Israeli director who became film studio favorite after establishing Micro Budget niche to premier new flick, Chernobyl Diaries, this May.

Source: Ynetnews

After a series of exceptionally profitable horror flicks, Israeli-born director Oren Peli became a favorite of the Hollywood film industry.

This happened not only thanks to his perfect box office record, but also because he found a way to produce profitable thrillers at a much lower cost than Hollywood's average horror film budget.

Peli produced and directed the first film in the Paranormal Activity series on a scanty $15,000 budget, grossing $193.4 million at the box offices. The second movie was produced with a $3 million budget, grossing $177.5 million. The third film, produced with a $5 million budget, grossed $205 million worldwide.

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Meni Yaesh's first feature film 'God's Neighbors' wins authors, directors award in festival's Critics' Week

Source: Ynetnews

Another international achievement for Israeli cinema: God's Neighbors, a film by Meni Yaesh has won the Gaul's Society of Authors, Directors and Composers award in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

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A short story by Israeli author Shani Boianjiu has been published in this week's issue of The New Yorker.25-year-old Shani Boianjiu also sells translation rights to her first novel to 22 countries.

Source: Haaretz

"Means of Suppressing Demonstrations" is part of Boianjiu's first novel, due to be published in September.

Boianjiu, 25, of Kfar Vradim, wrote the book in English. At the end of her military service, she studied at Harvard University, where she won an award for creative writing and a scholarship for a creative writing course in Ireland.

Last year, Boianjiu was selected by the National Book Foundation as one of "5 Under 35" promising young fiction writers. She was nominated on the recommendation of author and National Book Award finalist Nicole Krauss.

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Former Smiths lead singer wraps himself in Israeli flag, tries his hand at Hebrew.

Source: Haaretz

Despite the sound system giving out during his first song, Morrissey's concert in Tel Aviv Saturday night was a success. The fans roared with glee as the former lead singer of The Smiths sang from his repertoire of hits.

Moz, as the singer is sometimes known, tried his hand at Hebrew during the show, asking the crowd, "Ma Nishma?" ("How's it going?"), replacing "Yes or no" with "Ken o lo" in one of his songs, and thanking the crowd by saying "toda."

Earlier on Saturday, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai presented the English singer with the keys to the city. The singer seemed genuinely excited by the gesture as he showed the crowd his prize.

The singer, a known vegetarian and activist for animal rights, said that now that he holds the keys to the city "things are going to change." Before starting to sing his vegetarian anthem "Meat Is Murder" he began delineating "No more McDonalds, no more Kentucky Fried Chicken…no more Madonna."

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Red Hot Chili Peppers play up their ‘excitement and thrill’ to be coming to Israel, birthplace of their original guitarist

Source: Timeofisrael

Internationally acclaimed rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers are pumping for their upcoming Tel Aviv gig, telling fans they can’t wait to make their Israeli debut.

The band are scheduled to play September 10, and have resisted boycott activists’ calls to cancel the show. A planned performance 10 years ago was canceled due to security concerns.

In a recently released promo video for the event, bassist Flea and singer Anthony Kiedis fondly remember original RHCP guitarist Hillel Slovak, who was born in Haifa but moved with his family to Los Angeles at a young age, where he met the other original Red Hot Chili Peppers in high school.

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Another tribute will be held for the independent American animator Don Hertzfeldt.

Source: Haaretz

Nine Israeli movies will compete for the best full-length feature award at the 29th Jerusalem International Film Festival, to be held July 5-14.

Seven of the competing movies are the first works of directors, and two were made by women. The contestants include Ami Levana's "Sharqiya," which debuted in the last Berlin Festival, and Meni Yaesh's "God's Neighbors," which was screened at the last Cannes Festival's "Critics' Week" - both to critical acclaim.

Other films competing in the category of best feature film include director and screenwriter Dover Kosashvili's new film "Single Plus," starring Yael Toker, Ruby Porat Shoval and Michal Yanai; Benny Torati's "The Balad of the Weeping Spring;" Yariv Horowitz's "Rock the Casbah;" Dana Goldberg's "Alice;" Idan Hubel's "Disconnecting the Water;" Rama Burstein's "Filling the Void;" and Amir Manor's "Hayuta and Berl."

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