Two Israeli films to premiere at Tribeca in June

“What Is to Come,” a new feature by award-winning director Ruthy Pribar, is one of two Israeli films that will premiere on June 8 at the Tribeca Festival in New York.

The film tells the story of Yehudit (Ronit Yudkevitz) and Michael, farmers in their sixties who fall into a deep financial crisis and decide to end their lives. Yehudit changes her mind at the last moment, but Michael is already gone.

Yehudit is left on her own and must confront a growing financial and emotional catastrophe. She flees to Eilat, where she meets Eli (Yaakov Zada Daniel), and finds her way toward a different kind of redemption.

The film will screen as part of the International Competition, the festival’s main section.

“It’s been a long journey with this baby,” said Pribar in a statement. “Our film was created out of a time of deep pain and uncertainty, and offers the possibility of a new beginning and hope.”

Pribar’s 2020 debut film, “Asia,” won the Ophir Award for Best Feature and was also screened at Tribeca, where it won the Nora Ephron Award, presented to a female filmmaker with a distinctive and groundbreaking voice, Best Actress and Best Cinematography.

The film later won nine Ophir Awards, as well as three additional awards at the Jerusalem Film Festival.

“What Is to Come” producer Yoav Roeh noted that participation in an international film festival has become a high bar for Israeli films, given the soft cultural boycott lodged against Israeli creatives following the war in Gaza.

“We hope that this screening in New York marks the beginning of a change, and that in the near future we will return to days when representing Israeli culture was a source of pride,” said Roeh.

The film is produced by Gum Films, United King Films, Shoni Films and Finite Films, with the support of the Israel Film Fund, the Arava Film Fund, the New Fund for Cinema and Television and Mifal HaPais.

The other Israeli film premiering at Tribeca is “Moishe Badhan” (The Tale of a Wedding Entertainer), a new film by veteran director Gidi Dar and actor Shuli Rand, showing in the Viewpoints section.

The film tells the story of Moishe, a disgraced Haredi wedding jester who lost his clientele because of his alcoholism.

When his daughter is offered a wedding match, Moishe has to find the money to pay for the wedding and is presented with an opportunity to raise the funds and return to his former professional glory.

The screenplay is by Rand, with a cast that includes him along with Tal Friedman, Elon Gold, Malki Goldman, Tzufit Grant and others.

United King Films is handling the production and distribution for Rand and Dar, who worked together on several films, including “Ushpizin” and “Legend of Destruction.”