The Israfilm Collection, home to a host of original content produced by Israfilm Motion Picture Productions, is named after the late Zvi Spielmann, a pioneering Israeli indie film producer, the company’s founder, and its first CEO. Spielmann took his first steps in the burgeoning Israeli film industry in 1952 when renowned filmmaker Margot Klausner extended an invitation to Spielmann join Herzliya Studios [now United Studios Israel], a most novel venture at the time. By 1965, having cut his teeth across all production areas during his tenure at Herzliya Studios, Spielmann and partner Alex Massis founded Israfilm – a motion picture production company. Fellow producer Shlomo Morgabi later joined the pair.
Israfilm was a prominent player in an era long predating the proliferation of public funds that, nowadays, offer various avenues of support and financing to Israeli films. Every feature film they would commit to became the most intricate financial and logistical undertaking. The company specialized primarily in co-productions. On top of the many financial benefits reaped as a result of collaborations with foreign filmmakers and studios, these international productions delivered a host of global film stars to a young Israel’s doorstep. They played a major role in improving the country’s image internationally.
Thanks to a highly effective charm offensive, hard work, and much help from Israel’s wonderfully diverse landscapes, Zvi successfully attracted some of the period’s highest-profile productions. Highlights of Israfilm’s co-production credits include Remembrance of Love (starring Kirk Douglas), The Little Drummer Girl (starring Diane Keaton), A Woman Called Golda (starring Ingrid Bergman), Sword of Gideon (starring Steven Bauer, Rod Steiger, and Michael York), The Long Shadow (starring Liv Ullmann) – and the closing scene of Steven Spielberg’s timeless classic, Schindler’s List.
Spielmann also spearheaded collaborations with young Israeli directors, producing some of the country’s most celebrated filmmakers’ feature debuts, including Moshe Mizrahi (The Customer of the Off Season, 1970) and the late Judd Neeman (The Dress, 1969). Highlights of Israfilm’s other Israeli production credits include One of Us, A Thousand Little Kisses, Salsa Tel Aviv, For my Father (‘Sof Shavua Be’Tel Aviv’), Ben-Gurion Remembers, How Wonderful, Requiem for a Fish, and many more.
The Zvi Spielmann and Family Israfilm Collection was entrusted to the Israel Film Archive. The Archive is responsible for its ongoing maintenance, scientific preservation, and accessibility to the general public.
For commercial use of footage from the Israfilm collection, kindly contact Mooly Landesman through the website https://www.sadot-israfilm.com/
