Jerusalem mayor looks to bring Hollywood to the Holy City

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat recently met with six major Hollywood producers in an effort to persuade them to begin producing films in the capital.

He and the visitors discussed methods of attracting the film industry that have been successfully used by cities in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, and at the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to set up working groups in Jerusalem and Los Angeles to draft a plan of action. The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles has agreed to support the project.

The credits of the producers in question include box-office hits such as "Mission Impossible" and "The Sixth Sense" and major television series such as "Lost."

Members of the delegation included Darren Star, producer of the smash television series "Sex and the City," "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place," and Steve Warren, who represents hit actors and actresses Leonardo DiCaprio, Kirsten Dunst, Naomi Watts, Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron.

Barkat seeks to turn Jerusalem into a film production center because he believes this would attract both investments and tourists, thereby bolstering the capital's economy.