A captivating new Israeli animated short film about a famed 1930s Jerusalem movie house was honored at the prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Cinema Rex came away with the CANAL+ Youth Award on June 19, marking the first time that an Israeli film has won a prize at the annual event founded in 1960.
Cinema Rex is a 2D animation, adventure, family delightful short film by Mayan and Eliran. Mayan Engelman and Eliran Peled’s animation short Cinema Rex focuses on two kids who form a close friendship through their mutual love for cinema. Cinema Rex was actually a real cinema that was working between 1937-1939 in Jerusalem, one of the only businesses at the time that was co-owned by Jewish and Arab owners.
Synopsis: Jerusalem,1938. In a divided city, two kids from rival sides meet at Cinema Rex. He speaks only Hebrew, and she speaks only Arabic. They will manage to form a true friendship based on one magical language, cinema.
Award-winning director and Art Director Mayan Engelman is an Independent Visual Development artist who specializes in Character Design and Concept Art for Animation. She received her Animation B.F.A from Bezalel (Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem). Her graduation film The Cabinet Decision screened at Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2015 and many other film festivals. Currently, Mayan is working for Netflix, creating Visual Development for an unannounced animated feature. Mayan served in Cinema Rex as also the art director and animation director.
The Official Trailer for 2D Animation Short Film, Cinema Rex by Mayan Engelman and Eliran Peled
Award-winning director and producer Eliran Peled has directed 14 shorts including Happy Birthday Mr.Brown (2018) which screened in over 40 festivals, was a finalist in the Open Toronto Festival 2019, and won the Best Short Award at the West Hollywood Awards 2018. Peled is the youngest director ever in Israel to receive the main government fund to direct his first feature film Euphoria-Victory Year.
Currently, he is a producer on the Israeli TV show Dear Diary and in pre-production for a new documentary TV series. He is also working as a producer and content developer in the Israeli production company Sumayoko, which produced the Cannes Series-winning show On The Spectrum. Eliran served in Cinema Rex as also writer and producer.
Cinema Rex is a proof of concept for a feature-length film that is now in at the financing stage, currently looking for international partners. This film screened online as part of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival from June 15th to June 30th.
The cast are Maisa Abd Elhadi (The Angel) and Tsahi Halevi (Fauda)
The crew are Writer Eliran Peled; Art Direction Mayan Engelman; Producers Eliran Peled – Aldy pai (TLV)
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