Full Breakdown
Avi Nesher’s “Our Loves” Opens the 42nd Haifa International Film Festival
8/21/2026, 1:49:46 AM
Opening Night and Lifetime-Achievement Honor
The 42nd Haifa International Film Festival will open on September 26 and run through October 3, coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. At the opening-night ceremony, director Avi Nesher will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award for cinematic excellence and his contribution to Israeli culture. Festival artistic director Yaron Shamir praised Nesher as a consistently beloved filmmaker whose works have become classics for Israeli audiences.
Plot and Thematic Core
“Our Loves,” Nesher’s 21st feature and inspired by true events, follows seven characters whose lives intersect without their awareness. Each character is trapped in an unusual, often unsuccessful relationship that oscillates between pain and comedy. All share the belief that October 6—described in the film as “the day love died”—was the worst day of their lives. The following day, October 7, the film depicts the characters forced into desperate survival efforts, confronting hidden revelations about their pasts and futures.
Cast, Production and Financial Support
The ensemble includes Shalom Michaelshwilli, Maggie Azarzar, Yaniv Biton, Noa Cohen, Daniel Gimpel, Hadas Yaron, Evelin Hagoel, Lena Fraifeld, Sean Mongoza, Kim Or Azulay, Lev Leib Levin, Naomi Aharoni Gal (known as Nunu), Lior Miller, Elad Turgeman, Amir Banai, Nevo Katan and Itamar Pinto. Production companies include United King Films, SIPUR Studios, Artomas Communications, Zoa Films, Fox Entertainment and Access Entertainment. Financial backing came from the Rabinovich Foundation, the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund, the Avi Chai Foundation, the Paul Singer Foundation and Keshet.
Industry Recognition
“Our Loves” has been nominated for twelve Ophir Awards, including Best Film, underscoring its critical reception ahead of its Haifa debut. The film’s world premiere occurred in the Centerpiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival, positioning it as a major entry in the current Israeli cinematic landscape.
