Jerusalem Film Festival artistic director Elad Samorzik will depart from his role later this year, with programmer, critic and author Orr Sigoli taking over the position.
Samorzik, who has been artistic director of the festival since late 2013, will work alongside Sigoli on the 2024 edition as outgoing artistic director.
The 41st Jerusalem Film Festival will run from July 18-28 – the first official indication that the festival is moving forwards with plans for this year, despite war in the region since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza.
A popular figure in the Israeli and international industry, Samorzik ran the festival for 10 editions, from 2014 to 2023. Throughout this time he initiated new competitive sections and developed the festival’s industry days. The festival’s annual attendance grew to 70,000, with cash prizes reaching 1m NIS (£216,000).
International guests to have attended the festival in Samorzik’s tenure included Quentin Tarantino, Claire Denis, Pawel Pawlikowski, Ruben Ostlund and, at last year’s edition, Helen Mirren.
“After a decade at the festival, I have decided to leave my position and move on to new challenges,” said Samorzik. “It was an incredible honour to serve as artistic director of the Jerusalem Film Festival for so many years and work with a team that became such a meaningful part of my life. I have known Orr Sigoli for many years; he is a true cinephile and I am certain that the festival will benefit greatly from his deep commitment to the art of film.”
Sigoli was selected following a search process by the Jerusalem Cinematheque, which runs the festival.
A graduate of Jerusalem’s Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, he has worked as a film programmer for yes-satellite-TV, a critic for publications including City Mouse, Calcalist and Globes, and as founder of Israeli independent film site Srita.net. He published his first novel in 2020, with a second due later this year.
“Becoming the artistic director of the Jerusalem Film Festival is a dream come true,” said Sigoli. “The festival and the city became a great love of mine during my time as a student in Jerusalem. I am a firm believer in the role of cinema in the cultural landscape and am therefore honoured and very much looking forward to being a part of this important and wonderful institution.”
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Elad Samorzik for his artistic leadership over the past decade, a period during which he succeeded, alongside Noa Regev and a devoted staff, to bring the festival to the forefront of Israel’s cultural stage and grant it international standing,” said a statement from Jerusalem Cinematheque board chairman Daniel Mimran, and executive director Roni Mahadav-Levin.
“We wish incoming artistic director Orr Sigoli much success and believe he will continue steering Israel’s leading film festival to reflect the artistic and cultural character of Israeli and international cinema - a particularly difficult role during this time.”
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