Assaf Amir (Hebrew: אסף אמיר; born 1954) is an Israeli filmmaker and television and film producer, former chairman of The Israeli Producers Association and the current chairman of The Israeli Academy of Film and Television.
Assaf Amir | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1954 (age 69–70) Rehovot, Israel |
| Nationality |
|
| Alma mater | City College of San Francisco, The New School for Social Research |
| Occupation |
|
| Title | Chairman of The Israeli Academy of Film and Television |
| Spouse | Orly Maiberg |
| Children | 3 |
Early life and education
editAmir was born in 1954 in Rehovot and grew up in Bat-Yam. During his childhood, he was a child actor at the Habima National Theatre.
Amir studied cinema and philosophy at the City College of San Francisco and continued his studies at The New School for Social Research in NYC. During his time in New York, he met his future wife, artist Orly Maiberg.
Media career
editIn films
editUpon his return to Israel, Amir began producing films. He was the executive producer for Aviya's Summer and Israeli Academy Awards for Best Film Winner Life According to Agfa.[1]
In 1994, Amir founded Norma Productions, an independent production company. His first independent production was Elia Suleiman’s Chronicle of a Disappearance in 1996. It won the Best First Film Prize at the Venice International Film Festival.[2]
In 1997, Amir produced Pick a Card (aka Afula Express), which won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Film.[3][4]
In 2003, Amir produced Nir Bergman's Broken Wings, which won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Film and the Audience Award at the Berlinale film festival.[5][6] Amir collaborated with Bergman again in 2010 producing his film Intimate Grammar.[7]
In 2005, Amir produced What a Wonderful Place, which won the Israeli Academy Best Film Award, and the Special Jury award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.[8][9]
During the Following years, Amir produced the films Noodle, The Loners and Zion and His Brother.
In 2012, Amir produced Rama Burshtein's debut film Fill the Void, which won the Israeli Academy Best Film Award and the Best Actress award at the Venice International Film Festival.[10][11]
In 2016, Amir went on to produce Burshtein's next film, The Wedding Plan (aka Through the Wall).[12]
In television
editIn 2005, Amir created the television drama "Reaching for Heaven" in collaboration with Shlomo Mashiach and Roni Ninio, which won the Israeli Academy Awards for Best Drama Series.[13] In 2007 Amir produced the television drama "Walk the Dog" directed by Nir Bergman, which won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Television Drama. In 2020, Amir created Together with Noa Koller and Erez Drigues the comedy-drama Rehearsals, which won eight Israeli Academy awards (including Best Series) and was acquired by American network Hulu and distributed worldwide.[14]
In documentaries
editAmir produced many documentaries including Tali Shemesh's The Cemetery Club, Yair Qedar's Gay Days, Michal Weits's Blue Box and Nur Fibak's A Minor Crime which won the Israeli academy of film and television award for Best Documentary Film (max. 60 minutes) in 2023.[15]
Other
editAmir served as the chairman of The Israeli Producers Association during the years 2012–2015. He is currently serving as the chairman of The Israeli Academy of Film and Television beginning in 2019.[16][17][13]
Personal life
editAmir is the grandson of Meyer Weisgal, an American Journalist, Zionist activist, and one of the founders of Weizmann Institute of Science and Beit Hatfutsot (the Jewish Diaspora Museum). His parents were among the founders of Kibbutz Shoval. Amir is married to artist Orly Maiberg. They have three children. He currently resides in Tel Aviv.
