The 24th Israel Film Festival, the largest showcase of Israeli films in the United States, announced today its most dynamic program since its founding. Encompassing over 30 movies, including award winning features, documentaries and student films, the Festival runs from June 3rd – June 18th, 2009 in Los Angeles. The gala Opening Night festivities will include the West Coast premiere of Lost Islands, the highest grossing and most honored film in Israel last year, and the Festival’s highly-anticipated awards presentation will take place on Wednesday, June 3rd at the legendary Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The 2009 IFF Awards will be bestowed on: John Fishel (President of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles), Robert Lantos (prolific Hollywood producer), Branko Lustig (two time Academy Award winning producer) and Diane Warren (Grammy Award winning songwriter), it was announced by Meir Fenigstein, the Founder/Executive Director of the Israel Film Festival.

A portion of funds raised from the Opening Night and Awards Gala will support scholarships for Israeli students to study cinema in six major film schools in Israel. From the 30 films submitted for consideration for this year’s film scholarships, six filmmakers will be selected and each will be awarded cash and prizes valued up to $2,500. The winners will also be flown to Los Angeles for premiere showings of their films at this year’s Festival. The student filmmaker awards will be presented at the Opening Night Gala. IFF’s goal is to award the cash prize to filmmakers as an incentive to make their next feature film in Israel thus continuing the long heritage and enrichment of Israeli Cinema. This program is also sponsored by the Israel Lottery for the Arts and Cellcom.

“This year’s Festival celebrates very talented and unsung Israeli filmmakers who are poised to be recognized on the world stage,” noted Fenigstein. “There is something for everyone, from family films that will screen on Sundays and lite comedies to enthralling dramas and rich documentaries that recognize the 100th anniversary of Tel Aviv. We also acknowledge the contributions of this year’s esteemed honorees and welcome from Israel the young winners of Festival scholarships who took their money to make films that will premiere at this year’s Festival.”

The Festival this year will also be making headline news with Opening Night’s Lost Islands, a multiple Israeli Academy Film Awards winner. The Israel Film Festival will theatrically self-distribute the movie in a platformed release in major markets after the close of the Festival – the very first time a festival has ever directly distributed a theatrical film.

Directed by Reshef Levy and starring Michael Moshonov (Best Actor Winner), and Shmil Ben Ari (Best Supporting Actor), this autobiographic drama set in the 1980s centers around the Levis, a large family with a unique lifestyle. Mr. Levi lectures his children daily on the importance of fulfilling their dreams, while his wife preaches absolute family loyalty. When twin brothers, Erez and Ofer, fall in love with the same girl, they must choose between family loyalty and love. Neither boy finds comfort in their self-inflicted situations and later learns one must pursue his heart’s desire without taking his family into account.

In its grand tradition of showcasing the finest of Israeli films, this year IFF will screen the best films produced within the last year and new, crowd pleasing titles never before shown. Due to popular demand, the Festival is proud to present the award winning Academy Award nominated Waltz with Bashir as part of its spotlight on the best of Israeli film industry. This screening will allow audiences to experience the film back on the big screen. This special encore showing will only happen once at the Fine Arts Theater (Beverly Hills) and once at Laemmle’s Fallbrook 7 (San Fernando Valley).

All other films in the Festival will screen at two locations: Fine Arts Theatre (8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills) and Laemmle’s Fallbrook 7 (5731 Fallbrook Avenue, San Fernando Valley). The films are in Hebrew with English subtitles.

To purchase tickets for screenings or for further information, please call 1-877-966-5566 or visit www.israelfilmfestival.com. Tickets are available for advance purchase online and at theatre box offices beginning May 18th. Ticket prices are: $12 for general admission, $10 for senior citizens (62 and older), children (under 12) and students with proper ID. Weekday matinees (shows before 6:00 p.m.) are $9 for all filmgoers. A Festival Pass (buy five, get one free) is available for $60.00 (restrictions apply – vouchers must be exchanged at the box office a half-hour prior to showtime and are not available for sold-out screenings). Tickets for Opening Night Screening and Awards Presentation are $125. Tickets can also be purchased at the Fine Arts Theatre box office and the Laemmle Fallbrook box office.