Tel Aviv on Fire wins at Venice Film Festival; Credit: Samsa Film

The Luxembourg production "Tel Aviv on Fire" won the "Orizonti Award for Best Actor" on Saturday 8 September 2018, awarded to Kais Nashi at the 75th edition of the International Film Festival of Venice Cinematography.

"Tel Aviv on Fire", the second feature film by Palestinian director Sameh Zoabi, was produced by Samsa Film (Bernard Michaux) and TS Productions (France) in co-production with Lama Films (Israel) and Artemis Productions (Belgium). The film is a Luxembourg majority production supported by the Luxembourg Film Fund.

Kais Nashif, a Palestinian actor, is best known for his role in the movie "Paradise Now".

Mostly shot in studio in Luxembourg (more than 70% of the shooting was done at Filmland in Kehlen), the film has a large number of Luxembourgish technicians including Solveig Harper (director of production), André Dziezuk (music), Christina Schaffer (Production Designer), Magdalena Labuz (Costume Designer), Jasmine Schmit (Make-Up Artist), Pia Dumont (Sound Editor), Laurence Rexter-Baker (Assistant Director), Patricia Peribañez (Stage Photographer), Tiago Hof (stage manager), Eric Nicolas Smit (special effects), Marie Janezic (decorating assistant), Manu Demoulling (props), Ulrika Debatisse (exterior director) and Aurore Scheidesch (production administrator).

For Samsa Film, this is the sixth feature film selected at the Mostra after "Une liaison pornographique", "Tango libre" and "La femme de Gilles", all directed by Frédéric Fonteyne, "Un honnête commerçant" by Philippe Blasband and "Nha Fala" by Flora Gomes. And it is also the third Venetian award after the Best Actor Award for Nathalie Baye in "Une liaison pornographique" by Frédéric Fonteyne in 1999 and the "Orizzonti Jury Special Prize" for "Tango Libre" in 2012.

The INTERFILM jury of the 75th Venice Film Festival awarded its eighth prize for the promotion of interreligious dialogue to the film "Tel Aviv on Fire".