Second Annual Conference Hosted by American Friends of Tel Aviv University Will Explore Zurer’s Perspective on How Digital Advances are Changing the Movie and Television Business
Los Angeles — The second annual IDEAS Los Angeles Conference, a two-day event focusing on the future of digital technology in media, entertainment, lifestyle and health, today announced that Ayelet Zurer, one of Israel’s most acclaimed actresses, will be the closing keynote speaker on June 16, 2016. The segment titled, “In Conversation with International Movie Star Ayelet Zurer”, will feature a candid discussion with Mrs. Zurer about the ways in which digital technology is impacting the film and television business.
IDEAS LA (Israel, Digital, Entrepreneurs, Arts, and Science) is hosted byAmerican Friends of Tel Aviv University, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Israel’s largest institution of higher learning. Hundreds of global industry leaders, including a select group of speakers, panelists, and moderators, will gather at IDEAS LA to discuss the world’s most exciting innovations and how rapidly knowledge, products and business are emerging out of each of these categories.
“We are delighted that Ayelet Zurer has agreed to be the closing keynote speaker for IDEAS Los Angeles, which will bring hundreds of dynamic thought-leaders together from the world’s most innovative cities,” said David Dorfman, Executive Director of IDEAS Los Angeles. “Ayelet will offer her unique perspective as a renowned Israeli actress who made the transition to Hollywood, while witnessing first-hand the way that technology is changing the business models. This will be a keynote address that attendees and influencers won’t want to miss.”
Partnering with dozens of corporations, private businesses, community organizations, institutes of higher learning and media outlets to present the annual global conference, IDEAS LA brings together three of the most successfulentrepreneurial ecosystems in the world – Los Angeles, Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv – including entrepreneurs, policy makers, investors and influencers, in addition to studio heads, movie and television producers, healthcare providers, doctors, university professors and more.
Ayelet Zurer was born in Tel Aviv, and first garnered the attention of Hollywood when she was cast by Steven Spielberg in her first English-speaking role, as Eric Bana’s character’s wife in the Oscar® nominated film “Munich.” Since arriving in the United States, Zurer has starred in several studio films including Sony Pictures’ “Vantage Point” with Dennis Quaid and William Hurt; Samuel Goldwyn’s “Fugitive Pieces” opposite Stephen Dillane; Paul Schrader’s “Adam Resurrected” opposite Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe; Ron Howard’s “Angels and Demons” opposite Tom Hanks; “Darling Companion,” a Lawrence Kasdan ensemble cast featuring Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline and Warner Bros; “Man Of Steel” opposite Russell Crow; and “Last Days in the Desert” opposite Ewan McGregor. She is also awaiting the release of “The Last Knights” by the Japanese director Kazuaki Kiriya opposite Clive Owen and the reimagined “Ben-Hur” directed by Timur Bekmambetov and starring opposite Jack Huston.
She recently won the Gold Nymph Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the 54th Festival of Television of Monte-Carlo for her role in the series “Hostages”. Ayelet won the Israeli Film and TV Academy Award for her lead performance in Nina’s Tragedies. She also received nominations for her work in the features Only Dogs Run Free, The Dybbuk from the Holy Apple Field, Desperado, and Rutenberg. She won the Haifa International Film Festival critic award and was awarded a star on Haifa’s “film boulevard,” for her international and local achievements. Zurer also won the Israeli Television Academy Award for her lead performance in “In Treatment,” a highly acclaimed television series that has been adapted by HBO for American television. She is also a writer and an illustrator of two adult books, “Shorts” and the best seller “Badolina” by Gabi Nitazn.
This year’s impressive list of speakers at the IDEAS conference includesentrepreneurs, investors, studio heads, movie and television producers, healthcare providers, doctors, and university professors, who will be taking to stage to discuss the world’s most exciting innovations. Some highlights include:
- Marc Graboff, President of Global Business & Legal Affairs for Production Management & Studios, Discovery Communications, Inc.;
- Alon Shtruzman, CEO, Keshet International;
- Liz Plank, Senior Producer & Correspondent, Vox.com;
- Hillary Frey, Executive Editor, Fusion TV;
- Lia Kislev, CEO, Wishi;
- Caspar Von Winterfeldt, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Baron VR;
- Yael Hanien, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University;
- Oron Afek, CEO, BookMD;
- Mette Dyrberg, Founder, MyMee;
- Brennan Spiegel, Director of Health Services Research, Cedar-Sinai Health System;
- Harry Nelson, Founder & Managing Partner of Nelson Hardiman;
- Maayan Cohen, CEO & Co-Founder, Hello Heart;
- Dr. Uri Nevo, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University;
- Indu Subayia, Co-Founder, Health 2.0;
- Valerian Bennet, Founder & CEO, PopChest; and
- Mike Townsend, Co-Founder & COO, HomeHero
Last year’s inaugural IDEAS conference attracted more than 700 attendees, from company heads to budding filmmakers and techies, and featured dozens of TED Talk-style lectures, panel discussions, workshops and digital startup presentations.
To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit: www.ideaslosangeles.com
IDEAS Los Angeles is a project by Tel Aviv University-American Friends in partnership with dozens of corporations, private businesses, community organizations, institutes of higher learning and media outlets to create a space where global business leaders, futurists, studio heads, movie and television producers, healthcare providers, doctors, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, Tel Aviv University administrators, professors, and alumni can come together and share ideas. IDEAS wants to inspire people to think deeper and more broadly by engaging with inventors and innovators tackling some of the most exciting challenges in the world today.
American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel’s most influential, comprehensive, and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University(TAU). TAU ranked #75 globally and #1 in Israel in a 2015 Reuters survey of the 100 most innovative universities. It is one of a handful of elite universities rated as the best producers of successful startups, and TAU alumni rank #9 in the world for the amount of venture capital they attract.
