Sapir College Launches Negba Incubator at Sderot Film Festival

The Cinema of the South Festival opens its 25th edition at the Sderot Cinematheque on November 1. The five-day event runs through November 5 and includes a new industry incubator called Negba. The program also features television premieres, international films, and master classes.

Sapir Academic College founded the festival through its School of Audio and Visual Arts. This year's lineup focuses on creators from Sderot and the western Negev. Several works examine life in the region during the three years following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks.

The opening evening centers on Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir, who discuss their Netflix series "Bros." The show follows two Beitar Jerusalem fans running a pub together. The event marks 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?" The KAN documentary series examines the lives of Mizrahi women and is directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo.

Sapir graduates return to screen new projects. Efrat Corem presents "Heart of Gold," while Tal Avitan shows "Carlos Outside the Lines" in Sderot. The latter film focuses on a soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. Regional programming includes "Sketches of the Soul," a collection of five short films made by western Negev filmmakers after October 7.

The festival concludes with a preview of Iris Zaki's film "What Was She Thinking?" Zaki leads the school's master's degree program. The screening honors editor Nili Feller, a two-time Ophir Award winner, through a tribute featuring four of her works. Swiss director Thomas Imbach will lead a master class in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy.

The closing ceremony launches the Negba incubator for young filmmakers from the south. Sami Shalom Chetrit will also premiere "My Beloved Gourama," which documents his father's life in Morocco and Israel. Additional details are available on the Sapir Academic College website.