Contemporary Israeli Animation
Animation was created in Israel in the 1920ies. The first animation feature, “Joseph the Dreamer” was created by Yoram Gross in 1962. Gross later opened a successful studio in Australia. TV broadcasting began in 1970, bringing a growing interest in animation.
The present exciting state of Israeli animation is part of a massive growth of the animation community and of digital arts in Israel. During the past year two features and three TV series were co-produced internationally. At least seven features are now in various stages of production. Many hours of animation are created for pre-school TV. There is a rapidly growing games industry and a constant increase in the number of artists creating personal, independent films. Hundreds of students study now animation in eight higher education institutes and in six (or more) private, for-profit institutes.
Curated and presented by Tsvika Oren the ITFS 2014 shows two programs which as a whole are meant to give an idea of life in Israel as not seen on TV news: creativity, imagination, sensitivities and humor. Whenever possible, earlier works by the same creator are shown next to current ones.
