Avi Nesher’s new film, Our Loves, will open the 42nd Haifa International Film Festival, which will take place during Sukkot, from September 26 through October 3.
At the opening-night ceremony, Nesher will also receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award for cinematic excellence and his exceptional contribution to Israeli culture.
Our Loves, which is nominated for 12 Ophir Awards, including Best Film, will come to Haifa following its world premiere in the prestigious Centerpiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The movie is Nesher’s 21st feature and was inspired by true events. It follows seven characters whose lives become intertwined without their realizing it. Each is trapped in an unusual and unsuccessful relationship; some of these relationships are painful as well as comic, and all take unexpected turns.
The seven characters share one conviction: that October 6 – “the day love died” – was the worst day of their lives. But on the following day, as the events of October 7 force them into desperate efforts to survive, each is confronted with revelations about the past and future that had previously remained hidden.
The ensemble cast includes Shalom Michaelshwilli, Maggie Azarzar, Yaniv Biton, Noa Cohen, Daniel Gimpel, Hadas Yaron, Evelin Hagoel, Lena Fraifeld, Sean Mongoza, Kim Or Azulay, Lev Leib Levin, Naomi Aharoni Gal, better known as Nunu, Lior Miller, Elad Turgeman, Amir Banai, Nevo Katan, and Itamar Pinto.
United King Films, SIPUR Studios, Artomas Communications, Zoa Films, Fox Entertainment, and Access Entertainment produced the film, with support from the Rabinovich Foundation, the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund, the Avi Chai Foundation, the Paul Singer Foundation, and Keshet.
Haifa festival director Yaron Shami celebrates Avi Nesher's illustrious career
“We are proud to open the Haifa International Film Festival with Avi Nesher’s new film and to present him with a Lifetime Achievement Award,” said festival artistic director Yaron Shamir.
“Avi is one of the most consistent, beloved, and highly regarded filmmakers in Israeli cinema across the generations.
Many of his films have become classics that Israeli audiences have warmly embraced.
“Our Loves looks at the pain we all experienced on October 7, but also offers hope, compassion, and the possibility of healing.”
The film will be screened courtesy of United King Films.
The Haifa International Film Festival is supported by the Israel Film Council at the Culture and Sport Ministry, the Tourism Ministry, the Regional Cooperation Ministry, and the Haifa Municipality. ETHOS, the Haifa Municipality’s arts, culture, and sports company, produces it.