The Jerusalem Foundation Awards for Israeli Cinema

Jerusalem has changed unrecognizably since the establishment of the Jerusalem Foundation fifty years ago, which was established by Teddy Kollek and a group of his friends, a year after the beginning of his first term as the city’s mayor. The Jerusalem Foundation, an independent and apolitical community foundation, is, to a large extent, responsible for Jerusalem’s transformation into a modern, blossoming capital, a center for education, culture, and government.

The Foundation’s activities are influenced by topics on the national and municipal agendas. Accordingly, the Foundation institutes initiatives in the fields of welfare, society, culture, art, education, science and the environment, and it develops and operates projects aimed at improving the quality of life in the city and the preservation of Jerusalem’s pluralist nature that fosters understanding and coexistence between its different populations. 

The donations raised by the Foundation from its Jerusalemloving friends around the world are invested in the development, construction, and operation of thousands of projects in Jerusalem. 

One area in which the Jerusalem Foundation is deeply and significantly invested is culture. The Foundation is a partner in the establishment of most of the city’s cultural institutions and it provides them with ongoing support and involvement in their activities. In addition, the Foundation encourages cultural initiatives that cater to a variety of audiences and sectors in the population and supports young artists and innovative cultural projects. With over 9 million NIS per a year, the Jerusalem Foundation is the most significant cultural fund in the city. Beyond its substantial support of the Jerusalem Cinematheque and the annual Jerusalem Film Festival, the Jerusalem Foundation awards a number of prizes in the Festival.