Yair Qedar


Yair Qedar is an Israeli filmmaker and a civil-rights activist.His academic training on 20th-century Hebrew literature, propelled him into The Hebrews — a documentary project on the Hebrew and Jewish literary canon, centered on filmic portraits of Hebrew writers from the 17 century to recent days. 14 feature length documentary films were made in the project so far. The documentary films which Qedar produced - and directed with other 10 Israeli film directors - all premiered in film festivals, aired on Israeli TV, circulated far and wide in hundreds of cinemas, cinematheques, community and cultural centers, in Israel and around the world. The project, both digital and print, offers altogether e14 documentary films, a video archive and several books. In 2019, Docaviv festival held a special retrospective for the Hebrews films, alongside Van Leer institute in Jerusalem, the Jewish Museum in Berlin as well as other institutions.
In 2015-2017 He co directed and produced, with the actor Ilan Peled, the mockumentary mini series :he:נעלמות_|Vanished, about the disappearance of women artists in Israeli culture. The film Lilyan in this project won first prize in the Haifa film festival 2016.
Qedar is also the initiator of various media projects in Israel, in the fields of the conservation of culture, specifically Hebrew literature and language, and in the LGBT community such as the first LGBT newspaper Hazman HaVarod :he:הזמן_הוורוד|הזמן הוורוד.

Filmography

  1. Bebe, an actress, a mockumentary-documentary film by Yair Qedar and Ilan Peled, was the official selection of the GLBTQ tel aviv film festival 2017 competition. Nominated for best film, best editing, best research and best soundtrack in the Israeli documentary competition 2017.
  2. Yona, a dancer, a mockumentary-documentary film by Yair Qedar and Ilan Peled, was the official selection of the Jerusalem Jewish film festival 2016 competition.
  3. Iilyan, a Poet, a mockumentary-documentary film by Yair Qedar and Ilan Peled, was the official selection of the Haifa Film Festival 2016 and won first prize in the documentary competition and nominated for the Israeli oscar - the ofir - in 2017. Nominated for best film in the Israeli documentary competition 2017.
  4. Zelda - a Simple Woman, on the life and work of the poet Zelda, was the official selection of the Jerusalem film festival and won the prize foe Jewish Experience in 2015. The film was supported by the Israeli film service, Avi Chai foundation, channel 1 and the Makor foundation.
  5. The Awakener, the story of Y.CH Brener, of the life, work and murder of the writer Brener, was the official selection in the Doc aviv film festival of 2015. The film was supported by the Israeli film service, Avi Chai foundation, channel 1 and the Makor foundation.
  6. Bialik- King of the Jews, on the life and art of the Hebrew National Poet Bialik, was the official selection of Docaviv film festival and it premiered in spring 2014 in cinematheques and Israeli Channel 8. Nominated for best documentary film in the Israeli documentary competition of 2014.
  7. The Seven Tapes, Israel 2012, about the life of the poet Yona Wallach, was the official selection at the Jerusalem Film Festival in 2012, and winner of best film for 2012 and best soundtrack for 2012 in the Israeli documentary film competition for 2012. The film was supported by the Israeli film service, channel 8 and the Rabinowitz foundation for the arts.
  8. The 5 houses of Lea Goldberg, Israel 2011, about the life of the poet Leah Goldberg, was the official selection of Docaviv Film Festival 2011 and Doc Aviv Galilee 2011, it won three prizes at the Israeli Documentary Film Competition for 2011. The film is supported by the Israeli film service, The New Foundation for Cinema and TV and The Second Authority for Television and Radio.
  9. Gay Days, about the GLBT community in Israel, based on his own personal story with the stories of other prominent gay men and women in Israel, premiered in May 2009 in Tel Aviv in Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival, and also was screened at the official opening of the Tel Aviv Gay Pride events of 2009, was the official selection of the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, 2009, and the official selection of the Panorama section in the Berlin International Film Festival, 2010.

    Activism

He was founding editor of Pink Time, Israel's first gay, lesbian and transgender newspaper, writes in various publications, such as Haaretz, Yedioth Ahronoth, Masa Acher, and is recipient of various journalistic prizes, including winner of the B'nai B'rith World Center Award for Journalism in 2003, and Euromed Heritage Journalistic Award in 2005 and 2006.
In the 2003, He edited the first gay theatre show in Israel in 1994, and edited Beyond Sexuality, an anthology of gay and lesbian studies. He founded the Rainbow Families organization in Israel, aimed at promoting the rights, understanding and position of LGBT families in the country