biography

Ori Sivan
Screenwriter / director / scrip editor
& Professor for film studies

Age: 57. Married + 5.
Home address: Kibbutz Beit Nir, 79560, Israel
Home telephone number: 08 6874383
Office telephone number: 08 6802708
Cellular number: +972 50 6573801


Undergraduate Studies

1986 – 1991 Tel Aviv University
Film and TV Department, Faculty of Arts


Academic Ranks and Tenure in Institutes of Higher Education

1999 – 2017 Lecturer / Senior Lecturer (since 2011), Sapir Academic College, Department of Film and Television /School of Audio & Visual Arts (since 2014)

2006 – 2008 Direction Instructor, Sam Spiegel Film and TV School, Jerusalem

2009 & 2017 Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Wesleyan University, Middletown CT, USA, Religion Department, Center for Jewish Studies

2018 - Present Professor at Sapir Academic college


Offices in Academic Administration

2011 – 2014 Head of Film Studies, Sapir Academic College, Department of Film and Television,
(School of Audio and Visual Arts since 2014)

2018 – Present Head of MA Studies, Sapir Academic College, School of Audio and Visual Arts


Filmography
Major Projects as Director & Screenwriter

1991
“Comfortably Numb” (Sha’anan Si) / Documentary film as: Director & Screenwriter (In cooperation with Ari Folman)

Distribution: “Keshet TV”, and Film Festivals worldwide.


1996
“Saint Clara” / Feature film as: Director & Screenwriter (In cooperation with Ari Folman).

Distribution: Cinemas in Israel, Commercial distribution worldwide (Cinematic and TV) & “Keshet TV”


1997 – 2000
“Florentine” / Television Drama Series / 39 episodes / Three seasons, as: Co-Screenwriter- first season, Director- second season, Head Screenwriter- third season.

Distribution: “Tel -Ad TV, Channel 2”.


1998
“Domino” / Sci-Fi Experimental Film, as: Director.

Distribution: “Keshet TV”.


1999 – 2004
“Saturdays and Holidays” / Television Drama Series / 63 episodes / five seasons, as: Head Screenwriter.

Distribution: HOT Cable Network.


2004
“My Perfect Childhood” /Feature Film, as: Director & Screenwriter.

Distribution: HOT Cable Network.


2005 – 2008
In Treatment (Be-tipul) / Television series / 80 episodes / two seasons, as: Head Screenwriter, Co-Director & Co- Creator.

Distribution: HOT Cable Network, “Keshet TV”.


2008 – Today
In Treatment (American & 18 international versions based on the original series) as: Co-Creator & Head Screenwriter of original series.

Distribution: HBO Cable Network, USA, (Distributed in over 60 countries) and 18 Re-makes with local cast for local TV networks ( in local languages): Italy, Japan, Russia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Holland, and in 2021- ARTE France,
* And 10 more countries worldwide.


2009
“Behind the Strings” / Documentary film, as: Director & Narrator.


2010
“Zubin and I” / Documentary Film, as: Director & Narrator.

Distribution: channel 8, HOT Cable Network


2011
“Alex in Wonderland” / Documentary Film, as: Director & Narrator.

Distribution: channel 8, HOT Cable Network




2012
“Barefoot” / Television Mini-Series / 6 episodes, as:
Director & Head Screenwriter.

Distribution: HOT Cable Network


2013
“Katmandu” / Television Drama Series / 13 episodes, as:
Script Editor.

Distribution: “Reshet TV”


2014
“The Congress” / American Feature Film by Ari Folman, as:
Script Editor.

Distribution: Cannes international film festival – Opening Film “Directors Fortnite” & cinemas worldwide.

2016
“Harmonia” / Feature Film, as: Director & Screenwriter.

Distribution: Cinemas in Israel (from Nov. 2018), Cinemas in Mexico (from Oct. 2018), & “Keshet TV”


2018/2019
“Muna” / Television Drama Series / 8 episodes / as: Director

Distribution: KAN TV, Channel 11



Awards & Prizes

1991 / Comfortably Numb
The Israel Academy of Film and Television/ (The Israeli “Oscars” / Ophir prize)
* Winner: ‘Best Documentary Film’

The Jerusalem International Film Festival
* Winner: ‘Wolgin Award for Best Documentary Film’

Festival International de Court Metrage' Video, Waterloo, France
* Winner: ‘Camera d'Or’


1996 / Saint Clara
The Israel Academy of Film and Television (Israeli “Oscars” - Today: Ophir Prize)
* Winner: ‘Best Film’ & ‘Best Directing’

American Academy Awards (The Oscars) & ‘Golden Globe Awards’.
* Official Representative of Israel: Best Foreign Film

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
* Winner: ‘Best Director’ and ‘Special Jury's Prize’

Haifa International Film Festival / Israeli competition
* Winner: ‘Best Feature Film’

Berlin International Film Festival
* Official Selection: ‘Panorama’

Tokyo International Film Festival
* Official Selection: ‘Best Of Asia’


1997 / Florentine
The Jerusalem International Film Festival
* Winner: ‘Best TV Drama Series'


1998 / Domino
Manchester Fantastic Films Festival, U.K
* Winner: ‘Best Short Film’


2004 / Saturdays and Holidays
The Israel Academy of Film and Television
* Winner: ‘Best TV Drama Series’ & ‘Best Screenplay in a TV Drama Series’

2006 + 2008 / In Treatment
The Israel Academy of Film and Television
* Winner: ‘Best Screenplay in a TV Drama Series’ & (2006 only) ‘Best Drama Series’.


