Edna Fainaru, the Israeli journalist and festival consultant who wrote for Screen International for many years, has died aged 85. Her daughter Da
Edna Fainaru, the Israeli journalist and festival consultant who wrote for Screen International for many years, has died aged 85.
Her daughter Dana Fainaru, the film and television writer, shared an Instagram post on Sunday, June 7, stating, “My beautiful mother has suddenly left us. We will miss her so very much.”
In 1982, Fainaru founded Israeli film journal Cinematheque alongside her husband, film critic Dan Fainaru. Edited by the pair, Cinematheque became one of the country’s most prominent sources of film reviews and coverage about Israeli and international cinema.
As well as supporting the work of emerging Israeli filmmakers, it also created a space for emerging critics and film writers.
The magazine’s coverage was bolstered significantly by Fainaru’s ubiquity on the festival circuit. She served as a consultant for international festivals including Geneva, Copenhagen, Taormina, Istanbul and Antalya, as well as Israeli events including Haifa Film Festival and the International Student Film Festival.
Fainaru was also a longtime writer for Screen International, working as the publication’s Israel correspondent, and wrote for other international outlets including Variety.
She was a member of the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) and a regular member of festival juries, including on the main competition jury at Karlovy Vary in 2011.
Edna and Dan also co-founded Israel’s Arava Film Festival in 2012 and were artistic directors for the open-air event held in Israel’s Negev Desert.
Beki Probst, former director and president of the European Film Market, had known Fainaru since 1988. They met every year in Berlin, as well as regularly at festivals including Cannes and Venice.
“Wherever I was going, she would always be there,” said Probst. “Edna was a very clear-seeing person. She analysed the developments going on in the industry in a clear, objective way.
“She was a cinema lover,” added Probst. “What she brought to the industry was her interest. She believed that the cinema industry is important in people’s lives, not just economically but also morally. She’ll always be remembered.”
“Edna Fainaru was a beloved fixture in the world of film festivals, criticism and curation,” said Mike Goodridge, producer at Good Chaos and former editor of Screen International. “Her passion for cinema, her vast knowledge, her incredible network and her long history on the festival circuit made her an essential contributor to the fabric of world film. She was also a wonderful human being and the kindest soul whose presence at these often-stressful affairs made life that much more manageable. I will miss her so much.”
“When I joined Screen – way back in the mists of time – Edna was already the team cheerleader and the warm heart of our festival experiences,” said Finn Halligan, former executive editor and chief film critic at Screen International. “She took care of us all over the years, shepherded us through the ups and downs of the industry, and made sure that generational experience was handed down in the kindest way.
“Generous with her friends, who loved her dearly, she helped make Screen a family and brought film families together. They broke the mould with Edna, and we share in Dan’s tremendous loss.”
“Edna had endless curiosity and passion for films, filmmakers, new voices, different cultures and life itself,” said Elad Samorzik, former artistic director of Jerusalem Film Festival and member of the Berlinale selection committee. “For Edna, festivals were never only about watching films, they were about people. Together with her husband Dan, she built deep and meaningful friendships across the world, including with some of the greatest filmmakers of our time.
“These were not simply professional relationships, they were lifelong connections. I will always cherish our long conversations about cinema, culture, classical music, and our shared love for dogs. There was something timeless about Edna, her immense knowledge, her unmistakable style and her unique way of looking at the world.”
“There is just no way to fill the void after a person who had such a profound influence on me as a professional and a human being is gone,” said Karel Och, who was in his first edition as Karlovy Vary artistic director when Fainaru served on the jury. “I will always see Edna together with her husband Dan sitting inside the Grand Hall in Karlovy Vary and gently waving, just as she did for the past 25 years.”
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