the beginning of their careers according to her beliefs and in her way."In addition, for the second year running, Beit Hanasi in cooperation with the Custodian-General, will award the Gardner Simon Prize for Hebrew Poetry in memory of Nechama Rivlin. This year, the prize will be NIS 50,000 for the winning poet.The prize was created as a joint initiative of Nechama Rivlin and Administrator General Sigal Yaacobi in celebration of Israel's 70 anniversary, with the aim of promoting the Hebrew language, to encourage Israeli poets and to contribute to Israeli culture.
