Founded in 1986 by Lia van Leer, the Jerusalem Film Festival is Israel's most prestigious cinematic event. The program offers nearly 150 films in a broad spectrum of themes and categories, including the best of new cinema; outstanding documentaries; avant garde; short subjects; animation; retrospectives; classics and restorations; Mediterranean and Israeli Cinema.

International prizes presented at the Jerusalem Film Festival are the Wim van Leer 'In Spirit of Freedom' for feature films and documentaries that focus on the issue of man's eternal quest for freedom of expression, human rights and social awareness and the MCM - 'In Pursuit of Peace & Tolerance for Mediterranean Cinema' - awarded to the best feature film or documentary from the Mediterranean region, focusing on the theme of peace and tolerance.