The Jerusalem Cinematheque's Israel Film Archive has launched a new website that makes rare films available to the general public.
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The Israel Film Archive – a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) – holds over 32,000 titles, recorded on 2 million meters of film, representing some 4,500 hours of productions made in Israel. The archive's digital storage is currently at 6 petabytes.
Since 1960, the Israel Film Archive has been responsible for the safekeeping and preservation of original Israeli narrative and documentary film works dating from the late 19th century to the present day.
Noa Regev, Director of the Jerusalem Cinematheque- Israel Film Archive, said: "Seven years ago, we embarked on this project intending to transform the Archive into a digital cultural institution accessible to everyone everywhere. The new platform will no doubt serve researchers, filmmakers, culture and history buffs, students, and anyone looking to locate cinematic materials from their personal history."
The website project involved digitizing rare film and video footage, some of which had been stored cans on the archive's shelves for years, never seen by the public.
The films on the site have been translated into English and can be tagged and searched in either English or Hebrew.
Fans of Israeli film and history are offered two on-demand options: The Historical View offers a look at the history of the country through archival materials such as a home movie of Albert Einstein or footage of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during World War I. These materials can be watched free of charge.
The Artistic View option features over 300 Israeli feature and documentary films, some of which have English subtitles for the first time. Some the films in this option, which include classics such as Avi Nesher's "Sing Your Heart Out," Boaz Davidson's "Alex is Lovesick," and "Halfon Hill Doesn't Answer," can be streamed for a small fee.
Partners in the digitization project include the Jaglom Family Foundation, the Beracha Foundation, the Matanel Foundation, Mifal HaPayis – Israel's National Lottery, the Culture and Sports Ministry, the Jerusalem Development Authority, and the Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry.
Dr. Tali Yariv Mash'al, Director of the Beracha Foundation, said, "The history of filmmaking in Israel is a treasure trove of images and moments that illustrate the historical processes of the entire region and Israel in particular. We're proud to be among the initiators and donors of this important project."
Click here to view the new site
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