Sderot Cinematheque launches Negba incubator during 25th festival

The Sderot Cinematheque will launch Negba, a new incubator for young filmmakers in the south, during the closing ceremony of the 25th Cinema of the South Festival. The event takes place from November 1 to 5 at the Sderot Cinematheque. The program includes television premieres, international films, master classes, and musical performances.

The festival originated from the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College. For its anniversary edition, the organizers will spotlight creators from Sderot and the western Negev. The selection includes works that examine life in the three years following the October 7 Hamas-led massacres.

The opening evening begins with Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir discussing their Netflix series "Bros." They will be followed by 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 operate a pub in Jerusalem while navigating personal crises.

Advance screenings include "Motherland," a KAN comedy-drama directed by Yael Hedaya. The cast features Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. Audiences will also view "Whose Daughter Are You?," a KAN documentary series about Mizrahi women in Israel. That series is directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo and produced by Osnat Trabelsi. The team behind the KAN series "The Pshute" will also host a session. Director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi will attend.

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

Returning Sapir graduates will present new work during the event. Efrat Corem brings "Heart of Gold," which stars Chen Amsalem, Menashe Noy, and Israel Atias. Shir Houri Abu presents the documentary "100 Gates." Sderot filmmaker Tal Avitan shows "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.

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 "My Beloved Gourama" by Sami Shalom Chetrit, 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. More information is available on the festival's page on the Sapir Academic College website.