Sderot Film Festival Opens 25th Anniversary With New Incubator

The Sderot Cinematheque will host the 25th edition of the Cinema of the South Festival from November 1 to 5. The five-day event offers audiences access to new television series, international films, and direct interactions with the creators behind the work. Local residents in the western Negev will see a specific focus on storytelling that reflects life in the region three years after the October 7 attacks.

The festival was established by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College. The opening evening on November 1 will feature Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir. They will discuss their Netflix series Bros on stage. The event will also screen the world premiere of the first two episodes of the show's second season. The series follows two childhood friends and Beitar Jerusalem fans who operate a pub in the city.

Several pre-broadcast screenings are scheduled during the festival. One session will show Motherland, a comedy-drama produced by KAN. The cast includes Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. Another screening will feature Whose Daughter Are You?, a documentary series directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo. The series focuses on Mizrahi women in Israel. The team behind the KAN series The Pshute will also appear, including director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi.

Swiss director Thomas Imbach will present two films and lead a master class in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy. The program also includes Sketches of the Soul, a collection of five short films by western Negev filmmakers. These works examine daily life in the period following the October 7 massacres. Sami Shalom Chetrit will premiere My Beloved Gourama, a film that follows his father's life in Morocco and Israel.

Graduates from Sapir Academic College will present their new projects. 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, a filmmaker based in Sderot, will present Carlos Outside the Lines. This short film profiles a children's soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. The festival will also screen eight winning entries from previous years.

The event will conclude with a preview of What Was She Thinking?, directed by Iris Zaki. Zaki heads the master's degree program at the college. The film explores the choice not to have children within Israeli society. The closing program will also honor editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award recipient. The tribute will include four films she edited and a master class. Filmmakers Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg are scheduled to participate in the closing sessions.

The festival will launch Negba, a new incubator designed for young filmmakers from the south. This initiative aims to provide support for the next generation of creators in the region. All screenings and events are part of the anniversary programming organized by the academic institution.