Filmography
editFeature Films
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Aviya's Summer | Executive producer |
| 1993 | Life According to Agfa | Executive producer |
| 1996 | Chronicle of a Disappearance | Executive producer |
| 1997 | Afula Express | |
| 2003 | Broken Wings | |
| 2004 | Riky Riky | |
| 2005 | What a Wonderful Place | |
| 2007 | Noodle | |
| 2009 | The Loners | |
| 2009 | Zion and His Brother | |
| 2010 | Intimate Grammar | |
| 2010 | Dusk | |
| 2012 | Fill the Void | |
| 2016 | The Wedding Plan | |
| 2016 | Epilogue | |
| 2016 | The 90 Minute War | |
| 2022 | Sand Flakes |
Documentary Films
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Melting Siberia | |
| 2006 | Tali Fahima: Crossing The Lines | |
| 2006 | The Cemetery Club | |
| 2007 | A Million Bullets in October | |
| 2009 | Gay Days | |
| 2013 | Turning Thirteen | |
| 2015 | This Boy Is Me | |
| 2015 | Meshulam | |
| 2016 | Let's Dance | |
| 2017 | Rachel Agmon | |
| 2019 | Chasing Yehoshua | |
| 2019 | Open Your Mouth | |
| 2020 | Blue Box | |
| 2023 | A minor Crime |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2005 | Reaching for Heaven | |
| 2009 | Walk the Dog | Written by Shirly Moshaioff |
| 2009 | Castles in the Sky | |
| 2010 | The Journalists | |
| 2012 | The Albums | |
| 2017 | A Standard Love Song: Arik Einstein | |
| 2020 | Rehearsals |
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^ "Life According to Agfa". Israel Film Fund. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "European Achievement in World Cinema Award for Palestinian Director Elia Suleiman". European Film Academy. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ Pinto, Pinto (December 10, 2003). "Burekas Every Day". Haaretz. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ Leaman, Oliver (December 16, 2003). Companion Encyclopedia of Middle Eastern and North African Film. Routledge. p. 237. ISBN 978-1-134-66252-4.
- ^ a b "From Broken Home to Broken Wings". Haaretz. November 12, 2002. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "Panorama Audience Prize Presentation 2003" (PDF). Berlinale. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Intimate Grammar". Berlinale. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "Broken Wings". Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "What a Wonderful Place". Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Israel's Hadas Yaron Wins Best Actress at Venice Film Festival". Haaretz. September 8, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "How did Israel took over the Venice Film Festival? (Hebrew)". Haaretz. August 7, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Venice buzz title: Rama Burshtein talks 'Fill The Void' follow-up". Screen Daily. September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "Assaf Amir: "Nowdays when you have good content first of all you go to the Taagid" (Hebrew)". Calcalist. April 11, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Shira Haas cast in Netflix series, as Kan's 'Rehearsals' begins streaming on Hulu". Jerusalem Post. July 10, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "Strong list to compete for Ophirs". Jerusalem Post. December 10, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Assaf Amir is ending his term as the chairman of The Israeli Producers Association (Hebrew)". The Marker. May 11, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Assaf Amir is sick of explaining to the whole world how important the producer is in the creative process (Hebrew)". The Marker. February 10, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "1993 Awards". Berlinale. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "1992 Awards". Jerusalem Film Festival. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Foreign Oscar entries submitted". Variety. December 3, 1992. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "44 Countries Hoping for Oscar Nominations". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 24 November 1997. Archived from the original on 13 February 1998. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- ^ "1997 Awards". Jerusalem Film Festival. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Israeli film wins top prize at Tokyo International Film Festival". ISRAEL21c. September 18, 2002. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "2002 Awards". Jerusalem Film Festival. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Wonderful Place takes top Jerusalem prizes". Screen Daily. July 15, 2005. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "The Cemetery Club". Venice Film Festival. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c "The Cemetery Club". Israeli Films. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "The Band's Visit is nominated for 13 Ophir awards (Hebrew)". Haaretz. July 24, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "2007 Awards". Mubi (streaming service). Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "The Loners Festivals". Mubi (streaming service). Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "2010 Awards". Jerusalem Film Festival. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Israel's 'Intimate Grammar' wins at Tokyo Film Festival". Jerusalem Post. October 31, 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "'Intimate Grammar' Wins as Tokyo Festival Closes". The Hollywood Reporter. October 31, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Israel selects 'Void' for Oscar contender: Film swept Ophir awards, won best actress at Venice". Chicago Tribune. August 21, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "Two Israeli Films to Compete at Venice Film Festival". Haaretz. July 1, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "2012 Golden Lion award Nominees". Venice Film Festival. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "'Silver Linings,' 'Moonrise Kingdom' Lead Spirit Award Nominations". Indie Wire. November 27, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "2012 Festivals". Mubi (streaming service). Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "2012 Giornate degli Autori - Venice Days". Berlinale. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Film Review: 'Through the Wall'". Variety. September 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ "Seven Blessings wins big at the Ophir Awards". Jerusalem Post. August 20, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2024.