2008/9 / In Treatment, American Version (Remake of the Israeli Version)
Emmy Awards 2008
* Winner: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series/ Dianne Wiest.
* Winner: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series/
Glynn Turman.

Golden Globe 2009
* Winner: Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series – Drama/ Gabriel Byrne

* Nominations:
- Best Television Series – Drama
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television /
Blair Underwood
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television / Melissa George
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television / Dianne Wiest

Emmy Awards 2009
* Nominations:
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series / Gabriel Byrne
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series / Hope Davis
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series / Diane Wiest


2016/17 / Harmonia
The Jerusalem International Film Festival
* Winner: ‘Jewish Experience Award’

Strasbourg Israeli Film Festival 2017
* Winner: ‘Best Film’

IFFI (International Film Festival India)
* Official Selection: ‘Gandhi Golden Medal’


Major Film Festivals / Conferences / Lectures

1991
Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival / Presentation: Comfortably Numb.

1992-1993
‘Arts for the People’ Program / Lectures all over Israel with: Comfortably Numb.

1996
- Berlin International Film Festival / Presentation: Saint Clara.
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival / Presentation: Saint Clara.
- Tokyo International Film Festival / Presentation: Saint Clara.
- San Fransisco Jewish Film Festival / Presentation: Saint Clara.

2009
- Yale University, Connecticut, U.S.A / 'Grand Rounds' / Lecture: In Treatment.
- Wesleyan University, Connecticut, U.S.A / 'Israel in Shorts' / Lecture: In Treatment.

2010
- Doc Aviv Galil Film Festival 2010/ 'The Conductor' / Presentation: Zubin and I.
- Cinema South Film Festival / Lecture: 'Portrait of an Artist'.

2011
- Sam Spiegel, 20th Anniversary Conference / Lecture: 'A Vision for Israeli Film'
- Alma Institute, Tel Aviv / Lecture: In Treatment.
- 'Icon SF Festival', Tel Aviv / 'Science Fiction in Hebrew' / Lecture: Domino.

2012
- Cinema South Film Festival 2012 / 'From TV to Film' / Lecture: Barefoot.
- Films in the Arava / Workshop: ‘Advanced Screenwriting for Feature Films'
- Doc Aviv Galil Film Festival / Lecture: 'The wonderer' - (Alex Levac)

2013
Sapir Academic College / 'Who Treats You' / Lecture: In Treatment.

2014
Films in the Arava / Workshop: ‘Advanced Screenwriting for Feature Films'

2016
- ‘Other Israel’ Film Festival , New York / Presentation: Harmonia.
- IFFI (International Film Festival India) / Presentation: Harmonia.
- Goteborg International Film Festival / Presentation: Harmonia.

2017
- Paris Israeli Film Festival / Presentation: Harmonia.
- Atlanta Film Festival / Presentation: Harmonia.
- Strasbourg Israeli Film Festival / Presentation: Harmonia.
- Wesleyan University, Connecticut, U.S.A / 'Israel in Shorts' / Presentation: Harmonia.


Major Academic Conferences Associated With My Work

2008 / International Psychological Association: 'Symposium 2008' / New York: Responding to the Erotic Transference. / In Treatment.
- The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute; Psychology on the Couch, 2008 - The Therapeutic Discourse in Israeli Society./ In Treatment.

2009 / UCLA School of Law and Communications / In Treatment.

2010 / International Psychological Association: Love, 'Symposium 2010' / New York: Sex and Passion: The Anatomy of Desire. / In Treatment.
- C. G. Jung Institute of San Francisc/ The Case of "In Treatment", 2010. / In Treatment.

2013 / Sapir Academic College / 'Who Treats You' / In Treatment.


Teaching / Courses Taught in Recent Years:

BFA:
2011 - 2021: Directing / Documentary / Second year: “Re-Construction of Reality”. Final Project: 10 min’ film.

2011 – 2021: Directing / Fiction / Second year: “From Reality to Dramatic Plot”. Final Project: 10 min’ film.

2015 – 2021: Scriptwriting / First year: “From Storytelling to a Script”. Final Project: 5-10 min’ Screenplay.

MFA:
2013- 2021: Academic course: “Israel In Therapy”. Final Project: Screenplay of a full Imaginary Episode of In Treatment.