NORTH The Australian Gan Garoo park, located in the Beit She'an Valley, was transformed into an Aboriginal village over the intermediate days of Succot. The creative workshops offered included learning about Aboriginal cultural symbols and practices through tribal makeup, fashioning pendants from soft stone, baking Aboriginal bread, playing tribal instruments such as churingas and didgeridoos, making model kangaroos and boomerang-throwing demonstrations. The An Aboriginal Legend – A Musical Performance show was also put on daily. Gan Garoo contains wildlife and vegetation from Australia, including free-roaming kangaroos that visitors can pet and feed, a parrot sanctuary, koala bears and other farm animals from the continent. There is also a giant maze on the compound. Haifa film fest pays tribute to Israeli cinema greats The 30th Haifa International Film Festival began last week and will run until tomorrow, with the attendance of figures from the national and international cinema world. Hundreds of films are being screened over the duration of the festival in the Haifa Cinematheque's five halls, from morning to night; 70 screenings are taking place in the presence of the film-makers. Featuring international and Israeli films, the festival has a number of competitions for foreign films. The Golden Anchor is awarded to the best film from a country on the Mediterranean; the Tomorrow's Filmmakers competition is for films by first-time feature directors in the cinema world and is sponsored by the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean (FEDEORA); and the third competition, Between Jewishness and Israeliness, is a new contest that revolves around the subject of being Jewish and Israeli. All competitions have international professionals for judges. Premieres of new feature and documentary films from over 40 countries are shown; guests from abroad, including directors, producers and actors, participate and talk with the audience. The opening ceremony, hosted by director, producer and actor Yehoram Gaon, paid tribute to Israeli cinema greats Menachem Golan, Ephraim Kishon and Assi Dayan. A special achievement award was given to composer Dovi Zeltzer for his contribution to Israeli music. Alongside the screening, dozens of events are open to the public; every evening, there are live music performances, film screenings under the stars, an art fair and activities for children. The many cafes and pubs along the Carmel Ridge stay open until late. The International Marketing Forum for Israeli Cinema is also taking place during the festival, including a pitching convention for the development of dramas and films, and the “Cinemarket Haifa” Israeli film market. The forum hosts representatives of major international production companies who have established dialogue with Israeli film industry representatives regarding future collaborations. Golan's Gamla Nature Reserve closed to visitors due to fire The Gamla Nature Reserve on the Golan Heights was closed to visitors last weekend due to a fire caused by a lightning strike; fire crews arrived at the scene to fight the blaze. CENTER Man dead in charred car in Petah Tikva A man was found dead inside a car that caught fire in Petah Tikva early Sunday morning. Residents who saw the vehicle go up in flames called police and firefighters. Magen David Adom paramedics pronounced the death after finding the unidentified charred corpse. The incident was under investigation. Foreign worker dies after fall down Petah Tikva elevator shaft A foreign worker died last weekend after falling down an elevator shaft in a Petah Tikva building. Firefighters attempted to rescue the 42-yearold man before pronouncing him dead at the scene, Army Radio reported. 9th annual International Classical Guitar Festival kicks off in Netanya The ninth annual International Classical Guitar Festival Gems kicked off in Netanya on Sunday, ending Wednesday; it included flamenco, Latin jazz and classical music concerts, international competitions for adults and youth, master classes, an excursion program and a special exhibition. Attracting musicians from all over the world, the festival took place at Netanya's Heichal Hatarbut concert hall and Independence Square. The program included international competitions for adults and youth, master classes, an excursion program and a special exhibition. A string instrument-building workshop was led by Alfredo Gonzalez, with sing-along sessions featuring June Keller and Uri Harpaz. Holon hosts 17th International Puppet Theater and Film Festival The International Puppet Theater and Film Festival began Sunday, running until yesterday, at the Israeli Puppet Center in Holon. The festival hosted high-quality performances by Israeli and global artists as well as international movie screenings for the entire family, alongside exhibitions, street parades, workshops, stalls, performances, the Applying Puppets in Therapy conference, museum exhibitions and a special “Puppetry on the Screen” display. Annual young contemporary art festival held in Yavne The fourth annual Batzir Hadash festival was held this week in Yavne, providing a platform for performing arts and a venue for artists and new works leading to innovations in art and stage. Popular singer Shlomi Shabat opened the festivities on Sunday; activities included dance, theater, street theater, acrobatic performances and many more family-friendly activities from international and Israeli artists. SOUTH Ashkelon teens build succot for elderly in nearby moshav Morasha high school students in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council helped build succot last week for elderly residents of Moshav Berechya who needed assistance; the school emphasizes community service and social activism. The boys helped build the succot while the girls made a variety of decorations. The Local website cited school principal Ezra Belulu as saying the students volunteered gladly and worked energetically, with a keen understanding of the value of giving to the community. Ravers gear up for Israel's largest international music festival at earth's lowest point Festival-goers all over Israel are getting read for the -424 Dead Sea Rave, the country's largest international music festival set to take place on October 23. The party begins at sunset and continues through sunrise, drawing tourists from Europe and neighboring Arab countries. International music artists set to perform at the event include: Dash Berlin (Holland), a trance project whose music unites millions; W&W (Holland), an electronic music duo ranked No. 14 on DJ Mag's list of top 100 DJs who have played to tens of thousands at New York City's Madison Square Garden and other major global venues; Sander Van Doorn (Holland), a top 20 DJ Mag artist, producer and label owner; Deep Dish (US), Iranian-American DJs and house music producers; and Paul Oakenfold (UK), a record producer, trance DJ and a dance music pioneer. Over 20,000 attendees from Israel and abroad participated in last year's event, headlined by famous French DJ and electronic music producer David Guetta. This year, the promoters are expecting similar numbers. Exhibition of local artwork opens in Eilat A painting and sculpture exhibition opened last weekend at Eilat's municipal gallery, in the Eilat My City museum opposite the tourist center; the exhibition displays work of city artists and sculptors.
