Docaviv NPO acts at the heart of one of the most innovative, vital, and surprising creative arenas – that of documentary filmmaking. Our vision is to provide unique platforms throughout Israel for screening documentaries, exposing new audiences to the genre, and screen films that re-examine and expand its boundaries.
Docaviv – the Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival is the largest film festival in the city of Tel Aviv, and the only festival in Israel dedicated exclusively to documentary films. It is among the world’s leading documentary festivals. As of 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences listed Docaviv as one of the leading festivals whose winners automatically qualify for consideration, and winners of the Israeli, International and Short film competitions at Docaviv will be eligible to compete for an Oscar in the documentary category.
With over 100 new local and international documentaries screened each year, the program includes several competitions: The Israeli Competition, the International Competition, the Depth of Field Competition, the Shorts Competition, and the Student Competition. The festival also features a special tribute program dedicated to the work of esteemed filmmakers, as well as themed programs dedicated to music, art, social issues, virtual reality and new technologies, as well as additional curated programs.
Docaviv is an independent film festival that selects films for their artistic merits and encourages the creation of awareness, evoking debates on current issues that reflect both local and global realities such as injustices, human rights, democracy, climate change, LGBTQ
As a festival that aims to encourage the creation and distribution of influential, moving, and powerful films, Docaviv hosts a range of multi-faceted workshops and meetings with the world’s leading documentary filmmakers, including Michel Gondry, Alan Berliner, Ondi Timoner, Brett Morgen, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Claire Simon, João Moreira Salles, Ruth Beckermann, Kazuo Hara, Gianfranco Rosi and others. The festival also holds several industry events, including one-on-one meetings between Israeli filmmakers and international decision makers, and DOC-LAB-TLV, a rough-cut lab with international mentors.
Each year, Docaviv awards Israel’s largest prize for an original Israeli documentary production, alongside other prizes for Israeli and international films, and outstanding student films. Prizes are also awarded to the winners of Docaviv’s annual student pitching competition and the documentary competition for high school students. Furthermore, the NPO is dedicated to supporting and encouraging young documentary filmmakers through various projects, such as DocuYoung, a hands-on documentary workshop for teenagers. The resulting films are screened each year at the festival.
Throughout the Festival’s ten days, the celebration of documentary cinema takes place at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and other venues across the city. As part of its mission to expose as wide an audience as possible to documentary works, the NPO also organizes two regional festivals (established by former Docaviv director Galia Bador): Docaviv Galilee, held in Ma’alot Tarshiha, and Docaviv Negev, held in Yeruham, as well as dozens of documentary film screenings at cultural centers throughout the country. In 2017, we launched Docaviv Cinema, providing film lovers with screenings of great documentaries all year round, at various cultural venues.
The Festival and NPO were founded in 1998 by Ilana Tzur, who served as Festival Director for 12 years. The first edition of Docaviv Festival was four and a half days long, with 46 films screened. It was attended by 5,000 filmgoers. Today, Docaviv is Tel Aviv’s largest film festival, with an audience of over 67,000. In 2022, Limor Aharonovich was appointed Festival Director and CEO of the Docaviv NPO. In 2016, Karin Rywkind Segal was appointed Artistic Director.
The 26th edition of Docaviv Festival will take place between MAY 23rd – JUNE 1st, 2024.
Staff
Festival Director: Limor Aharonovich
Artistic Director: Michal Weits
Producer: Anat Mozes
Program Manager: Anat Nattel
Line Producer: Hilla Razon
PR: Mira Ann Beinart
Friends of the Festival Liaison: Carine Zaroni Goldman
Website: Rani Einav
IT Solutions: Netanel Malihi
New Media: Analog PR
Writer – Dr. Nir Ferber
International Program Selection Committee: Tal Arditty, Dr. Nir Ferber, Dr. Laliv Melamed, Anat Nattel, Michal Weits
NPO Members
Docaviv – NPO for promotion of documentary film founded by Ilana Tsur
- *Shalmor Rami (Chairman)
- Dr. Angle Michael
- *Esteron Yoel
- Atty. Bogot Amiram
- Butel Michal
- *Biton Yehuda
- Sali Ben Zvi
- Ben Shaul Ruth
- *Atty. Ben Shachar Aharon
- *Berenstein Arik
- Gilat Iris
- Galezer Doron
- Day Gal
- *Dr. Duvdevani Shmulik
- Dor Galia
- Garbuz Alon
- Lev Dafna
- Lubetzki Tzvi
- *Litani Prizan Tamar
- Weiss-Berkowitz Ronit
- *Mayer Michael
- Magnat Dalia
- Mozer Nilly
- *Josianne Meitar Tsvia
- Manor Iri Gabriel
- Mastechkin Dalia
- Rachel Marani
- Marmari Hanoch
- *Nechama Nira
- *Sela Sara
- Perry Nava
- Fabian Miri
- Fishbain Einat
- Prof. Pekelman Dov
- *Tzur Ilana
- Koren Dalia
- Koren Hagai
- Rabin Ehud
- Atty. Roberts Richard
- Rosenheimer Timna
- Shlomi Yehiel
- Shlomi Yehudit
- Dr.Shani Hadassa
- Shavit Sharon
*Board members of the Association
Docaviv wishes to thank the friends of the festival for their support: