Assaf Amir Explained

Assaf Amir
Birth Place:Rehovot, Israel
Spouse:Orly Maiberg
Children:3
Chairman of The Israeli Academy of Film and Television
Alma Mater:City College of San Francisco, The New School for Social Research

Assaf Amir (he|'''אסף אמיר'''; born 1954) is an Israeli filmmaker and television and film producer, former chairman of The Israeli Producers Association and the current chairman of The Israeli Academy of Film and Television.

Early life and education

Amir was born in 1954 in Rehovot and grew up in Bat-Yam. During his childhood, he was a child actor at the Habima National Theatre.

Amir studied cinema and philosophy at the City College of San Francisco and continued his studies at The New School for Social Research in NYC. During his time in New York, he met his future wife, artist Orly Maiberg.

Media career

In films

Upon his return to Israel, Amir began producing films. He was the executive producer for Aviya's Summer and Israeli Academy Awards for Best Film Winner Life According to Agfa.

In 1994, Amir founded Norma Productions, an independent production company. His first independent production was Elia Suleiman’s Chronicle of a Disappearance in 1996. It won the Best First Film Prize at the Venice International Film Festival.

In 1997, Amir produced Pick a Card (aka Afula Express), which won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Film.

In 2003, Amir produced Nir Bergman's Broken Wings, which won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Film and the Audience Award at the Berlinale film festival. Amir collaborated with Bergman again in 2010 producing his film Intimate Grammar.

In 2005, Amir produced What a Wonderful Place, which won the Israeli Academy Best Film Award, and the Special Jury award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

During the Following years, Amir produced the films Noodle, The Loners and Zion and His Brother.

In 2012, Amir produced Rama Burshtein's debut film Fill the Void, which won the Israeli Academy Best Film Award and the Best Actress award at the Venice International Film Festival.

In 2016, Amir went on to produce Burshtein's next film, The Wedding Plan (aka Through the Wall).

In television

In 2005, Amir created the television drama "Reaching for Heaven" in collaboration with Shlomo Mashiach and Roni Ninio, which won the Israeli Academy Awards for Best Drama Series. In 2007 Amir produced the television drama "Walk the Dog" directed by Nir Bergman, which won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Television Drama. In 2020, Amir created Together with Noa Koller and Erez Drigues the comedy-drama Rehearsals, which won eight Israeli Academy awards (including Best Series) and was acquired by American network Hulu and distributed worldwide.

In documentaries

Amir produced many documentaries including Tali Shemesh's The Cemetery Club, Yair Qedar's Gay Days, Michal Weits's Blue Box and Nur Fibak's A Minor Crime which won the Israeli academy of film and television award for Best Documentary Film (max. 60 minutes) in 2023.

Other

Amir served as the chairman of The Israeli Producers Association during the years 2012–2015. He is currently serving as the chairman of The Israeli Academy of Film and Television beginning in 2019.

Personal life

Amir is the grandson of Meyer Weisgal, an American Journalist, Zionist activist, and one of the founders of Weizmann Institute of Science and Beit Hatfutsot (the Jewish Diaspora Museum). His parents were among the founders of Kibbutz Shoval. Amir is married to artist Orly Maiberg. They have three children. He currently resides in Tel Aviv.

Filmography

Feature Films

As producer unless otherwise noted! Year! Title! Notes
1988Aviya's SummerExecutive producer
1993Life According to AgfaExecutive producer
1996Chronicle of a DisappearanceExecutive producer
1997Afula Express
2003Broken Wings
2004Riky Riky
2005What a Wonderful Place
2007Noodle
2009The Loners
2009Zion and His Brother
2010Intimate Grammar
2010Dusk
2012Fill the Void
2016The Wedding Plan
2016Epilogue
2016The 90 Minute War
2022Sand Flakes

Documentary Films

As producer unless otherwise noted! Year! Title! Notes
2004Melting Siberia
2006Tali Fahima

Crossing The Lines

2006The Cemetery Club
2007A Million Bullets in October
2009Gay Days
2013Turning Thirteen
2015This Boy Is Me
2015Meshulam
2016Let's Dance
2017Rachel Agmon
2019Chasing Yehoshua
2019Open Your Mouth
2020Blue Box
2023A minor Crime

Television

As producer unless otherwise noted! Year! Title! Notes
2000–2005Reaching for Heaven
2009Walk the DogWritten by Shirly Moshaioff
2009Castles in the Sky
2010The Journalists
2012The Albums
2017A Standard Love Song: Arik Einstein
2020Rehearsals

Awards and nominations

AwardYearNominated workCategoryResult
43rd Berlin International Film Festival1992Life According to AgfaGolden Bear
43rd Berlin International Film Festival1992Life According to AgfaHonourable Mention
Jerusalem Film Festival1992Life According to AgfaBest Film
Israeli Academy Awards1993Life According to AgfaBest Film
53rd Venice International Film Festival1996Chronicle of a DisappearanceLuigi De Laurentis Award for a Debut Film
Israeli Academy Awards1997Afula Express Best Film
Jerusalem Film Festival1997Afula Express Best Film
Tokyo International Film Festival2002Broken WingsGrand Prix
Jerusalem Film Festival2002Broken Wings Best Film
52nd Berlin International Film Festival2003Broken Wings Panorama Audience Award
Israeli Academy Awards2003Broken Wings Best Film
40th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival2005What a Wonderful PlaceSpecial Jury Prize
Jerusalem Film Festival2005What a Wonderful Place Best Film
Israeli Academy Awards2005What a Wonderful Place Best Film
Israeli Academy Awards2006The Cemetery ClubBest Documentary
European Film Awards2006The Cemetery ClubEuropean Documentary
Dok Leipzig2006The Cemetery ClubWhite Dove
Shanghai International Film Festival2006The Cemetery ClubMagnolia Award - Best Asian Documentary
Warsaw International Film Festival2006The Cemetery ClubBest Documentary
Israeli Academy Awards2007NoodleBest Film
Montreal World Film Festival2007NoodleSpecial Grand Prize of the Jury
Montreal World Film Festival2007NoodleGrand Prix des Amériques
Israeli Academy Awards2009The LonersBest Film
Jerusalem Film Festival2009The LonersBest Film
Jerusalem Film Festival2010Intimate GrammarBest Film
Tokyo International Film Festival2010Intimate GrammarGrand Prix
Israeli Academy Awards2012Fill the Void Best Film
69th Venice International Film Festival2012Fill the VoidGolden Lion
69th Venice International Film Festival2012Fill the Void – Special Mention
28th Independent Spirit Awards2012Fill the Void – Special Mention
2012 Toronto International Film Festival2012Fill the VoidFIPRESCI Discovery
69th Venice International Film Festival2012EpilogueBest film (Venice Nights)
73rd Venice International Film Festival2016The Wedding PlanHorizons - Best Film
Israeli Academy Awards2016The Wedding PlanBest Film
Stockholm International Film Festival2016The Wedding PlanBronze Horse - Best Film
Israeli Academy Awards2023A Minor CrimeBest Documentary Film (max. 60 minutes)

External links