Jerusalem Film Festival Awards 2007: Eran Kolirin’s comedy-drama The Band’s Visit named Best Israeli Feature
2007 Jerusalem Film Festival: July 5–14.
In screenwriter-director Eran Kolirin’s Wolgin Award for Best Israeli Feature winner The Band’s Visit, a police orchestra from Alexandria gets stranded in Israel as a result of a linguistic mix-up: The band members catch a bus to the small desert town of Beit Hatikva instead of to the Arab Cultural Center in Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv. (Although Hebrew and Arabic [in its various forms] are cousin languages, the latter reportedly has no “p” sound, usually replacing it with a “b.”)
With no means of transportation until the following morning, the band members are helped out by the Israeli locals, chief among them a restaurant owner with a love of Egyptian culture. In the cast: Ronit Elkabetz, Sasson Gabai, and Saleh Bakri.
The Special Jury Prize went to Mushon Salmona’s drama Vasermil, about three Be’er Sheva teenagers who take part in a local soccer tournament – the title refers to the local stadium – as a means of escape from the their marginalized lives. Journeys of self-discovery and attempts at emotional wound-healing take place throughout the process.
In the cast: Avinoam Blumenkrantz, Benni Adega, Edna Fanta, and David Taplitzky.
International names
Although focused on Israeli productions, this year’s Jerusalem Film Festival also honored international names:
- Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud’s animated Persepolis, featuring the voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, and Danielle Darrieux, was given the In the Spirit of Freedom Award for Best Feature Film.
- Italian filmmaker Ermanno Olmi, whose credits include Il Posto (a.k.a. The Job / The Sound of Trumpets), The Tree of Wooden Clogs, Long Live the Lady!, and this year’s One Hundred Nails, was the recipient of the Life Achievement Award.
Immediately below is the list of winners at this year’s Jerusalem Film Festival.
Jerusalem Film Festival Awards 2007
Wolgin Award – Best Israeli Feature: The Band’s Visit
Special Jury Prize: Vasermil – Dir.: Mushon Salmona
Wolgin Award – Best Israeli Documentary: Children of the Sun – Dir.: Ran Tal
Special Mentions: Citizen Nawi – Dir.: Nissim Mossek; A Fool’s Dream – Dir.: Dan Syrkin & Ido Bahat
Best Short Film: Roads – Dir.: Lior Geller
Special Mentions: Ketem – Dir.: Alla Sheraeir; Pathways – Dir.: Hagar Ben Asher
Drama Award in Memory of Anat Pirchi: Reds – Dir.: Amir Manor
In the Spirit of Freedom Award – Best Feature Film: Persepolis – Dir.: Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud
In the Spirit of Freedom Award – Best Documentary: Crossing Borders – Dir.: Bilal Yusef
Life Achievement Award: Ermanno Olmi
“Jerusalem Film Festival Awards 2007: Stranded Band” notes
*last modified in May 2026.