Sderot festival opens with new fund for local filmmakers

The Sderot Cinematheque hosts the 25th edition of the Cinema of the South Festival from Nov. 1 to 5. Organizers announced the launch of Negba, a new incubator designed to support emerging filmmakers from the region. The event marks a quarter century of programming dedicated to southern Israeli cinema.

The festival was established by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College. This year’s lineup emphasizes the perspectives of creators from Sderot and the western Negev. Many of these projects examine daily life in the three years following the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks.

The opening evening features a discussion with Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir, the creators of the Netflix series 'Bros.' The show follows two childhood friends and Beitar Jerusalem supporters who manage a pub together. Following the conversation, the festival will screen the world premiere of the first two episodes of the series’ second season.

Advance screenings include 'Motherland,' a comedy-drama by Yael Hedaya starring Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay and Alma Zack. Audiences will also view 'Whose Daughter Are You?,' a documentary series directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo about Mizrahi women in Israel. The team behind the KAN series 'The Pshute,' including director Dan Messer, will join a special session.

The festival closes with a preview of 'What Was She Thinking?' by Iris Zaki. The film explores the decision to remain childless in Israeli society. Zaki, who heads the school’s master’s degree program, will also host a tribute to editor Nili Feller. The tribute includes a master class and screenings of four films Feller edited.

Alumni of the Sapir college will present new works, including Efrat Corem’s 'Heart of Gold' and Tal Avitan’s 'Carlos Outside the Lines.' The regional block features 'Sketches of the Soul,' a collection of five short films about life after Oct. 7. Swiss director Thomas Imbach will also present two films and lead a master class in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy.