Quentin Tarantino to Be Guest of Honor at Jerusalem Film Festival
by Benjamin Kerstein
Oscar-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who lives part-time in Tel Aviv with his Israeli wife, is set to be a guest of honor at the upcoming Jerusalem Film Festival in August, Israeli outlet N12 reported Tuesday.
Tarantino will present a series of eight films he has chosen along with the festival organizers, which will be shown in the director’s preferred 35mm film format, rather than the now standard digital projection.
The series will also be a tribute to Cannon — a now defunct Hollywood production company run for some time by Israeli cinema legends Yoram Globus and Menachem Golan — which during the 1980s produced Oscar-nominated films like “Runaway Train” and “Street Smart,” as well as box office hits like the “Death Wish” series.
Dr. Noa Regev, the head of the Jerusalem Cinematheque and chief organizer of the festival, commented of Tarantino, “There is no doubt that it will be interesting and fascinating to learn from him about the unique aspects of Cannon’s films, its pathbreaking production structure, and the new possibilities that opened up to young filmmakers when they started out in the 1980s.”
“We’re very excited,” she said.
In recent years, Tarantino has become one of Israel’s most famous residents, dividing his time between Los Angeles and Tel Aviv following his marriage to singer Daniella Pick, daughter of legendary Israeli rock star Zvika Pick.
Tarantino and Pick have a son, Leo, and they both remained in Israel during the long series of lockdowns at the height of the coronavirus pandemic last year.
In June, Tarantino appeared on the late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and discussed his life in Tel Aviv and his attempts to learn Hebrew.
Asked about his time in Israel during the pandemic, Tarantino said, “Well look, I would rather not have been out of my own country against my will for a year. However, if I’m going to be in another country, the country that handled COVID the best is probably the best country to be in.”