Jerusalem Film Festival 2026: International Lineup Highlights Award Winners and Cult Classics

The 43rd Jerusalem Film Festival, scheduled to run from July 9-19, has announced its international program, featuring some of the most talked-about films of the past year. According to the Jerusalem Post, the lineup includes the winners of the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, as well as top prize winners from other major festivals, including San Sebastián, Toronto, Tallinn, SXSW, Tribeca, and Rotterdam.

The international program encompasses feature films, documentaries, animated films, and experimental works, to be screened in the four auditoriums of the Jerusalem Cinematheque and at Lev Smadar. The full program is expected to be available on the festival website, with ticket sales opening on June 26.

More than three-quarters of the international films will be shown exclusively at the Jerusalem Film Festival, meaning they do not yet have Israeli distributors and may not be shown again in Israeli theaters, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The festival will also host over 20 international guests, including directors, producers, and actors from around the world.

Among the highlights of the international program is "Fjord," directed by Cristian Mungiu, the Romanian filmmaker known for "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days." The film, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, stars Oscar nominees Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, who also appears in "Sentimental Value," currently playing in theaters across Israel. Other Cannes prizewinners include Paweł Pawlikowski's "Fatherland," which won the Best Director Award, and "La Bola Negra," an epic drama produced by Pedro Almodóvar, which was a co-winner of the directing award for Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo. The Dreamed Adventure, which won the jury prize at Cannes, is also part of the selection.

The festival's Classics section will include a tribute to Roberto Rossellini and new restorations of classic films, as detailed in the Jerusalem Post's coverage of the international program.

Israeli Program: World Premieres and Restored Classics

The Jerusalem Post also reported on the Israeli program, which features a wide-ranging lineup including feature films, documentaries, shorts, experimental films, and restored classics, with most being world premieres. Israeli movies have always been the heart and soul of the festival, Israel's longest-running film event, and many movies that premiered there went on to win international acclaim.

The total amount of prizes to be awarded in the Israeli and international competitions this year is about NIS 1 million. Notable entries in the Haggiag Competition for Israeli Feature Films include "How to Feel," directed by Hadas Ben Aroya, about an Israeli dancer and a German poet who fall in love in Berlin, only to find their relationship shaken by a crisis; "Amal," directed by David Ofek and Nahad Bashir, which tells the story of a woman fighting to save her son and stop a cycle of revenge in her village; "The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan)," directed by Gidi Dar, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival; "Where To," the debut feature by Assaf Machnes, which follows a Palestinian Uber driver in Berlin who keeps encountering a lost Israeli passenger; and Efrat Corem's "Heart of Goldsta." The festival will also present restored digital versions of classic Israeli films, including "Beyond the Walls" and "Crows."

Key Claims

  • The festival runs from July 9-19, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
  • The international lineup includes winners of the Palme d'Or and Golden Bear.
  • More than three-quarters of international films will be shown exclusively at the festival.
  • Over 20 international guests will attend, including directors, producers, and actors.
  • The Classics section will feature a tribute to Roberto Rossellini and new restorations.
  • The Israeli program includes world premieres and a wide range of film types.
  • Prizes total about NIS 1 million across competitions.
  • Restored digital versions of classic Israeli films will be shown.