Sapir College Debuts Negba Incubator for Five Southern Filmmakers

Sapir Academic College will launch Negba, a new incubator for young filmmakers from the south, during the closing ceremony of the Cinema of the South Festival. The program is scheduled to open on November 1 and will run through November 5 at the Sderot Cinematheque. The college's School of Audio and Visual Arts founded the festival in 2001, making this its 25th edition.

The 2026 program places a specific focus on creators from Sderot and the western Negev. Organizers selected works that examine life in the region during the three years following the October 7 Hamas-led massacres. This regional emphasis includes a collection of five short films titled "Sketches of the Soul." These pieces document daily life in the area post-conflict.

Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir will host the opening evening to discuss their Netflix series "Bros." The pair will share the stage before 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 together. Their friendship faces strain as a series of crises unfolds.

Advance screenings will feature several KAN productions. Audiences will see "Motherland," a comedy-drama directed by Yael Hedaya and starring Dana Ivgy, Sasson Gabay, and Alma Zack. The festival will also screen "Whose Daughter Are You?" This documentary series, directed by Efrat Shalom Danon and Keren Shayo, profiles Mizrahi women in Israel. The team behind the popular series "The Pshute" will also attend a session. Director Dan Messer and creators Bar Elmaliach Donzov, Chen Rotman, and Oshrit Sarusi will meet with attendees.

The festival will conclude with a preview of "What Was She Thinking?" by Iris Zaki. The film addresses the choice to remain childless within Israeli society. Zaki currently leads the college's master's degree program. The closing event will also honor editor Nili Feller. A two-time Ophir Award winner, Feller will be recognized with a screening of four films she edited and a master class. Filmmakers Ari Folman and Dani Rosenberg will participate in these meetings.

Graduates from Sapir Academic College will present 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," while Tal Avitan will screen "Carlos Outside the Lines." The latter follows a children's soccer coach in Kiryat Gat. Sami Shalom Chetrit will premiere "My Beloved Gourama," which explores 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.