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WEB JUNKIE

Synopsis

Internet addiction has been declared a national health crisis in China, the first country in the world to classify this evolving diagnosis. WEB JUNKIE  follows the treatment of three Chinese teenagers, obsessive gamers whose preference for the virtual world over the real one is summed up in one jarring statement: “Reality is too fake.”

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The Filmmakers

Shosh Shlam Director/Producer

Shosh is the director and producer of LAST JOURNEY INTO SILENCE (2003) winner of Best Documentary at the Lublin Film Festival, and Best Documentary Honorable Mention at Haifa International Film Festival, BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY (2005 Director/Producer), and GOOD GARBAGE (2008. Director/Producer). The film won an award for Best Documentary at the Shanghai Film Festival, FICA film festival in Brazil, and award for best cinematography at the Israeli documentary Forum awards. Recently the film was chosen by Michael Moore to screen in the Traverse City Film Festival. The film was screened in Channel 2 in Israel, Swiss TV(RSI), Russian TV(RT) and CBC Canada. Shosh is the director and producer of WEB JUNKIE.

Hilla Medalia Director/Producer

A Peabody Award-winning director and producer and co-owner of New York based kNow Productions. Hilla has received three Emmy nominations, and won the Golden Warsaw Phoenix, as well as the jury awards at FIPA, audience award at Woodstock Film Festival. Hilla's most recent film DANCING IN JAFFA premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, won the editing award at Docaviv and is expected to have its theatrical release in 2014 in the US, France, Germany and Israel. Past projects include TO DIE IN JERUSALEM(HBO), AFTER THE STORM (MTV), HAPPY YOU’RE ALIVE (ch1 Israel) andNumbered (YES, ARTE) which won the Silver Hugo at Chicago International Film Festival. Hilla’s latest film is WEB JUNKIE, which she co-directed and produced, the film won the Honorable Mention in the Jerusalem film festival. She holds an M.A. from Southern Illinois University.

Neta Zwebner Producer

Neta is a film and TV producer. Her film DANCING IN JAFFA premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival and was picked up by Sundance Selects/IFC for theatrical release in 2014 and will also be release theatrically in Germany and France next year. The film was executive produced by Morgan Spurlock, LaToya Jackson and Nigel Lythgoe and won the editing award at DokAviv and the "Honorary One Future" award at Munich DokFest. Dancing in Jaffa is supported by Speilberg's Righteous Persons Foundation, The Good Pitch, IFP, Film Independent, The PUMA Creative Catalyst Award, Fohs Family Foundation, Foundation for Jewish Culture, and more. Neta most recently produced WEB JUNKIE, currently in post-production, which was executive produced by Morgan Spurlock and Eve Ensler and made with the support of Impact Partners, Gucci Tribeca, Chicken & Egg. Neta’s film NUMBERED won the Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago Film Festival and “Best Debut Documentary” at the Israeli Documentary Awards. Additionally, Neta has produced a variety of other films, TV shows, commercials, and art projects. She holds a Master’s of Communication Arts in Public Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in Government, Diplomacy and Strategy.

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Festivals & Awards

Sundance Film Festival

2014

Official Selection

CPH: DOX

2014

Traverse City Film Festival

2014

Sheffield Doc/Fest

2014

Hot Docs International Film Festival

2014

Reviews

Rich and emotionally rewarding”

-Indiewire

Spellbinding”

-The Daily Beast

Bizarre and entertaining”

-Variety

An eye-opening piece of filmmaking”

-The Salt Lake Tribune

Outreach

WEB JUNKIE was broadcast on the PBS documentary series POV in the summer of 2015. POV has also hosted community screenings of the film, and helped create engaging outreach materials, including discussion guides, lesson plans, and interesting infographics on Internet addiction and other issues the film explores.

For more information, visit WEB JUNKIE on POV’s site here.

Outreach Resources

New York Times Op-Doc

"China's Web Junkies" - Based on the film

+ nytimes.com

POV Discussion Guide

+ pbs.org

POV Lesson Plan

+ pbs.org