Shimon Dotan

Shimon Dotan
Born	(1949-12-23)23 December 1949

Shimon Dotan(Hebrew:שמעון דותן;born 23 December 1949) is an Israelifilm director,screenwriter,andproducer.

Biography

Early life

Shimon Dotan was born inRomaniain 1949 and moved to Israel in 1959. He grew up inMoshav Arugot,an agricultural cooperative. He then served five years in the Israeli military as a Navy Seal and went on to get his BFA at Tel Aviv University, where his student films won Israel’s Best Short Film and Best Director Awards twice.

Career

Dotan is the recipient of numerous awards including, the Special Jury Prize for Best World Documentary Feature atSundance Film Festival(Hot House),Silver Bear for Best ActoratBerlin Film Festival(Smile of the Lamb), Best Film Award atNewport Beach Film Festival(You Can Thank Me Later), two times winner of Israeli Academy Award for Best Film and Best Director (Repeat Dive,Smile Of The Lamb) and others.

Dotan’s feature films have received both critical acclaim and commercial success. His debut writing/directing/producing effort,Repeat Dive(1982), which chronicles Dotan’s own experiences as a member of Israel’s elite Navy Commando unit, won three Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and was selected for the official competition at the Berlin and Chicago Film Festivals. He followed that effort with two quasi-documentaries,Souvenirs from Tel AvivandSouvenirs from Hebron(1982).

His 1986 feature filmThe Smile of the Lamb,written and directed by Dotan and co-produced with Yonatan Aroch, won numerous awards including the Silver Bear for Best Actor atBerlinand six Israeli Academy Awards, including those for Best Director and Best Picture. In 1991, Dotan wrote and directedThe Finest Hourstarring Rob Lowe, Tracy Griffith and Gale Hanson.

After moving to Montreal, Canada in 1991 Dotan co-founded Cinequest Films Inc. together with partner Netaya Anbar. In 1994 Dotan directed and producedWarriors,starring Macha Grenon, Gary Busey and Michael Pare. In 1996 Dotan directed and producedCoyote Run,starring Peter Greene, Macha Grenon and Michael Pare. The critically acclaimedYou Can Thank Me Later(1999), was produced together with Anbar and directed by Dotan in 1999 and starred Ellen Burstyn, Genevieve Boujold, Amanda Plummer and Mary McDonnell. It was awarded Best Film at Newport Beach Film Festival, selected for the closing night at thePalm Springs Film Festivaland had its opening gala at theMontreal World Film Festival.In 1999–2000 Dotan producedThe List(1999) with Ryan O’Neal, Rock Lafortune and Ben Gazara,Cause of Death(2000) with Maxim Roy, Patrick Bergin and Michael Ironside andWilder(2000) with Pam Grier,Romano Orzariand Rutger Hauer. In 2001 Dotan producedHidden AgendawithDolph LundgrenandMaxim Roy.In 2003 Dotan co-wrote the script forWatching TV with the Red Chinesetogether with Netaya Anbar and in 2005 he wroteFrenzybased on a novel byDavid Grossman.In 2006 Dotan wrote, directed and co-produced the documentary/featureHot House.It won the Special Jury Award for Best World Documentary at Sundance. In 2007 Dotan produced and co-directed the Canadian-Chinese coproductionDiamond Dogswith Dolph Lundgren.

In 2012, together with Netaya Anbar, Dotan wrote, directed, and producedWatching TV with the Red Chinesebased on the novel by Luke Whisnant.

In 2016 Dotan wrote and directedThe Settlers,produced byEstelle Fialon,Jonatan Aroch, Paul Cadieux, and Dotan.

Dotan has taught political cinema at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute ofNew York Universitysince 2003. He also teaches atThe New Schoolin New York City. He has previously taught atTel Aviv Universityand atConcordia Universityin Montreal.He is a Fellow of theNew York Institute for the Humanities.

Selected filmography

• Repeat Dive(Tzlila Chozeret), Writer/Director/Producer (1982)
• The Smile of the Lamb,Writer/Director/Producer (1986)
• The Finest Hour,Writer/Director (1991)
• Warriors,Director/Producer (1994)
• Coyote Run,Director/Producer (1996)
• You Can Thank Me Later,Director/Producer (1998)
• Hot House,Writer/Director/Producer (2006)
• Diamond Dogs,Co-director/Producer (2007)
• Watching TV with the Red Chinese,Writer/Director/Producer (2012)
• The Settlers,Writer/Director/Producer (2016)

Awards and honors

• New York Film Festival,Official Selection,The Settlers(2016)
• Sundance Film Festival,Official Selection,The Settlers(2016)
• DocAvivFilm Festival, Special Mention,The Settlers(2016)
• Sheffield International Documentary Festival,Special Mention,The Settlers(2016)
• Cullman Fellowship Award for Scholars and Writers at the NY Public Library (2013)
• Guggenheim FellowshipAward (2012)
• President of the Jury at theJerusalem Film Festival(2010)
• President of the Jury at theBucharest International Film Festival(2009)
• Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize forHot House(2007)
• Lincoln Center, Israeli Cinema Retrospective,The Smile of the Lamb&Repeat Dive,(2000)
• Montreal World Film Festival,Special Gala Screening,You Can Thank Me Later(1999)
• Newport Beach Film Festival,Best Feature Film,You Can Thank Me Later(1999)
• Palm Springs Film Festival,Closing Night,You Can Thank Me Later(1999)
• Berlin Film Festival,Silver Bear,The Smile of the Lamb(1986)
• Six Israeli Academy Awards (including Best Film, Best Director),The Smile of the Lamb(1986)
• Berlin Film Festival, Official Selection,Repeat Dive(1982)
• Chicago International Film Festival,Official Selection,Repeat Dive(1982)
• Three Israeli Academy Awards (including Best Film, Best Director),Repeat Dive(1982)

External links

• Shimon DotanatIMDb
• New York Times article about The Settlers