Sderot Film Festival Opens November 1 With New Regional Incubator

The Cinema of the South Festival begins its 25th edition on November 1 at the Sderot Cinematheque.

The event, organized by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College, runs until November 5. The program combines television premieres, international film screenings, and direct interactions with industry professionals.

This year's lineup emphasizes creators from Sderot and the western Negev. Many of these works address the daily reality in the region three years after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. The opening night will feature a discussion with Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir about their Netflix series "Bros." The event will also include the world premiere of the first two episodes of the show's second season. The series follows two childhood friends who run a pub in Jerusalem.

Advance screenings will include "Motherland," a comedy-drama directed by Yael Hedaya and starring Dana Ivgy. Audiences will also view "Whose Daughter Are You?", a documentary series by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo focusing on Mizrahi women. The team behind the series "The Pshute" will attend a session, with director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi present.

The festival concludes with a preview of "What Was She Thinking?" by Iris Zaki, a film exploring the decision to remain childless in Israeli society. Zaki directs the master's program at Sapir College. The closing ceremony will honor editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award winner, with screenings of four of her edited films and master classes with Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg.

Alumni of the college will screen new projects, including Efrat Corem's "Heart of Gold" and Shir Houri Abu's documentary "100 Gates." Sderot-based filmmaker Tal Avitan will present "Carlos Outside the Lines," which depicts a soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. Regional shorts will appear in a collection titled "Sketches of the Soul," examining life in the western Negev since the recent conflict. Sami Shalom Chetrit will also premiere his film "My Beloved Gourama," which traces his father's life in Morocco and Israel.

Swiss director Thomas Imbach will participate in a master class hosted by the Swiss Embassy. He will present two films during the event. The closing ceremony will officially launch Negba, an incubator designed to support young filmmakers from the southern region.