Sderot Film Festival Opens Nov. 1 With New Incubator for Southern Filmmakers

The Sderot Cinematheque will host the 25th edition of the Cinema of the South Festival from November 1 to 5. The event is organized by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College. It marks a quarter century of programming for the region.

The schedule includes television premieres, international films, and music events. Attendees will meet filmmakers and participate in competitions. The focus remains on creators from Sderot and the western Negev.

The opening evening features Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir. They will discuss their Netflix series "Bros." The show follows two childhood friends who run a pub in Jerusalem. The event includes the world premiere of the first two episodes of the second season.

Advance screenings cover several KAN productions. Yael Hedaya's comedy-drama "Motherland" stars Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. The documentary series "Whose Daughter Are You?" examines the lives of Mizrahi women. It is directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo. The team behind the series "The Pshute" will also appear. Director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi will join the audience.

The festival closes with a preview of Iris Zaki's film "What Was She Thinking?" The movie explores the choice not to have children in Israeli society. Zaki heads the school's master's degree program. The closing event honors editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award winner. It will feature four films she edited and a master class with Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg.

Graduates from Sapir College will present new work. Efrat Corem's film "Heart of Gold" stars Chen Amsalem, Menashe Noy, and Israel Atias. Shir Houri Abu will show the documentary "100 Gates." Sderot filmmaker Tal Avitan will present "Carlos Outside the Lines," a story about a soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. Eight winning films from previous years will also be screened.

Regional programs include "Sketches of the Soul," a collection of five shorts about life after October 7. Sami Shalom Chetrit will premiere "My Beloved Gourama," a film about his father's life in Morocco and Israel. Swiss director Thomas Imbach will lead a master class with the Swiss Embassy. The closing ceremony will launch Negba, a new incubator for young filmmakers from the south.