International Film Lab for the Development of Feature Films
The Sam Spiegel International Film Lab was launched in December 2011 by The Sam Spiegel Film & Television School, Jerusalem to foster the development and production of full-length feature films by some of the world’s most promising talents. The Lab is third in the world of its kind after Sundance Lab and Torino Film Lab.
In the 5 years since it opened, 75% of the Lab's developed films have been produced, an exceptional achievement. The films premiered at the most prestigious film festivals such as Cannes (Academy Award Winner "Son of Saul", "The Kindergarten Teacher", "Run", "Apprentice" and "One Week and a Day"; Berlin ("The Black Frost"); Venice ("Banat"); Sundance ("Imperial Dreams"); Tribeca ("We are Young, We are Strong"; "I Dream in Another Language"), San Sebastian ("Barash"; "A Taste of Ink") and have won numerous significant awards.
Each year, the Lab brings to Jerusalem 12 talented young director-writers who are at the advanced stages of writing their first or second full length feature film under the mentorship of three of the world’s top script editors.
The Lab also works to promote the production feasibility of the projects in a pitching event - an international platform to present the outstanding projects, developed in the Lab, to a select group of producers, sales agents, distributors and other professionals from all over the world (Decision Makers).
The Jury award two winning projects in production grants totaling $70,000.
The Lab is a cooperative venture of the school, The Beracha Foundation, The Jerusalem Film and Television Fund, Israel National Lottery Fund, the Sam Spiegel Foundation, the Jerusalem Foundation, the Israel Film Fund and the Israeli Ministry Foreign Affairs.
The Jury:
Chair – Hengameh Panahi, Distributor, Celluloid Dreams, France
Beki Probs, EFM, Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
Carlo Chatrian, Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland
Katriel Schory, Israel Film Fund, Israel
Laurent Hassid, Canal +, France
Vincenzo Bugno, Berlin International Film Festival World Cinema Fund, Germany
Cedomir Kollar, Producer, A.S.A.P, France
Two awards will be granted this year, donated by the Beracha Foundation
First Prize - $50,000 Production Grant
Second Prize - $20,000 Production Grant
The Selected Projects:
International:
Bulevardi Bill Clinton Gunhild Enger/// Mer Film (Norway)
Naked Sky Dea Kulumbegashvili /// Office of Film Architecture (Georgia)
Motel Acacia Bradley Liew /// Epicmedia Productions (Malaysia, Philippines)
Pirates Myriam Gharbi /// MPM (France)
The Hunter's Son Ricky Rijneke /// Rotterdam Films (The Netherlands)
Israel:
Highway 65 Maya Dreifuss /// 2-Team Productions
Pinhas Pini Tavger /// 2-Team Productions
TALITHAKUMI Hadar Morag /// MoviePlus Productions
The Woman Who Assassinated the Minister of Space and Tourism Noam Kaplan /// Gum Films
Program
The Sam Spiegel International Film Lab's 6th Annual Pitching Event
Friday, July 14 (Mishkenot Sha'ananim)
Moderator: Gabriele Brunnenmeyer
10:00-10:20 Greetings
10:20-13:00 Project Presentations – Part 1
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:30-16:00 Project Presentations – Part 2
*The event is opened to the public and will be in English
Saturday, July 15
10:00-15:00 Lab participant Speed Dating Session: producers, fund directors, sales agents, distributors (Mishkenot Sha'ananim)
19:00 Award Ceremony (St. Andrew's Scottish Guesthouse)
*The award ceremony is for invitees only
