The delegation will meet with directors and with executives from large production companies and television networks as part of a Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership enrichment program

This delegation, comprised of 12 Israeli film and television figures, is the first ever to go to Los Angeles to meet with executives from the American film and television industry.

It is part of an annual enrichment program of the Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership which takes place in the Tel-Aviv cinematheque.

The delegation is led by actor/director Oded Kotler.

The delegation will meet with members of Jerry Bruckheimer's production company (Pirates of the Carribean, CSI series), and executives from production companies and television networks, such as Sony, Fox, CBS, and Paramount.

The objective of these meetings is mutual sustenance: presenting the world of Israeli film to the American directors and production company and large television network executives there, becoming familiar with the American film industry both the Hollywood one and the independent one, and attempting to import some of this professionalism to Israel.

This is meant to create initial contacts to serve as the basis for Israelis in the commercial and independent film industry.

In order to do this, the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles has recruited key figures from the Jewish community in town.

"The ties within Hollywood are built on communities, and this way a tie will be made between the Jewish community within the film industry and the independent film industry there, and Israeli film makers," explains Yehudit Manson, coordinator of the Tel-Aviv-Los-Angeles Partnership performing arts committee headed by Mickey Yerushalmi, the initiator of this trip who serves as a mediating entity between the Tel Aviv municipality and the Los Angeles Federation.

"During the 10 day trip, the delegates will have a chance to meet the people who cannot make it to Israel but can clear 2 hours of their time for a meeting.

This way the Israeli film makers will also be exposed to the things happening there in the high ranks, and the Americans will be exposed to our excellent talented film makers whose greatest obstacle is not talent or ability, but not being familiar with the American system.

These people really want to break out of the bubble.

Israeli film has its own qualities."

In the last 9 years, the Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership has initiated a series of film workshops.

At first they took place in the Tel Aviv University film department and later in the cinematheque.

Each year, experienced professionals come to Israel to host the workshops.

They focus on fields such as screenplay, producing, and directing. The workshop and the trip are funded mostly by the Los Angeles Federation.

The trip to Los Angeles is a derivative of those workshops and this is the first time a trip it is taking place.

Among the 12 participants: Avner Bernheimer (Yossi and Jagger), Orit Sher (actress appearing in Wisdom of the Bagel and Late Wedding), Zafrir Kohanovsky (producer of A Touch Away), Ruth Lev Ari (executive producer, among her works: Rutenberg and Prime Minister's Schedule).

A group of 12 American film makers, that has not been selected yet, will join the group.