25 Years of Cinema: Sderot Festival Adds New Incubator

The Cinema of the South Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary at the Sderot Cinematheque from November 1 to 5. The event marks a quarter century of programming established by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College. This year’s schedule expands to include television premieres, international cinema, and interactive sessions with industry professionals.

The program features a heavy dose of local production. The opening evening on November 1 will host Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir. The duo will discuss their Netflix series, Bros, before the world premiere of the first two episodes of its second season. The series follows two childhood friends and Beitar Jerusalem fans who manage a pub in the city while facing personal and professional crises.

Audiences will also screen several KAN productions. These include Motherland, a comedy-drama written by Yael Hedaya and starring Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. The lineup further includes Whose Daughter Are You, a documentary series directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo. Produced by Osnat Trabelsi, the series explores the lives of Mizrahi women in Israel. A separate session will feature the creative team behind The Pshute, including director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi.

The festival will conclude with a preview of What Was She Thinking, directed by Iris Zaki. The film examines the choice not to have children within Israeli society. Zaki currently heads the master’s degree program at the college. The closing segment will also honor editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award recipient. Her tribute will include four films she edited, a master class, and discussions with directors Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg.

Graduates of Sapir Academic College will present new works during the week. Efrat Corem will show Heart of Gold, starring Chen Amsalem, Menashe Noy, and Israel Atias. Shir Houri Abu will present the documentary 100 Gates, while Tal Avitan will screen Carlos Outside the Lines. The latter focuses on a children’s soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. The festival will also revisit eight winning films from previous years.

Regional content will focus on the impact of recent events. A selection titled Sketches of the Soul comprises five shorts by western Negev filmmakers. These works examine daily life in the three years following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks. Sami Shalom Chetrit will also premiere My Beloved Gourama, a film tracing his father’s life in Morocco and Israel. Swiss director Thomas Imbach will present two films and lead a master class in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy.

The closing ceremony will announce the launch of Negba. This new incubator is designed to support young filmmakers from the southern region. The program aims to provide structured development for creators based in Sderot and the western Negev.