I am pleased and excited to announce on behalf of the Center for Jewish Studies The Eighteenth Annual Ring Family Wesleyan University Israeli Film Festival, 2025. This year’s festival will continue its tradition of introducing and premiering the best of the most contemporary Israeli films and hosting key figures in the Israeli film industry. The festival will feature a special screening of the film Tatami directed by the Oscar winner Israeli film director, Guy Nattiv, three New England Premieres, Tatami, The Milky Way, Of Dogs and Men and one Connecticut Premiere, Running on Sand. In addition, there will be two in-person appearances of Israeli film directors (Guy Nattiv, Dani Rosenberg) and one taped interview with the lead actress of the movie The Milky Way, Hadas Yaron. Other special events include a talk by the Oscar nominated illustrator of the movie Legend of Destruction, David Polonsky, and one in- person appearance of a film producer of the movie Pink Lady, Isaac Zablocki.
The festival will cover a variety of contemporary issues relating to Israeli society touching on the complex relation with Iran, Tatami, a film dealing with the aftermath of October 7, Of Dogs and Men, a women centered movie, The Milky Way, homosexuality in the orthodox community, Pink Lady, immigration in Israel, Running on Sand, and an historic tale in animation, Legend of Destruction.
The films will be screened every Wednesday at the Goldsmith Family Cinema in the Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies, 301 Washington Terrace, Middletown, CT at 8:00 PM.