Israel-born Hollywood producer Ram Bergman, who is best known for sci-fi action thrillers such as "Brick," "Looper" and most recently, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," was honored over the weekend for his professional achievements in an event promoting the 32nd Israel Film Festival in the U.S., slated to take place in Los Angeles on November 6-20.
The festival was founded by Meir Fenigstein, the former drummer of iconic Israeli rock band Kaveret (Hive), who has been celebrated for establishing the festival as an artistic bridge that fosters cultural understanding between Israel and the United States.
Bergman, 48, was born and raised in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, and has been working as a producer for over two decades, teaming up with writer-director Rian Johnson for many of his hits.
His career skyrocketed in 2014 when he joined Lucasfilm, famed director Geroge Lucas' production company, best known for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi," the eighth installment in the mega-series, has so far made over $1.3 billion in the box office and in the coming years, Bergman and Johnson are expected to develop a new trilogy for the Star Wars franchise.
Actor Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, presented Bergman with the award, joking that "if you were to cast the stereotype producer, Ram wouldn't even get an audition."
Hamill praised Bergman's on-set demeanor, saying, "I've never heard him raise his voice, I've never heard him curse, I've never seen him lose his cool, I've never seen him belittle anyone. I've only seen him do what he does best – get the job done!"
He recalled his 1980 visit to Israel, where Director Samuel Fuller's World War II epic "The Big Red One" was filmed, saying the Israeli crew "called me 'relentlessly gentile' but they did so with affection and made me feel like one of the family. I treasure that experience, it was there that I learned first hand the kindness of its people and the beauty of the country and on set, the phrase 'Sheket, bevakasha!' ['Quiet, please!']," he said.
Bergman noted that "one of the reasons for Israeli cinema's success is Meir's festival because, before there was internet, you couldn't really follow up, and the only way you could find out about new talent and filmmakers would be through his festivals."
"I was introduced to a lot of filmmakers through the festival and I'm still in touch with them, and clearly Israel is exploding in terms of talent and basically every other startup," he added.
The event also honored Jewish businessman Stanley Black and Netflix Vice President of Global Television Larry Tanz for their humanitarian work.
Tanz heads the acquisitions of series and formats for the streaming giant. Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, the co-creators of the Israeli hit series "Fauda," which streams on Netflix, sent Tanz a video message with their congratulations.
