(ARTS) Israel Film Festival Opens With Hollywood Actors

"The 25th Anniversary Gala for the Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles attracted a number of Hollywood stars to the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Among the honourees this year are Richard Dreyfuss (actor and founder of the Dreyfuss Initiative), Avi Lerner (Co-Chairman & CEO of Nu Image/Millennium Films, The Expendables) and Jon Landau (COO of Lightstorm Entertainment, producer of Avatar, The Titanic).

Dreyfuss received the festival’s Career Achievement Award; actor Topher Grace presented Ryan Kavanaugh with the Outstanding Achievement in Film Award; and Sylvester Stallone was on hand to present Lerner (who recently produced The Expendables, starring Stallone) with the Lifetime Achievement Award.



'It was an incredible evening with each of the honourees speaking so passionately about Israel and praising the success of the Israeli film industry around the world,' founder and executive director of the festival Meir Fenigstein said in a statement.

Comedian Elon Gold acted as the Master of Ceremonies for the gala, which featured many Israeli directors, including Avi Nesher. Nesher’s film The Matchmaker (which premiered at TIFF) opened the festival.

This year’s featival -- which runs until Nov. 4 in Los Angeles -- will feature two closing night films: The Human Resources Manager, Israel’s Oscar entry, and Precious Life, a documentary that had its premiere at TIFF.

Turn Left at the End of the World, I’m Not Jerusalem, Rage and Glory, Out of the Box, Neighbors and Murders, Lone Samaritan, A Duck’s Journey, Theives by Law, Amos Oz: The Nature of Dreams, I’m Not Filipina, Blood Relation, A History of Israeli Cinema, A Matter of Size and There Were Nights will also be screened at the festival.

For more information and to see the complete list of films, visit www.israelfilmfestival.com." (source)

(NEWS) UK's Next Prime Minister Could Be A Jew

"Two Jewish politicians are vying to lead Britain’s Labour Party. According to a recent poll, one is in first place and one in second. And they just happen to be brothers.

David Miliband, 44, a British Labour MP and former Foreign Secretary and his MP brother Ed, 40, the former Energy and Climate Change Secretary, are in a close race to become the next Labour leader.



A survey of Labour councillors by the BBC’s Daily Politics program found that David was in the lead with 57 per cent support while his brother Ed was in second place at 43 per cent.

The Miliband brothers were raised in London. They are the sons of Jewish immigrants, Marion Kozak from Poland and Belgium-born Ralph Miliband, a Marxist Jewish historian and sociologist, who was one of the most notable left-wing voices of his era.

David, first elected in 2001, was an advisor to Tony Blair and is associated with Blair’s centrist, pro-business New Labour while Ed, elected in 2005, is trying to return the party to its working class roots and is popular with Labour’s base.

Several Jewish Labour MPs are backing David’s his candidacy.

Former Labour head Neil Kinnock has endorsed Ed, describing him as having 'the capacity to inspire people' and the strong values needed to win over voters.

So, could Britain have its first Jewish Prime Minister since Benjamin Disraeli (who was born Jewish but baptised in the Anglican Church by his father when he was 13) who served way back in the 19th Century? It’s a distinct possibility if either brother wins Labour’s leadership." (source)