Jerusalem Sessions TV Festival Returns for Second Edition with Global Stars
The second Jerusalem Sessions International TV Festival at the National Library from Nov 17-19 celebrates 100 years of television. Featuring global creators like Terence Winter, international panels, premieres, and Israeli cinema highlights.
The second edition of the Jerusalem Sessions International Television Festival is set to take place at the National Library of Jerusalem from November 17 to 19, marking 100 years of television. The festival will open with the world premiere of the third season of "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem" (Yes, Artza Productions). One of the prominent guests will be Terence Winter, creator of "Boardwalk Empire" and writer for "The Sopranos" and "The Wolf of Wall Street," who is visiting Israel for the first time.
Another highlight will be the screening of a special episode from the third season of "The Chef" (Yes, Kastina Communications). This is the sixth episode of the season and is set in Paris. Following the screening, a discussion will be held with Yael Elkana and Erez Koral. Afterwards, a dinner will be served at the Jerusalem restaurant Mona, featuring a menu inspired by the episode. The dinner will include a conversation with the series' culinary consultant, Chef Moshiko Gamlieli, and stars Guri Alfi and Gal Toren.
Several international guests will participate in panels and discussions:
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Nancy Cotton, Senior Vice President of Drama at Skydance, the media conglomerate uniting Paramount and Warner Bros.
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Director Minki Spiro ("Better Call Saul,Downton Abbey,3 Body Problem").
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David Hadda, creator of "The Zweiflers," a series about a modern-day Jewish family in Frankfurt, which won best series at Canneseries and the German Television Award.
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Jeff Sagansky, former president of CBS Entertainment and co-president of Sony Pictures.
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Eyal Baumel, who manages YouTubers including MrBeast.
Keshet International is joining the festival as an official sponsor. Liz Cohen, Senior Vice President of Drama at Keshet Studios, will lead a panel on drama series development and creative partnerships with international talent. The first edition, held in December 2025, featured Matthew Weiner ("Mad Men"), Joel Fields ("The Americans"), and Anna Winger ("Unorthodox").
The Israeli lineup also features several standout events. Rotem Sela and Noa Koller will discuss creation. Gitit Fisher and Shirley Moshioff, creators of "Checkup" (Yes) and "Nothing Happened" (HOT), will talk about current Israeli series. "You Must Read This," the format by Kan 11 and Teddy Productions, will have a live stage version with book recommendations suitable for adaptation into series, featuring Maor Zaguri ("Zaguri Imperia"). The National Library archive will present "Emergency Room," an unproduced television script by Assi Dayan, read once with his son Lior Dayan and actors Shani Gelber, Lir Katz, and Adam Avidan. Another evening will be dedicated to the memory of late television producer Dana Eden, hosted by journalist Ran Buker with her partner Shula Spiegel and others.
The festival was founded by the media venture at the Jerusalem Development Authority. Alongside closed professional meetings between global industry leaders and Israeli creators, the event will focus on the intersection of storytelling and technology, artificial intelligence, and new formats like micro-drama. Roi Solach, creator of the micro-drama series "Not Over" on Instagram, will discuss the proximity between creator, screen, and audience. AI artist Amir Yitziv will present "Peter the Ape Who Became a Man." Prof. Noa Lavie from the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo will unveil new research on the standing of the Israeli television industry after October 7. Additionally, a partnership with the American HollyShorts Film Festival will be announced. Celebrating a century of television, a living-room-inspired viewing lounge will host retrospectives of beloved shows.
Jerusalem Sessions will run from November 17 to 19 at the National Library in Jerusalem. The opening night will be held on Tuesday, November 17, at 7:00 PM at the David Geffen Auditorium. Tickets are priced at 90 shekels, and the full schedule for the remaining two days will be published on the festival website.
