The Band's Visit

Eran Kolirin's first feature, which he wrote as well as directed, is The Band's Visit (Hebrew title Bikur Ha-Tizmoret), a 2007 comedy-drama. July August Productions and Dulac Productions made it as a co-production of Israel, France and the United States. Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri and Uri Gavriel head the cast. The film was praised by critics and audiences and won eight Ophir Awards from the Israeli Film Academy, including Best Film.

A small Egyptian police orchestra from Alexandria travels to Israel to play at an opening ceremony. Nobody meets them at the airport, and because the members cannot pronounce the letter "p", they ask for directions to the imaginary "Bet Hatikva" rather than Petah Tikva and end up stranded in a small, remote desert town. Sasson Gabai plays Tewfiq, Ronit Elkabetz Dina, Saleh Bakri Haled and Khalifa Natour Simon.

It runs 87 minutes. At the European Film Awards it won Best Actor and European Discovery of the Year. Israel submitted it for the 80th Academy Awards, but the Academy rejected it because over half its dialogue was in English; Israel sent Beaufort instead, which reached the final five nominees.