Smadar festival begins tomorrow, celebrates Jerusalem cinema

The festival will open with a screening of In Jerusalem, a short film by David Perlov known for its poetic look at the divided city in 1963.

By HANNAH BROWN JANUARY 26, 2025 01:24

THE SMADAR festival is set to open with a screening of ‘In Jerusalem,’ a short poetic look at the divided city in 1963. (photo credit: Courtesy Smadar)

Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people and filmmakers have portrayed it with all its uniqueness, beauty, and quirks on the big screen. 

Now, a new film festival, the In Jerusalem Festival, will celebrate the cinema of Jerusalem, in an event that begins on January 27 at the Lev Smadar Theater on Lloyd George Street in the capital, and runs until January 31.

The festival was founded by the Smadar Initiative – a group of Jerusalem entrepreneurs who came together with the goal of revitalizing the mythical cinema Lev Smadar complex and infusing it with new spirit and energy as a center for quality culture and a vibrant community bustling with life and creativity.

LEV SMADAR cinema in the capital’s German Colony neighborhood, seen in 2011, when embroiled in a previous struggle to stay open. (credit: YOSSI ZAMIR/FLASH90)

Open with a screening

It will open with a screening of In Jerusalem, a short film by David Perlov known for its poetic look at the divided city in 1963. Another short film, Nighttime Typos, will also be shown. 

Other films in the festival include recent and older movies set in Jerusalem, such as Talya Lavie’s Honeymood, a look at the nighttime odyssey of a quarreling newlywed couple through the city; Someone to Run With, Oded Davidoff’s adaptation of the David Grossman novel about two young people exploring the city’s mysteries; and Jonathan Geva’s Abulele, a children’s movie about a boy who befriends a mystical creature that helps him cope with bullies. 

There will be dance and music performances, a panel on political issues that relate to creating art in the capital, and several competitions for animated and short films, as well as a selection of the best films made by Jerusalem students. 

The festival is sponsored by the Smadar Initiative, the Aviv Foundation, the Beracha Foundation, and Be’Rutina. 

For more information, visit the festival website at beyerushalayim.com.