Since its launch in 2011, The Sam Spiegel International Film Lab has been a leading force in the development of groundbreaking feature films by some of the world’s most promising talents.

Each year the Lab selects 12 international writers/directors who are at advanced stages of writing their first/second narrative feature film. The participants are invited to Jerusalem for two working sessions and an additional session via zoom, over a seven-to-eight-month period.

The selected projects undergo an in-depth process with one of our acclaimed script editors. At the last session they present to an audience (after a short pitch training, courtesy of the Shuster Polakoff Foundation) of jury members and decision makers, highly esteemed film professionals, at a celebratory communal event in Jerusalem. The jury awards production prizes totaling $50,000- $70,000, generously donated by the Beracha Foundation. The Lab reserves the right to change the amount of the prizes.

The Sam Spiegel International Film Lab supports bold storytellers, who look deeply into the human experience in search for their unique truth.

The projects speak for themselves.

ABOUT THE FILM LAB

The Sam Spiegel International Film Lab supplies filmmakers with creative oxygen- time, mentorship, and deadlines.

It consists of three main sessions:

OUR METHOD

The Lab participants are invited to Jerusalem for one 4-6 day writing session which usually takes place in March or April. During these days, the Lab's devoted script editors continue the in-depth process with the filmmakers. In addition, usually, masterclasses with creative filmmakers are held, tours in Jerusalem are taken, and additional varied activities.

Between the sessions, filmmakers meet the script editors online, to continue the work in progress. As the third session nears, the developed scripts are submitted for the jury's reading. At this point the producers and filmmakers are required to create a short scene which best reflects the artistic intent and vision of the film-to-be. Before the final session, the filmmakers receive a short pitching training.

The final 3-5 day session takes place in July and is where the projects meet the world! At the pitching event, filmmaker and producer teams present their projects and scenes to the prestigious jury members, as well as to an audience of relevant decision makers and industry professionals from the international film circuit.

A full day of one-on-one meetings creates opportunities for the projects' producers to meet potential partners- co-producers, sales and distribution companies, funders and commissioners- and solidify their production packages.

Based on the full script and the artistic vision, the jury awards production prizes totaling $50,000-$70,000, generously donated by the Beracha Foundation. *Prize amounts are subject to change.

An online 4-6 day writing session which usually takes place in December or January. During these days, the Lab's devoted script editors lead an in-depth process with the filmmakers, listen to each project, defining its needs: Searching for its heartbeat, the pulse of the story, mining for the characters' emotional truth. Asking difficult questions that need to be faced to make each script the best it can be. Each participant has his/her own mentor during all the session. The participants also meet various inspirational filmmakers and professionals, online. In addition, usually, masterclasses with creative filmmakers are held, tours in Jerusalem are taken, and additional varied activities.

ABOUT THE FILM LAB

OUR METHOD

MENTORS

DECISION MAKERS

JURY

PARTICIPANTS AND PROJECTS

LAB FILMS