Pnina Blayer, director of Haifa International Film Festival, dies

Pnina Blayer, the longtime artistic director of the Haifa International Film Festival and the Haifa Cinematheque, has died.

Her death was announced by Ethos, the Haifa Municipality Art, Culture, and Sports Association Company; the Haifa Cinematheque; and the Haifa International Film Festival, in a statement released on Monday.

Blayer, who was at the helm of the film festival in Haifa for 33 years, turned it into a world-class event which attracted high-profile guests such as Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Brenda Blethyn, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Sophie Marceau, Joseph Fiennes, Paul Giamatti, Elliott Gould, Paul Schrader, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Brian Cox, Costa-Gavras, and Peter Greenaway.

Held during the Sukkot holiday, the festival is a key event on Israel’s cultural calendar, and often premieres Israeli films that go on to win Ophir Awards and international recognition, such as Rama Burshtein’s Fill the Void and Eran Kolirin’s Let It Be Morning.

Blayer forged deep connections with representatives of film industries around the world and made the festival a welcoming place for international filmmakers and film industry professionals. The movies and guests represented the diversity of Haifa, a city she loved.

She stepped down as artistic director in 2021 but was appointed president of the festival board by Ethos and continued to be very involved, programming a section and helping select guests.

An intellectual

Blayer was an intellectual who was fascinated by art, music, and literature, as well as movies. She got to know everyone connected to the festival and to the movie industry and never looked as happy as when she walked through the garden next to the festival’s main venues, surrounded by the film community.

Yona Yahav, the mayor of Haifa, said, “I was very sorry to hear about the death of Pnina Blayer, who throughout her life was a first-class cultural figure, who, with her great talent, created the unique character of the film festival, which she managed with a high degree of skill for 33 years.

“On behalf of all the residents of the city, I would like to send my condolences to Pnina’s family.”

Igal Zeevi, the CEO of Ethos, commented: “Pnina was an ageless person, always full of joy in life, conquering and capable of dreaming and making dreams come true.

“The Haifa International Film Festival, which was her life’s work, grew, developed, and reached its status as the leading festival in Israel, and has maintained its status ever since.

“Thanks to Pnina’s extraordinary abilities, we will all make an effort to preserve this status in the future as well.”

Yaron Shamir, the artistic director of the Haifa International Film Festival, who worked closely with Blayer for decades, said, “Pnina Blayer was my teacher and guide, during years of working alongside her at the festival.

“We shared a common passion for the art of cinema and many hours of heated discussions about films and creativity.

“I bow my head at her passing and send a hug to the family.”