Bio

Hilla Medalia, Director/Producer –– Israel native, she is an award-winning first time filmmaker who served in the Israeli Defense Forces. After military service, she began her academic career in the United States where she earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University (2001 and 2004). She then moved to New York, serving in various positions including senior producer of the award-winning documentary 39 Pounds Of Love. The film won the 2005 Ofir Award (“Israeli Oscar”) for best documentary and was released in U.S. (Landmark) theatres in late 2005 and made it onto the Academy Award short list for best documentary film.

Medalia received a 2005 Regional Emmy Award for the student documentary project Condition: John Foppe (program feature - public affairs category) and the 2004 Angelus Award for directing the student film, Daughters of Abraham.

TO DIE IN JERUSALEM is her first feature documentary, the film screened in festivals around the world and won the 2007 Peabody Award, 2008 Fipa Special Jury Award, and a Jury Award at the 2008 Human Rights Film Festival in Paris. Medalia is now in the post production of her next film After the Storm.