Sderot Cinematheque launches filmmaker incubator during 25th edition

The Cinema of the South Festival will hold its 25th anniversary edition at the Sderot Cinematheque from November 1 to 5. The five-day schedule features television premieres, Israeli and international films, and meetings with directors. The event is organized by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College, which founded the festival.

This year’s program focuses on filmmakers from Sderot and the western Negev. Many of the selected works examine life in the three years since the October 7 Hamas-led massacres. The festival also includes competitions and music performances.

The opening evening on November 1 will feature Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir. The creators of the Netflix series "Bros" will discuss the show on stage. They will be joined for the world premiere of the first two episodes of the second season. The series follows two childhood friends and Beitar Jerusalem fans who manage a pub in Jerusalem.

Advance screenings include "Motherland," a KAN comedy-drama directed by Yael Hedaya. The film stars Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. Audiences will also watch "Whose Daughter Are You?" This KAN documentary series is directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo. It is produced by Osnat Trabelsi and focuses on Mizrahi women in Israel. The team behind the KAN series "The Pshute" will also host a session. This includes director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi.

The festival will close with a preview of Iris Zaki’s film "What Was She Thinking?" Zaki leads the master’s degree program at the school. The film explores the choice to not have children in Israeli society. The closing event will also honor editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award winner. The tribute will show four films she edited and include a master class with Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg.

Several Sapir graduates will present new work. Efrat Corem will screen "Heart of Gold," starring Chen Amsalem, Menashe Noy, and Israel Atias. Shir Houri Abu will show the documentary "100 Gates." Tal Avitan will present "Carlos Outside the Lines," a film about a children’s soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. Eight winning films from previous festivals will also be screened.

Regional programming includes "Sketches of the Soul," a collection of five shorts by western Negev filmmakers. The films address life after October 7. The festival will also premiere Sami Shalom Chetrit’s "My Beloved Gourama," which follows 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 launch Negba, a new incubator for young filmmakers from the south.