Sderot Festival Adds New Funding Stream for Southern Filmmakers

Filmmakers in Sderot and the western Negev gain a new support mechanism starting November 1. The closing ceremony of the 25th Cinema of the South Festival will launch Negba, an incubator designed for young creators from the southern region. The program aims to provide structured development opportunities for local talent.

Sapir Academic College’s School of Audio and Visual Arts founded the festival. The event operates at the Sderot Cinematheque and includes television premieres, international screenings, and industry meetings. This year’s schedule emphasizes work produced in the three years following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks. The curriculum also includes master classes and competition entries.

The opening night on November 1 centers on the Netflix series "Bros." Creators Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir will discuss the show on stage. The event includes 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 while facing personal crises.

Advance screenings feature several KAN productions. Audiences will see "Motherland," a comedy-drama by Yael Hedaya starring Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. The lineup also includes "Whose Daughter Are You?" and "The Pshute." Directors Efrat Shalom Danon, Keren Shayo, and Dan Messer will attend their respective sessions. Producers Osnat Trabelsi and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi will participate in the program.

Returning Sapir graduates will showcase new projects. Efrat Corem presents "Heart of Gold," while Shir Houri Abu shows the documentary "100 Gates." Sderot resident Tal Avitan screens "Carlos Outside the Lines," a film about a children's soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. The schedule also includes eight winning films from previous festival editions.

Regional programming includes "Sketches of the Soul," a collection of five short films by western Negev directors. These works examine daily life after October 7. Sami Shalom Chetrit will premiere "My Beloved Gourama," which documents 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 festival concludes with a preview of Iris Zaki's film "What Was She Thinking?" Zaki heads the school's master's degree program. The closing event honors editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award winner, with four of her edited films, a master class, and meetings with directors Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg.