Year-round access to Jewish and Israeli film and TV

EDDIE TAMIR talks to PAULA TOWERS about Israeli film and TV - with a special offer for streaming service ChaiFlicks

Israel is a small country but its film and television products punch above their weight. Think of the success of Fauda or Shtisl on Netflix. Or the remakes of Prisoners of War and B'Tipul, which inspired the American series Homeland and In Therapy respectively.

So, why have Israeli TV series – and films - become so successful around the world?

Eddie Tamir, CEO of Moving Story Entertainment [MSE] believes part of the answer lies in cultural richness.

“Obviously, [there are] lots of stories in Israel and in Jewish history; so lots of drama – historic and cultural to draw from, in terms of storytelling,” he said.

But he also credits the low-budget style of Israeli television-making, which provides a punchy contrast with the glossy expensive American productions.

“There’s also a real ingenuity in Israel in general and in the production space in particular – so a lot of things that are made in Israel, elsewhere would be a much higher budget.”

Australian audiences have embraced Israeli film. With 50,000 tickets sold each year, Australia's Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) is the largest Jewish film festival of its type in the world.

MSE own the four cinemas which host JIFF in Sydney and Melbourne. But Tamir is also aware that there is an appetite for Israel and Jewish film and television which doesn't want to be restricted to festival time.

So, MSE has recently acquired an interest in ChaiFlicks, an online platform which streams Jewish and Israeli content. Chaiflicks is now available in Australia and is currently promoting its offer with a one-year subscription at half price.