Tamir takes film festival reins
CINEMA owner and film distributor Eddie Tamir is the new director of the Jewish Film Festival. Tamir, who has operated the Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick since 1999, has taken over the director’s chair from Rabbi Aviva Kipen, who was at the helm for one year after succeeding Les Rabinowicz.
CINEMA owner and film distributor Eddie Tamir is the new director of the Jewish Film Festival.
Tamir, who has operated the Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick since 1999, has taken over the director’s chair from Rabbi Aviva Kipen, who was at the helm for one year after succeeding Les Rabinowicz.
Tamir promises an exciting program of films at this year’s festival, which will be held in early November in Melbourne and Sydney.
“I want it to be bigger than ever, with up to 30 films on the program,” Tamir told The AJN this week, following his deal with the Jewish Film Foundation of Australia to take over the running of the festival.
“People want to see films about the Jewish experience and it will be important for the festival to have an Israeli voice as well as high-quality films.”
While festival directors normally spend much of the year putting together the program, Tamir is not phased about the short time he has to work on a program as he already has films in mind after attending the Cannes Film Festival in May.
“I saw six films a day throughout the 12-day festival,” he said after attending his 15th Cannes festival, joining thousands of film industry people from around the world.
Tamir said his film distribution company, Champion Pictures, had acquired several films in Cannes to be screened in Australia and that he would consider including some in the Jewish Film Festival.
“Some of these films would not normally be in a festival so early.”
DANNY GOCS
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