About

Prof. Yael Katzir – Producer Director Writer

Independent Filmmaker and Academic Professor.

Education:

  • BA and MA in History and English Literature- The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
  • Doctral Studies -UCLA, Los Angeles- California and Hebrew University, Jerusalem
  • Doctoral Degree in History – Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel
  • MSC in Broadcasting and Film at Boston University College of Comunications.  

Occupation:

  • Independent Documentary award winning filmmaker (director –producer, writer) Katzir Productions.
  • Prof. of film & history at the Art School- Beit Berl Academic College.
  • Director of Beit Berl College: Communal Cable Television Center.
  • Broadcasting country wide on Israel Cable TV and Satellite, on  Channel 98,  Produced  and aired 120 programs over 10 years.

Award winning Documentary Feature films

  • Company Jasmine , 56 Minutes , 2000
  • Shivah For My Mother, 57 Minutes, 2004
  • Yiddish Theater –A love story, 80 Minutes, 2007
  • Praying in Her own Voice, 66 Minutes , 2009
  • Violins in Wartime, 50 Minutes, 2012
  • Shores of Light, 56 Min.2015
  • The Albanian Code, 55min. 2019
  • My Grandmother had a Gun, (in production ) 2020

Writer

  • A published author. Commando – Mom, (Diary of a mother of an infantry soldier) Tel Aviv, 1994

List of  Awards for Films (Yael Katzir)

  1. 1979 Merit Award for Script Research, for the script: “Christianity and Christians in Jerusalem,”   Israeli Film Festival at The Israel National Film Center.
  2. 1980 Merit Award for the Script “A Walk in Crusader Jerusalem” International Film Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  3. 2001 First Prize for Best Documentary, for the film: “Company Jasmine“,  International Film Festival, River Run, USA
  4. 2002 Jury Award for the film “Company Jasmine“, International Women Film Festival, Turin, Italy
  5. 2001 Final list for  “Company Jasmine” awarded: “Nomination Golden Sheaf” at the Yorktown Film Festival, Canada
  6. 2001 Final List,  “Company Jasmine” reached the ” at the MOONDANCE International Film Festival, Colorado,   USA
  7. 2002  The film “Company Jasmine” was a finalist at AFEMA International Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA, USA
  8. 2004 Jury award  for the film “Shivah For My Mother” in the 44th International Film Festival,  Krakow,  Poland
  9. 2004 City Major Prize for the film “Shivah for My Mother”  in the International  Film Festival,  Neuerbranderburg,  Germany
  10. 2004 Jury Award for the film “Shivah For My Mother” in the International Film Festival,  Belgrade,  Serbia
  11. 2006 Jury Award for the film “The Choices of Rama Lindheim” Jewish Film Festival Ohio
  12. 2007 Merit Award for  “A Glimpse of Paradise” at the Jaipur (INDIA) International Short films on Culture.
  13. 2007 Merit Award for “A Place for Every One” Jaipur (India) International Short  film festival on culture. 
  14. 2008 Honor Certificate for “Praying in her Own Voice”  Indore  (India) International film festival for tribal art and culture
  15. 2012 Runner Up (2ed Place) “Violins in Wartime“, Los Angeles, California Jewish film Festival
  16. 2013 Best Documentary, “Violins in Wartime” Sole –Luna Palermo International Film Festival, Sicily, Italy
  17. 2015 Best Documentary, “Rinascere in Puglia”, Israeli FF, Rome, Italy
  18. 2015 Special Jury Distinction,” Shores of Light”, Mumbai International – Short Film festival, Mumbai,  India
  19. 2016 Letter of Excellence, “Shores of Light” , Noida International film – Festival, Delhi, India