Sapir College Unveils 25th Cinema of the South Festival in Sderot

Residents of Sderot and the western Negev will gain access to a new creative support network as the Cinema of the South Festival marks its 25th anniversary. The event runs from November 1 to 5 at the Sderot Cinematheque, a venue operated by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College. The program combines film screenings with practical workshops designed to assist local artists.

The festival was established by Sapir Academic College to promote visual media production in the region. This year's lineup places a specific focus on creators from Sderot and the western Negev. Several of the featured works examine daily life in the three years following the October 7 Hamas-led massacres in Israel.

Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir will open the festival to discuss 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 supporters who manage a pub in Jerusalem while navigating personal crises. Other advance screenings include "Motherland," a KAN comedy-drama directed by Yael Hedaya. The cast includes Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack.

The schedule also features "Whose Daughter Are You?," a KAN documentary series directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo. The series explores the experiences of Mizrahi women in Israel and is produced by Osnat Trabelsi. The team behind the KAN series "The Pshute" will also attend, including director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi.

The festival will conclude with a preview of "What Was She Thinking?" by Iris Zaki, who heads the school's master's degree program. The film addresses the decision to remain childless in Israeli society. The closing program will honor editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award winner, with a screening of four films she edited. Feller will participate in a master class alongside filmmakers Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg.

Returning graduates from Sapir Academic College will present new projects. Efrat Corem will show "Heart of Gold," while Shir Houri Abu presents the documentary "100 Gates." Sderot filmmaker Tal Avitan will screen "Carlos Outside the Lines," a story about a children's soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. Swiss director Thomas Imbach will present two films and lead a master class in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy. The closing ceremony will launch Negba, a new incubator for young filmmakers from the south.

Additional regional programming includes "Sketches of the Soul," a collection of five shorts by western Negev filmmakers. These works reflect on life after October 7. The festival will also host the premiere of Sami Shalom Chetrit's "My Beloved Gourama," which traces his father's life in Morocco and Israel. Eight winning films from previous festival editions will also be screened during the week.