New Project Wants to Bring Woody Allen to Israel

Over the past seven years, Woody Allen has leapt o’er the pond from his beloved New York, to shoot his annual film in a European locale – London for Matchpoint, Barcelona for Vicky Christina Barcelona, Paris for Midnight in Paris, and most recently, The Eternal City for To Rome With Love. The 76-year-old auteur has been very forthright about his newfound affinity for incorporated these grand European cities into his films – to put it simply, said cities have given financial assistance for said films.

Los Angeles-based The Jewish Journal has created a campaign to fund an Allen film in Israel. Aptly titled "The Woody Allen Israel Project", it hopes to entice the filmmaker to shoot a picture in an Israeli city, in return of course for footing the bill.

"Here’s this week’s not-so-crazy idea: Let’s all pitch in, just a few dollars each, and fund Woody Allen’s next movie — in Israel," writes Journal editor, Rob Eshman.

The campaign has even enlisted Israeli actress, producer, and model Noa Tishby, to beseech Allen to film in Israel.

In the video, she quotes the director as saying to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, “Countries call up and invite me to make movies. What happens in Europe, in South America, in China, in Russia – all these countries call and say, ‘Will you make a movie here if we financed it?’”

“So everyone, lets put our money where our mouths are, let’s show him what we got, and let’s all contribute to bring Woody Allen to shoot his next film in Israel.”

At press time, the project has raised roughly $900, with 45 days remaining to raise the goal of $9 million. For more info visit www.jewcer.com/project/the-woody-allen-israel-project. See the Noa Tishby video below.