ALL LABS' NEWS

Congratulations to JSFL graduate Maya Dreifuss and her feature “Highway 65”, which won the Grand Prize at the Reims Film Festival in France! Maya developed her feature at the 6 edition of the lab, and won the second prize. Good Luck Maya!
Photo: Pierre Oberkampf

Alumni Sacha Amaral and his film "The Pleasure is all Mine" from Brazil, which was developed in the 8th edition of the Sam Spiegel Film Lab, will premiere in the Argentinian Film Festival - BAFICI. We are happy and thrilled for Sacha and his upcoming premiere. Good luck!

It was an amazing week, at the second session of the 12th edition of the International Film Lab. We had it all- intense personal work with our wonderful mentors; inspiring masterclasses with the best professionals, and peers input that made us all closer - even though we had to be apart, due to the circumstances.
We are confident that the scripts are a glimpse away from their final version, that will meet the world soon.
We pray for peace and having all our teams in Jerusalem with us in July.
We want to thank all our partners who believe in us: Beracha Foundation, The Edmond de Rothschild Foundation, Sam Spiegel Foundation, Israel Film Fund, Carol Polakoff, Maccabi Beer, Barkan Winery

As part of the 2nd session of the Sam Spiegel Film Lab's 12th Edition, we were privileged to host a masterclass with Academy Award winner, writer and director Guy Nattiv to talk about his short film “Skin” that won the Oscar, his feature “Skin” and the process of writing and directing. His generous spirit and unique and inspirational insights were invaluable to all of our participants. Thank you Guy!

$22,000 Development Award was given by the Sam Spiegel Series Lab at the Series Mania Forum to That Hole by Orit Fouks Rotem; Adi Goral; Batya Deil and Miri Milstein, produced by Maya Fisher for Green Productions.
The jury, consisting of Anaïs de Neergaard, VP international sales BETA; Brigitte Dithard Commissioning editor SWR; and Manon Comas, Scouting & Fiction Format Acquisition Manager, Mediawan awarded That Hole the Development Prize stating: “the jury loved the original concept of a hotline in an Orthodox community serving as a vehicle of women awakening and empowering. A story about a conflict in a community, while the protagonist chooses to stay in it, despite the existential questions she confronts. We loved the respectful and compassionate attitude and the efficient and immersive pitch.”
Thanks to all of our partners who made this possible:
New Mandate Films,
United King Films, the Jerusalem Film and
Television Fund, and the Jerusalem Municipality

It’s finally happening - The Pitching Event for Sam Spiegel Series Lab, Edition 2!
After months of hard work with our dedicated mentors, seven teams will pitch their series in front of an international industry crowd, as part of the Series Mania Forum at Lille, France.
With professional pitch-decks and solid pitch-training - they are ready to meet the world!
Good Luck to all:
Orit Fouks Rotem & Adi Goral, "That Hole"
Nur Fibak & Mae Palty, "Oasis"
Shira Porat, "Moods"
Hila Elena Royzenman, "The Plasticians"
Rotem Kapelinsky, "The Subject"
Rachel Elitzur, "The Sterns"
Chen Shumowitz, "The Parasite"

Submissions are now open!
The third edition of the Sam Spiegel Series Lab is looking for the next projects - so get ready with your submissions.
The Series Lab offers an intensive development process with personal mentoring by leading industry professionals from Israel and the world. Participants will learn how to build a pitch-deck under the guidance of professional designers and will prepare a verbal pitch for exposure to the international industry.
Looking forward to reading your submissions!
Project submission is open from March 3rd to March 20th at 13:00.
For more information and to submit: https://labs.jsfs.co.il/seriesapplication
(Please note project material must be submitted in Hebrew)

The second edition of the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Series Lab, which took off in June 2023, will culminate at Series Mania Forum, in March 2024 in a pitching event which will introduce the international television market to up-and-coming new Israeli storytellers.

Seven Israeli projects will finish the program this year at the pitching event moderated by AC Coppens. Among them are Israeli Academy winners Orit Fouks Rotem, who directed Israel’s entry for best international feature at the Academy Awards Cinema Sabaya and Nur Fibak who won best short documentary- A Minor Crime; successful Israeli screenwriter and actor Rotem Kaplinski whose first feature film was a commercial hit in Israel, and more.

The Sam Spiegel Series Lab is a creative bridge between Israeli talent in the field of scripted series, and the international TV industry, assisting in voicing the diverse and unique stories of our region through project development, with leading editors. An initiative of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, one of the top 15 best schools in the world according to the Hollywood Reporter, the Series Lab is a sister to the International Film Lab that is now in its 12th edition.

"We are delighted to welcome the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Series Lab for the first time as part of the Creative Bazaar, our talent incubator organized prior to the Series Mania Forum," said Laurence Herszberg, General Director of Series Mania. "Since its inception, Series Mania has always highlighted Israeli talent by regularly inviting Israeli shows, actors and actresses and representatives of the Israeli TV industry. This year, seven producer-writer duos - selected by the Series Lab which is an initiative of The Sam Spiegel Film and TV School, one of the best film and television schools in the world - will have the opportunity to present and promote their projects to the international series community. The Festival's commitment to Israeli creativity will be further demonstrated with this new opportunity.”

Dana Blankstein Cohen, the executive director of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School said “We are delighted to partner with the leading series festival in the world and recognize the importance of having our unique stories reach an audience in these challenging times for our region. It is crucial, more than ever, to allow freedom of speech and support the role of creative people. These seven projects represent our steadfast commitment to ensure creative responsibility and encourage a diversity of voices to be heard.”

The Lab is supported by film and TV production company New Mandate Films, Israeli entertainment content enterprise United King Films, the Jerusalem Film and Television Fund, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Foreign Affairs office.

Big congratulations to Hajni Kis and producer Julia Berkes, who just won the Kino Arte Award at the Berlinale CoProduction Market!
They were chosen out of 18 candidates. "Ich Bin Marika" is a Hungarian project from the 11th edition of the Film Lab - and part of our JSFL family!
Wishing them the best of luck as they continue on their journey.

Great news! Two Sundance prizes went to our 9th edition alumni Shuchi Talati, for her film "Girls Will Be Girls". The film won the Audience Award for World Cinema Dramatic Competition, and actress Preeti Panigrahi won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting. We are very excited and happy with Shuchi.

We are happy and proud that two alumni from our latest 11th edition of the Film Lab, will take part in the Berlinale Co-Production Market.
Congratulations to Hajni Kis with "Ich Bin Marika" and Jerry Carlsson with ״Burnings״.

"Ich Bin Marika" tells the story of Marika, a cashier in a Budapest supermarket. One day, her long-lost love, Jani re-appears in her life. He takes on a highway construction job in Germany, but causes a mass accident and is imprisoned. Marika decides to do what she can to get him out. In order to pay a lawyer, she goes to work for an elderly couple in Germany.

"Burnings" tells the story of a lonely teenager who tries to hide his attraction towards other guys, but when he finds a portal in the basement that can make him change his appearance, a whole new world opens up that makes him question who he wants to be.

“Girls Will Be Girls” by Shuchi Talati, developed in the 9th edition of the Film Lab (2021), is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival international dramatic competition. The Indo-French co-production, brought to us by Initiative Film, has it all “complicated relationships, weird sex dynamics, uncomfortable humor”, as Shuchi says. We are really proud!