(Alive here) - Panina Blair, who served for 33 years as the artistic director of the Haifa Film Festival and promoted the art of cinema in the city of Haifa, has passed away.
Blair, promoted the art of cinema in the city of Haifa for 43 years. She served for 19 years as the director of Cinematech Haifa and for 33 years as the artistic director of the Haifa Film Festival. A position she retired from two years ago.
Upon her retirement, Blair was appointed by the board of Athos (the municipal company that produces the festival) as the honorary president of the festival as a sign of respect and recognition for her contribution in the field and was also appointed as a consultant for international relations and film industry events.
As part of her many years of work and management, Blair initiated professional international collaborations, among other things, with the European Union "Cinema and Television Europe", the launch of the "Neighbors" framework (94) and bringing guests from the world of Arab cinema in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, for the first time in Israel, the launch of "Palestinian Cinema Day " (2006), a collaboration with "Chinchita - Cinema Italia" the official institution for the promotion of Italian cinema in Rome and many others. Blair also had faith in recruiting guests and judges, representatives of the international film industry, including well-known actors and directors, directors Festivals, managers of production and distribution companies in the world.
In addition, she served as a judge and curator of film programs at international festivals. For her vision and work to promote pluralism and coexistence, and the promotion of Israeli cinema in Israel and around the world, she won many prestigious awards and decorations, among them:
The Israel Film Critics Chamber Award (2004), the Roberto Rossellini Award, which was awarded to her by the actress Isabella Rossellini in an official ceremony on the island of Maiori in Italy (2006), the "Knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters" (2018) and more. In 2013, Blair was chosen as one of Among the ten most influential figures in Israeli cinema, in the issue of the 100 most influential figures in Israeli culture, published by Haaretz newspaper.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav: "I was very sorry to hear about the death of Pnina Blair, who throughout her life was a first-rate cultural figure. Pnina created with her great talent the unique character of the Haifa International Film Festival, which she managed with excellence for 33 years. On behalf of all the residents of the city, I would like to send my condolences to her family of a pearl".
Apparently the APE people don't deserve quality cinema, because their understanding is limited.
It is better to be left-handed than right-handed. Unequivocal.
Set the gem to the left! the widow of
Capt. Moshe Blair, 26 years old. Sgt. Tanks, killed by a mortar shell. Buried in the military cemetery in Haifa. 179th Brigade
Fell on Yom Kippur 1973
Twice I got to talk to her, I came away shocked by her. An extreme and delusional leftist and the places she dragged the festival to and winning it speak for themselves. disgrace. But it should not be surprising that it comes from the crowds of Mochash demonstrations, the grumpy geriatrics who want a finger in the eye and hug the enemy until he burns down their house too.
Another extreme leftist who created huge deficits for Haifa every year, the film festival ended with financial losses of millions of shekels. Ethos with her on the board suffered the most deadly reports of the municipal auditor including a demand to close this corporation because of copy losses and scandalous conduct in 2017-2019. Mrs. Shirabeva wielded extreme politics through the cinema.
And the festival faded away. Precisely in Corona, when she was no longer involved and the festival was mostly transformed
Lavirtual managed for the first time ever to finish with high profits.