2021 JFF Winners

The Jerusalem Film Festival is delighted to announce winners in the various competitions.

The total sum of the awards at the festival this year is approximately 1,000,000 ILS.

International Competition

The Nechama Rivilin Award for Best International Film courtesy of Ronald S. Lauder and Jo Carole Lauder, through the Jerusalem Foundation

Compartment No. 6 by Juho Kuosmanen

Jury Motivation: “Compartment No. 6 is a cross-cultural road movie – entertaining, clever, and remarkably endearing. This is free cinema, released from confinements, where an entire world exists within a cramped train car and where impossible connections are forged between people from different borders and cultures.”

Special Mention

Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen

First Feature Competition

The GWFF Award for Best First Feature

El Planeta by Amalia Ulman

In the Spirit of Freedom Competition

The Cummings Award for best Feature Film

Unclenching the Fists by Kira Kovalenko

The MKR Award for Best Documentary

From Where They Stood by Christophe Cognet

Chantal Akerman Competition

The Chantal Akerman Prize for an International Documentary, courtesy of the Ostrovsky Family Fund

Babi Yar. Context by Sergei Loznitsa

Israeli Feature Film Competition

The Haggiag Award for Best Israeli Feature (ex aequo)

All Eyes Off Me by Hadas Ben-Aroya

Shake Your Cares Away by Tom Shoval

Jury Motivations:

All Eyes Off Me

“A film with an unusual and innovative structure, sharp dialogue, and unique worldview. The filmmaker approaches the subject of sexual relations from a female position, daring and thought provoking, where intimacy is not viewed as a goal, but rather, as a means of communicating the difficulties of an entire generation’s desperate search for comfort and warmth.”

Shake Your Cares Away

“Tom Shoval’s challenging film straddles between fantasy and reality. Through this unusual and profound social allegory, the filmmaker offers a sharp observation of Israel’s complex reality with a gaze that is both sobering and ironic. “

The GWFF Award for Best Israeli First Feature

Cinema Sabaya by Orit Fokus Rotem

The Dalia Sigan Award for Best Screenplay

Pini Tavger for More Than I Deserve

The Anat Pirchi Award for Best Actor

Omer Perelman Striks for The Swimmer

Special Mention: Yuval Auron for Take the 'A' Train

The Anat Pirchi Award for Best Actress

Elisheva Weil for All Eyes Off Me

The Aaron Emanuel Award for Best Cinematography

Daniel Miller, Ziv Berkovitch for Shake Your Cares Away

The Yossi Mulla Award for Best Original Score

Asher Goldschmidt for Shake Your Cares Away

Israeli Documentary Competition

The Diamond Award for Best Documentary

Black Notebooks by Shlomi Elkabetz

The Diamond Award for Best Director

Vanessa Lapa for Speer Goes to Hollywood

The Cummings Award for Best Editing

Joelle Alexis for Black Notebooks

Special Mention

#Schoolyard: An Untold Story by Nurit Kedar

Israeli Short Film Competition

The Diamond Award for Best Live Action Short Film

The Sun Rises Down Below by Dylan Joseph Schitrit

Special Mention: He Can Sleep on the Couch by Ahinoam Capon

The Shagrir Family Award for the Promising Filmmaker

Hamad Sharoof, Fadi Qupti for The 50th Psalm

The Shagrir Family Award for Best Short Documentary

MOLOTOV by Ariel Semmel

The Jerusalem Film & Television Fund - The Jerusalem Development Authority Award for Best Short Animation

Holy Holocaust by Osi Wald, Noa Berman-Herzberg

Special Mention: Fledge by Tom Kouris, Hani Dombe

The Israeli Video Art and Experimental Film Competition

The Lia van Leer Award, courtesy of Rivka Saker

How to be Alone by Neta Moses

The Ostrovsky Family Fund Award

Coming Home by Michael Liani

Special Mention: Hollows and Ducts by Tzion Abraham Hazan, Keren Ben Altabet, Avner Miryam Amit

Pitch Point Shorts Competition

The Gesher Multicultural Film Fund Award for Best Short Script (250,000 ILS)

Katya's Hand by Tom Shoval

The Gesher Multicultural Film Fund Second Award (150,000 ILS)

The Water Stands by Tzivia Barkai-Yaacov