Director Spike Jonze will make his first visit to Israel next month to teach a master class at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
Jonze, whose credits include the Academy Award-nominated films “Her” and “Being John Malkovich,” is known for his fantasy-infused comedy dramas. In addition to sharing some of his secrets of the trade with festival goers, he will also attend a special screening and party celebrating 15 years since “Being John Malkovich,” in which actor John Malkovich played a fictional version of himself, hit the screens.
Jonze, who is Jewish, was born Adam Spiegel in Rockville, Maryland.
The Jerusalem Film Festival will run July 10-20 at the Jerusalem Cinematheque. This year marks the festival debut of its young new director, Noa Regev, 32, who is hoping to not only fill the shoes of recently retired longtime director Lia Van Leer but to revitalize the festival after a few bumpy years of donor feuds and administrative upheavals.
MOTs Joaquin Phoenix and Spike Jonze (and Amy Adams) on set of ‘Her’ (photo credit: courtesy Warner Bros.)
Eran Riklis, the Israeli director best known for “The Syrian Bride,” “Lemon Tree” and “Zaytoun,” will open the festival with the world premiere of his feature “Dancing Arabs,” based on the eponymous novel by Sayed Kashua. The festival will close with “The Wind Rises,” an animated tale by Japanese manga master Hayao Miyazaki.
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