Show goes on at Jerusalem Film Festival with screening of Sublet
Fox and his producer/husband Gal Uchovsky were on hand, as was one of the movie’s stars, Niv Nissim.
By HANNAH BROWNL-R: Sublet co-screenwriter, Itay Segal; actor Niv Nissim; actress Hana Laslo; Jerusalem Cinematheque CEO Dr. Noa Regev; director Eytan Fox; and producer Gal Uchovsky. (photo credit: ITAMAR GINZBURG)
The show went on at the 37th Jerusalem Film Festival Thursday night, when the Jerusalem Cinematheque opened its doors for a tiny, socially distanced screening of the opening film, Eytan Fox’s Sublet.Fox and his producer/husband Gal Uchovsky were on hand, as was one of the movie’s stars, Niv Nissim. The guests lit Hanukkah candles and then the film was screened. It stars John Benjamin Hickey as a New York travel writer who has suffered a tragedy at home and comes to Tel Aviv, where he sublets an apartment from a film student (Nissim) who becomes his guide to the city.The film was preceded by a videotaped message from President Reuven Rivlin, who said that these days, “We feel like we’re living in a movie, but we can’t go to the movies” and added that he hoped movie theaters could open soon. His late wife Nechama was an avid moviegoer, who was often seen at the Jerusalem Cinematheque and movie theaters around Jerusalem, even when there was no premiere or event, just because she enjoyed cinema. The Jerusalem Film Festival now gives an award in her memory.Sublet, which has won Audience Awards at online festivals around since its world premiere last spring at the Tribeca Film Festival, was shown in two auditoriums, for just 10 people per screening. Everyone would have preferred that it could have been shown in the summer at the traditional Sultan’s Pool opening ceremony, which draws more than 5,000 spectators, but the select few who saw the movie Thursday night were happy to be back in a theater, if only for a moment.The Jerusalem Film Festival runs through December 20 online, with Israeli and international films.The website is jff.org.il
