Some of the crew are in Los Angeles for the ceremony itself, including directors Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, while others will be at a special live screening in L.A., set up by the Israeli consulate.

It might not be the favorite to scoop an Oscar, but Ajami is one of those movies that touches on the Arab-Israeli conflict, albeit in an atypical way. Perhaps the emotions portrayed in the movie (by non-professional actors it should be noted), will be enough to sway those that need to decide…

Good luck guys! And third time lucky!

What is perhaps most amazing is that the cast of Ajami is made up of mostly locals from the neighborhood, with hardly any professional actors involved. They’ve managed to catch the simmering hatred between both Jewish and Arab communities rather spectacularly, it has to be said.

Largely in Arabic with some Hebrew, Ajami has some five main story lines to follow, each intertwining at some inevitable point in the movie. If you find that hard to follow, the constant flashbacks might leave you a tad confused…but don’t let that put you off because it’s a great movie, highly recommended!

Here’s the trailer for Ajami, just to get you all excited…and don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook!

March 7th – mark it in your diaries as the day Israel might just get its hands on an Oscar!

Lebanon, another film about the 1982 war in, er, Lebanon, and another story told through a soldier’s personal experiences (as per Waltz with Bashir but this time without the animation) won first prize at the Venice Film Festival yesterday. The festival jury included legendary director Ang Lee, so there’s some real credibility behind this award.

Lebanon looks like another great movie, full of drama, war and plenty of action. Although the movie itself is an anti-war movie, the story revolves around a tank crew in Lebanon, told through the eyes of Shmulik (the director Samuel Maoz). Much of the story is told within the confines of the tank itself, as the crew, who previously don’t know each other, have to bond and become a team under very trying circumstances.

It’s already getting some amazing reviews: the New York Times called Lebanon “an astonishing piece of cinema” while Variety described the film as the boldest and best of the recent wave of Israeli movies.

I’m not sure if it’s the boldest and best Israeli movie of recent times, but I’m really looking forward to this one, if the trailer is anything to go by (see below – currently only available in Hebrew but when a sub-titled version hits YouTube I will post it here)…

Waltz with Bashir describes director Ari Folman’s service in Lebanon as a 19 year old soldier at the same time as the Sabra and Shatila massacres. 

Surreal war scenes aplenty, accompanied by a haunting soundtrack and some great 80’s pop tunes turn Waltz with Bashir into an animation movie unlike any animation movie you’ve ever seen. I won’t tell you anymore so as not to spoil it for you.

Clip below. Go see!

Waltz with Bashir

From the very first scene of wild dogs running through the streets of Tel Aviv, the film’s surrealism and video game feel make it a compelling view. War scenes aplenty, accompanied by a haunting soundtrack and some classic 80′s pop tunes turn Waltz with Bashir into an animation movie unlike any animation movie you’ve ever seen. This is no Disney special…and I loved it.

Already a winner of the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, Waltz with Bashir is also tipped for Oscar glory. Go see it before it becomes too big for its own boots. Trailer below, just to whet your appetite.

UPDATE: Waltz with Bashir has been nominated for an Oscar. 

As the New York Times puts it:

A memoir, a history lesson, a combat picture, a piece of investigative journalism and an altogether amazing film.