Menahem GOLAN
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Menahem Golan was born to parents of Polish decent in Tiberias, Israel, in May 1929. In his early years, he was a pilot for the fledgling Israeli Air Force. After serving in the War of Independence, Golan went to London to study theatre in the Old Vic Theatre School. After his return, he became the youngest theatre director in the country, working with the Israeli, Habima Theatre and the Ohel Theater. He directed modern American, French, and Israeli plays.

In 1958 Golan went to the states to study film in Columbia University as well as the New York City College. He then joined the American Producer Roger Corman as an assistant in the film YOUNG RACERS. In the film he worked side by side with Francis Ford Coppola, who became, over the years, his mentor. In 1963 Golan started his own production Company in Israel called NOAH, named after his father. Over the years Golan produced and directed over 40 films that became successful worldwide, winning festival awards and several Oscar nominations in best foreign film category (otherwise, in the Golan’s filmography as producer are registered over 200 feature films, that make him a production champion in the history of the world cinema; as director over 40 films and as writer over 30). Among his films are OPERATION THUNDERBOLT (Entebbe) for which he was nominated best director and producer, at the Oscars. He was nominated for KAZABLAN an Israeli musical distributed by MGM. The series of the hit comedy's LEMON POPSICLE and produced the Oscar Nominated SALAH starring Topol which was written and directed by Efrayim Kishon.

Golan along with his younger cousin Yoram Globus, began to operate internationally with their American company, Cannon Films, which became the number one independent company in Hollywood. Golan went on to direct and produce films like OVER THE TOP with Sylvester Stallone. THE MAGICIAN OF LUBLINE (with Alan Arkine and Shelly Winters), BLOOD SPORT and AMERICAN CYBORG with Jean Claude Van Damme . THE DEATH WISHe "Death Wish", starring Charles Bronson, a modern version of "CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by Dostoyevsky (starring John Hurt and Vanessa Redgrave) and in 1984 produced the Oscar winner, in best foreign film category, THE ASSAULT.

In the eighties, Golan produced SPEEDWAY JUNKIE starring Brooke Shields, LAMBADA, THE FORBIDDEN DANCE, MACK THE KNIFE (starring Raul Julia and Julia McGuiness), the musical SALSA, the action films MISSING IN ACTIO and DELTA FORCE (starring Chuck Norris) BARFLY (starring Mickey Rourke and Fay Dunaway) and OTHELLO, starring Placido Domingo, LOVE STREAMS (starring John Casavetes and Jenna Rolands), which was a winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Festival, and many other successful films.