After working with film crews from around the world for many years, I have come to learn that there is barely a site today in Israel that does not require a film permit.
Arranging film permits in Israel can be quite an undertaking at times, depending on the location involved, the size of the crew and the length of the shoot.
From my experience, the most difficult filming permission to get is the access to the Dome of the Rock. But after having filmed there for many years, I have earned the trust of all sides involved and I have managed to get the filming permission every time a crew wanted to go and shoot there. The efforts are absolutely worthwhile, as it is a truly beautiful site and no crew leaves unimpressed by the architecture, the colors and the atmosphere.
The preparation for a show like Cities of the Underworld, which was shot in Israel for an entire month, required the acquisition of a large number of film permits across the entire country. With such a tight and intensive shooting plan as Cities of the Underworld, it is absolutely crucial for the schedule that the film permits are ready and available on the spot and the crew can proceed straight to filming at every new location. The show was hosted by US TV host Don Wildman, who never hid his excitement to explore all the amazing locations Israel has to offer. The shoot ended up being a great success and the Israel episode had the highest rating of all shows on the series.
As a producer in Israel, I work closely with all the major institutes, museums and leading archaeologists in Israel, with several of them having escorted our film teams to various archaeological sites, offering their brilliant expertise and knowledge in interviews. We have earned the trust of many large organizations in Israel such as the Israel Antiquities Authorities, which gives permissions to shoot in archaeological sites and holds important archive material.
My aim is to open each and every door for my clients to make every shoot as successful as possible. I always strive for professionalism and efficiency in my work and opening doors for my clients can help them to save much money and time, which are precious goods on any production.
To understand the vast number of locations that require a film permit in Israel, have a look at the following list:
National Parks
Churches
Any public transportation places such as the airport or a train station
Filming an army or an air force base
Closing roads for filming
Filming in a school
Filming in a courthouse or filming members of the government
Filming in hospitals and health clinics
Filming in the PA territories and transporting equipment across the check points
Use of loudspeakers or strong lights in exterior locations
Filming in certain areas, especially religious neighborhoods
Wailing Wall
Temple Mount / Dome of the Rock
Most of these locations that require a filming permit will have similar guidelines as in other countries, especially churches and National Parks. But due to the tight security measurements and the religious sensitivity of some of the other sites, the security regulations and dress codes might be more strict. It is immensely important though to co-operate with security at all times if you are filming at such sensitive area as the Temple Mount or an army check point.
Over the last years I have taken film crews from the very north of Israel to its most southern tip. I have arranged filming permissions with some of the leading politicians and Knesset members, arranged filming in the territories and in mosques, and my crews have shot in more or less every National Park and church around the country that you can think of.
Knowing who to speak to, when and how, to arrange a film permit in Israel is a knowledge that comes from vast experience on the field and thorough knowledge of all locations, the language and the culture. My aim is to utilize this knowledge to open the right door for everyone and complete a production in Israel as successfully and efficiently as possible.