'Cities of Love' franchise journeys to Jerusalem

Producer Emmanuel Benbihy's "Cities of Love" franchise's next location for its upcoming feature will be the Holy Land of Jerusalem.

According to an article on HollywoodReporter.com, "Like its predecessors 'Paris, Je t'Aime' and 'New York, I Love You,' 'Jerusalem' will feature several short segments from well-known directors about the Israeli capital strung together by a cohesive narrative.

"Scott Berrie's Impulse Creative Productions LLC has snagged the 'Jerusalem' license and will co-produce with Israeli partners the Jerusalem Film and Television Fund and the Jerusalem Development Authority, with Benbihy on board as exec producer and discussions in place with Israeli co-producers."

Berrie added that the reason for choosing the sanctified spot was due to its treasure trove of legends and tales about its people and its civilization.

The HollywoodReporter.com article then delved a bit into of whom the film's cast will be comprised, "The film will feature an A-list cast starring in unique stories set in Jerusalem's different neighborhoods from three Israeli helmers, three American directors and four filmmakers from other countries. 'The Israeli directors we choose will represent the population of Jerusalem whether they be Jewish or Palestinian. Diversity is the franchise's main commitment. We're aiming for the highest caliber directors who bring the greatest stories to this project,' Berrie said. Berrie's New York-based Impulse Creative was founded in 2008 and already has several projects in development."

In addition to "Jerusalem," Benbihy will have his hands full with the pre-production of the "Cities of Love" films in Shanghai and Rio plus the shooting for the franchise's next chapter, "Rio, I Love You," which is set to start in spring 2010. "Rio" will be followed by "Shanghai, I Love You" in fall 2010 and then "Jerusalem" in spring 2011. "Rio" is slated to hit theaters in early 2011 while "Shanghai" is to bow in theaters by late 2011 with "Jerusalem" showing up on silver screens in early 2012.