Marc Israel

Marc Israel was born. And he had an innate love for film. He's been watching them & making them since he was 12 (short crappy ones at first, you understand, but he's much improved with age). His films include: "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" (1997), documents one of Israel’s cross-country hitchhike trips as well as the effects/aftershocks of his good friend Allen Ginsberg's death on close friends of the poet. "La Hamburguesa Magica" (2003) presents the whole plagued & near-fatal Mexico misadventure undertaken by Israel and then-girlfriend Elyse Allen. By trip's end they have separated and Marc is in a mental hospital. The award-winning "Nearer My God to Thee" (2005), then tracks a heartbroken and emotionally-troubled Israel in Brazil, where he is seeking the help of famed "Miracle Man" John of God. It also explores the year's previous events leading to this journey, including the above-mentioned heartbreak, plus various pestilences, rashes, & ravages of body, mind, and household, all presented with Israel's usual honesty and comicality. It was the only film to win two awards at 2006’s Reelheart Film Festival in Toronto. "A Balancing Act" (2007) is Israel's latest opus. A departure from Israel’s largely personal biographical work, it moves into the world, with filming all across America and Southeast Asia. It has been hailed as a runaway hit of the independent film world, and has received many awards including Best Comedy Documentary at both the Atlanta International Documentary Festival and the Montezuma International Film Festival. It was also an Official Selection at over thirty film festivals.