About the Festival

The mission of the Ring Family Wesleyan University Israeli Film Festival is to educate and explore the richness, diversity and creativity of Israeli culture as witnessed through the flourishing of contemporary Israeli cinema. Therefore each film screening is followed by a guest speaker who comments on the film from a particular perspective. In the past we have had as guest speakers for the festivals directors, film critics, academics, actors, and music composers. Thus, the film festival brings together different academic disciplines in accordance with Wesleyan’s interdisciplinary and open curriculum.

All films are in Hebrew with English subtitles. The Israeli Film Festival is incorporated into the Hebrew curriculum at Wesleyan University at all levels. Viewing the films, meeting with native speakers, and writing papers on the films are all part of the requirements of our Hebrew courses.

The festival was inaugurated in spring 2006. It has been offered every other year, and the second festival occurred in 2008. The third festival  was offered in spring 2010 and from then on it will be offered on a yearly basis thanks to another generous gift from the Ring Family. The festival is sponsored by the Ring family, the Center for Jewish Studies and co-sponsored by the College of Film and the Moving Image at Wesleyan University. Admission is free and it is open to the public.

The film festival was initiated, designed and has been curated by Dalit Katz, Director of the Center for Jewish Studies.