12 Sep2022

Menemsha secures crowd pleaser and critics' darling AMERICA for North America

Beta Cinema announces that Menemsha Films has succeeded in securing all rights to Ofir Raul Graizer’s acclaimed drama America for North America amidst strong interest for the territory. The sensual, visually impressive melodrama about a tragic incident turning upside down the life of a Tel Aviv-based couple and their childhood friend was met with long standing ovations at its World Premiere in Karlovy Vary (Crystal Globe Competition) and radiant reviews throughout trade and consumer press. 

In America, Chicago-based swimming coach Eli returns to his homeland Israel after 10 years of absence. A visit to his childhood friend Yotam and his newly engaged fiancée Iris will set a series of events in motion that will affect everyone's lives. 

The film is directed by Ofir Raul Graizer, whose feature film debut The Cakemaker was a world-wide festival and sales hit, collecting numerous awards, including seven awards of the Israeli Film Academy, thus becoming Israel's official entry to the Oscars in 2018. America was meanwhile also awarded with the trophy for Best Actress for Oshrat Ingedashet (Laces) at the Jerusalem Film Festival. 

Menemsha Films CEO Neil Friedman comments, “The film America is a uniquely beautiful love story and the most beautifully photographed film ever from Israel.  American audiences will relish the compassionate filmmaking and storytelling from writer/director Ofir Raul Grazier embodied in this wonderful film."

Graizer states, “I am honored to bring America to the North American audiences. This very personal film is an invitation and I welcome the audience to discover something of themselves in it.”

Graizer is currently working on a number of projects including his original cross-genre screenplay Beautiful Absence and the psychological drama The Shepherd’s Dream. He is also attached to the musical bio-pic Moondog, written by Law & Order SVU producer/writer Denis Hamil. Graizer is represented by Brett Etre at Untitled Entertainment and the law firm of Hertz Lichtenstein Young & Polk LLP.

America was produced by Laila Films (Israel) in coproduction with Schiwago Film (Germany) and Mimesis Film (Czech Republic). It was funded by the Rabinovich Foundation, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, The Czech Film Fund and Mifal Hapais. It will be released both by Nachshon Films in Israel and by Mimesis Film in the Czech Republic in the end of 2022.