It’s not only the station turning 10 this year. There is cake, EVERYWHERE. It’s also the tenth year that the AICE Israeli Film Festival has run in Australia and with good reason.

Coming from one of the most diverse and multi-racial countries in the world, the collection of award-winning films curated in this year’s festival is a real eye-opener into the many facets of Israeli society and everyday life.

In the words of festival co-curator, Keith Lawrence:

“the festival continues to highlight not only the breadth and strength of the Israeli film industry, but also presents the broad spectrum of Israeli society and everyday issues. A common thread in many of the films this year is that of the concerns of young adults – social, sexual and political – whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim”.

Here are some of the Flog’s picks:

Six Acts (Thurs 15th and Fri 16th 6:30pm)

Remember that movie Sixteen? This one’s on the same track, but possibly with more awkward and confronting sex scenes. Naive sixteen-year-old, Gili, is on a mission to become cool when she changes school, so she hooks up with the hottest guy and ultimately pushes her limits of consent in a desperate need for acceptance. It’s a real and raw portrayal of a teenage girl trying to fit in by giving up control of her sexuality.

The Gatekeepers (Sunday 18th 4:15pm; Saturday 24th 6:30pm)

With controversial interviews with the surviving former heads of the Israeli internal security agency, this doco is well-worth watching, whether you think you understand the Middle East or not. It won a heap of awards, including being nominated for Best Documentary at the Oscars this year, so you know it’s a good one.

Zaytoun (Thurs 22nd 6:30pm; Sat 24th 4:15pm)

The Australian premiere of a moving drama that came runner-up to Silver Linings Playbooks for the 2012 Toronto Film Festival’s Peoples Choice Award. It’s about an unlikely friendship In Beirut in 1982, born when a 12-year old Palestinian refugee frees an Israeli fighter pilot who agrees to take him back to Israel in return. 

Good Garbage (Monday 26th 6:30pm; Tues 27th 8:45pm)

There are 200 Palestinian families in the village of Yatta who somehow make a living from a garbage dump that serves local Israeli settlements. That’s pretty hectic. This documentary tells individual stories of the people who struggle to survive in violent struggles for every scrap piece of metal, trapped in the life of the garbage dump. Another one that taken a good collection of awards for the pool room, Good Garbage is an eye-opener that depicts the harsh way of life of a group of people forgotten by their own government and struggling to survive.

WHAT: AICE Israeli Film Festival 2013

WHERE: Palace Verona Cinema

WHEN: Now until 27th August

TICKETS: $19.50 / $16.50 concession from Palace Cinemas

More Info | More From Jess Hamilton