This pitching event, the first of its kind for high school students and the initiative of the Second Authority for Television and Radio and the Ministry of Education, was held at the Tel Aviv Cinemateque.  13 groups of students from across the country took part in the competition.  The groups presented their projects before a panel of judges, which was comprised of directors and representatives of the Second Authority for Television and Radio.

Ostrovsky student, Jessica Albohar, who immigrated to Israel in 2002 from Uruguay, won first place in the dramatic screenplay category for her script “The Spirit of Quiet”.  Inbar Hagai won an honorable mention for her outstanding pitching for her screenplay, “Perfect”.

The school was awarded monetary prizes for these two impressive achievements, which will be used to purchase sophisticated equipment for the students to use to produce their films.

The winners are students in the school’s cinematic and television arts department at the high school, in operation for 16 years.  This year, dozens of 10th graders majored in this subject, studying a variety of fields including, production, photography, editing, direction, acting in front of the camera, etc.  Many of the department’s graduates did their army service in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the IAF’s film unit, Galei Zahal radio and also have assumed positions in national and local newspapers and television networks.  A high percentage of them have continued their cinema and television studies in Israel and abroad.

Two years ago, two Ostrovsky students won first prize for their film “Different Drop” at the Golden Herzl Awards, a national film festival for high schools run by the Education Ministry.

Mayor Nahum Hofree:  “The students’ achievements at this contest symbolize the extensive creative activity of the city’s education system, which encourages the younger generation to express their original ideas in a variety of artistic and cultural fields.

In the photo:  The mayor, student – Jessica Albohar, her parents, the education division director - Michal Hirsch-Negri; the high school principal – Yaffa Lehavi and department coordinator – Shuli Briskin.  Photography courtesy of the Raanana Municipality.