Director Avi Nesher’s latest film, “Our Loves,” is his chance to tell the story of the country on October 7, 2023, as Israelis began to grasp the tragic magnitude of the unfolding Hamas-led invasion.

It’s also his opportunity to share Israel’s trauma with the world during a time when Israeli filmmakers are struggling with global cultural boycotts.

“I think the quality of Israeli movies will win out; this country has so many talented actors, directors and filmmakers,” said Nesher during a panel on Monday at the Jerusalem Film Festival, likening the Israeli film industry to the local tech industry before it became a global powerhouse.

“The boycott is a sad part of life, but we have to deal with it somehow,” he said.

There’s a lot of hope pinned on “Our Loves” as a contender for the Ophir Award in September, which would then make the movie Israel’s nominee for the Academy Awards. The film opens in Israeli theaters on September 3.

The film’s producers also sat in on the panel at the Jerusalem Cinematheque, which hosts the annual film festival.

The panelists discussed how they navigated the boycotts, citing “Our Loves” as an example of a film that was able to secure additional backing from entertainment giants Fox and Access Entertainment at a time when foreign funding has been difficult to come by and festivals have been unwelcoming to Israeli entries.

Speaking by Zoom, Access Entertainment president and former BBC Television director Danny Cohen said he believes the film has a genuine chance at the Oscars.

“I’ve been involved with several Oscar-winning films, and I believe Avi’s work deserves to be on that stage,” said Cohen.

Cohen and Nesher were on the panel along with Emilio Schenker, CEO of Sipur and one of the film’s producers, and Yoav Abramovich, CEO of the Yehoshua Rabinovich........

© The Times of Israel