Arts in Brief: May 19

Prizes announced at DocAviv; Israeli harpist awarded music scholarship.

DocAviv 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
DocAviv 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Prizes announced at DocAviv
Tamar Tal’s Life in Stills won the top prize in the Israeli competition at the DocAviv International Documentary festival, which runs through Saturday at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and other venues around Tel Aviv. It’s the story of a 96-year-old grandmother and her grandson who join forces to save her late husband’s photo shop and photographs.
The winner in the International Competition was El Sicario Room 164, Gianfranco Rosi’s look at a hired killer for Mexican drug cartels. • Hannah Brown
Israeli harpist awarded music scholarship
Israeli harpist Inbar Varnia is the first recipient of a new music scholarship awarded by the Rachel Machkevitch Foundation. In a ceremony held last week in London the 24-year-old musician was given a grant worth $50,000 that will allow her to study towards an MA at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
“We’re happy to be able to help Israeli harpist Inbal Varnia develop her abilities in what she already does so well,” said Ella Machkevtich, the chairman of the foundation created by Jewish Kazakhstani billionaire Alexander Machkevtich. “We wish her well in her career.” • Gil Shefler