Sderot Film Festival Opens 25th Edition With Five Days of Screenings

The Sderot Cinematheque will host the 25th edition of the Cinema of the South Festival from November 1 to 5. The event marks a quarter-century of programming focused on regional cinema and emerging talent.

The festival was established by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College. This year's lineup emphasizes creators from Sderot and the western Negev. Several works address daily life in the three years following the October 7 Hamas-led massacres in Israel.

The opening evening features a discussion with Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir. They will talk about their Netflix series, "Bros." The audience will then see the world premiere of the first two episodes of the show's second season. The series follows two childhood friends and Beitar Jerusalem fans who run a pub together as their friendship faces new pressures.

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 view "Whose Daughter Are You?" This KAN documentary series, directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo, explores the experiences of Mizrahi women in Israel. Osnat Trabelsi produced the series.

The festival will also host the team behind the KAN series "The Pshute." Director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi will attend a session. Later in the schedule, viewers will see "Sketches of the Soul." This collection of five shorts by western Negev filmmakers depicts 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 present two films during the event. He will also lead a master class in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy. The festival includes a tribute to editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award winner. The tribute features four films she edited, a master class, and meetings with filmmakers including Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg.

Returning graduates from Sapir Academic College will screen new projects. Efrat Corem will show "Heart of Gold," starring Chen Amsalem, Menashe Noy, and Israel Atias. Shir Houri Abu will present the documentary "100 Gates." Tal Avitan, a Sderot filmmaker, will show "Carlos Outside the Lines," which follows a children's soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. Eight winning films from previous festival editions will also be screened.

The event closes with a preview of Iris Zaki's "What Was She Thinking?" Zaki heads the school's master's degree program. The film examines the choice not to have children within Israeli society. The closing ceremony will also launch Negba, a new incubator for young filmmakers from the south. More information is available on the festival's page on the Sapir Academic College website.