Sderot festival opens with new film fund

The Cinema of the South Festival will hold its 25th anniversary event at the Sderot Cinematheque from November 1 to 5. The program, organized by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College, includes television premieres, international films, and competitions. The festival will focus on creators from Sderot and the western Negev, many of whom are examining life in the three years following the October 7 Hamas-led massacres.

The festival was established by Sapir Academic College to promote regional cinema. This year’s schedule expands on that mission by integrating specific regional programming with broader Israeli and international titles. The event aims to document the evolving cultural output of the southern region while providing a platform for both established and emerging talent.

The opening evening on November 1 will feature Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir discussing their Netflix series, "Bros." The pair will be followed by the world premiere of the first two episodes of the show’s second season. The series depicts two childhood friends and Beitar Jerusalem fans who run a pub together while facing various crises that test their friendship.

Advance screenings will include "Motherland," a KAN comedy-drama directed by Yael Hedaya and starring Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. Audiences will also see "Whose Daughter Are You?," a KAN documentary series directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo. The festival will host the team behind the KAN series "The Pshute," including director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi.

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 premiere Sami Shalom Chetrit's "My Beloved Gourama," which follows 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 will close with a preview of Iris Zaki's "What Was She Thinking?," a film about choosing not to have children in Israeli society. Zaki heads the school's master's degree program. The closing ceremony will launch Negba, a new incubator for young filmmakers from the south. The event will also honor editor Nili Feller with a tribute featuring four films she edited and meetings with filmmakers including Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg.

Returning Sapir graduates will present new work during the festival. Efrat Corem will screen "Heart of Gold," while Shir Houri Abu presents the documentary "100 Gates." Sderot filmmaker Tal Avitan will show "Carlos Outside the Lines," a film about a children's soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. Eight winning films from previous festival editions will also be screened throughout the five-day event.