The World is Funny, the third feature written & directed by Israeli filmmaker Shemi Zarhin, is the winner of the first annual BEVIE AWARD for Best Feature of 2013 from the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema.
It gives me tremendous pleasure to make this announcement because The World is Funny was my own Top Pick in the Feature category at this year’s CFIC. (I also awarded it Best Supporting Actor & Best Supporting Actress in the Top Performances categories.)
The BEVIE AWARDS were created to honor CFIC founder Beverly Braverman who died of cancer earlier this year. Bev’s energy & enthusiasm were captured by the Jerusalem Post article “Seeing Israel through Film,” published by the Jerusalem Post in 2012:
“Braverman has been coming to the Jerusalem Film Festival since 2005 to select films for her audience. Like Zablocki, Braverman packs many films per day into her Jerusalem schedule. “It’s the only place to see so many great Israeli films,” she explains.
For Braverman, a lively and outgoing former trader who has made many friends over the years among Jerusalem Festival regulars, the Jerusalem festival is where she connects with distributors to negotiate deals for her low-budget independent festival and to share notes with fellow Israel film directors from around the world. “I call it film camp,” she laughs.”
Bev will be much missed by her many friends in Chicago, Israel, & worldwide, and Shemi Zarhin is the perfect recipient of the first annual BEVIE. The World is Funny is a terrific film. It was my Top Pick & I am so pleased that the CFIC audience agreed 🙂
Click HERE to read my review of The World is Funny.
Click HERE to read my 2006 interview with Shemi.
Click HERE to read my Guide to the 2013 CFIC.
Click HERE for more about the BEVIE AWARDS.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Cindy Stern (Executive Director of the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema) shown above with Shemi. The award was presented at a special reception at the University of Chicago on October 25th. Shemi was in Chicago to promote his new novel Some Day. Click HERE to order Some Day from Amazon.
