Sderot Film Festival Unveils Negba Incubator at 25th Anniversary

25 years of programming will converge at the Sderot Cinematheque from November 1 to 5. The Cinema of the South Festival, founded by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College, launches its quarter-century milestone with a schedule packed with premieres, competitions, and master classes.

The event traces a lineage from its academic roots to a current focus on local voices. This year's lineup spotlights filmmakers from Sderot and the western Negev. Many of these creators examine life in the three years since the October 7 Hamas-led massacres in Israel. The program balances regional documentaries with international and Israeli feature films.

The opening evening features a discussion with Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir regarding their Netflix series, "Bros." The show follows two childhood friends and Beitar Jerusalem fans who run a pub together while navigating personal crises. Following the conversation, the festival will host the world premiere of the first two episodes of the series' second season.

Advance screenings include "Motherland," a KAN comedy-drama directed by Yael Hedaya. The cast includes Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. Audiences will also watch "Whose Daughter Are You?" a KAN documentary series directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo. The series explores the lives of Mizrahi women in Israel and is produced by Osnat Trabelsi. A separate session will bring together the team behind the KAN series "The Pshute," including director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi.

Returning Sapir graduates will present new works. Efrat Corem brings "Heart of Gold," starring Chen Amsalem, Menashe Noy, and Israel Atias. Shir Houri Abu presents the documentary "100 Gates." Tal Avitan, a Sderot filmmaker, shows "Carlos Outside the Lines," which profiles a children's soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. The program also includes eight winning films from previous editions of the festival.

Regional programming features "Sketches of the Soul," a collection of five shorts by western Negev filmmakers about life after October 7. The festival will also screen the premiere of Sami Shalom Chetrit's "My Beloved Gourama," which follows his father's life in Morocco and Israel. Swiss director Thomas Imbach, in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy, will present two films and lead a master class.

The closing event on November 5 previews Iris Zaki's "What Was She Thinking?" The film addresses the choice not to have children in Israeli society. Zaki heads the school's master's degree program. The screening pays tribute to editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award winner, featuring four films she edited and a master class. Filmmakers Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg will also participate in meetings. The ceremony will formally launch Negba, a new incubator for young filmmakers from the south.