Negev Film Fund
The Negev Film Fund is a new initiative of the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund and the Negev College as part of the Ministry of Culture’s 2019 funding, which has recognized a new area of support – support for institutions that assist in the production of films that take place mainly in areas outside of Central Israel in the geographical and socio-economic periphery.
At the basis of this initiative is a concept that sees the importance of developing a cultural and professional dialogue between the filmmakers living in the Negev and the extensive Israeli film industry. The purpose of the fund is to encourage artists living in the southern region to film works that tell the southern story through local eyes and to bring it to the center of Israeli film and television prime time.
The Negev Film Fund, accompanied by the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund, addresses the need to strengthen and establish activities in a terror-stricken area, promotes partnership with other resources in the area, and leads to the establishment of business ventures and options such as Post Studios, Sound Studios, and Animation Studios. This is in addition to encouraging artists from the area as well as artists from the center to establish their place of residence and activity in the south.
The Fund's work plan:
The work plan includes, among other things, an emphasis on operating initiatives: to further establish the infrastructure for the existence of the local industry, including technical means for production and editing | Strengthening operations to integrate filmmakers from the region into the national industry | Locating and promoting filmmakers from the Bedouin sector and films that deal with their lives and creating a new culture in the sector | Promoting young artists, college graduates and those living in the south of the country in order to encourage the artists to live and work in the area while creating opportunities and employment in the south | Promoting films that reflect and draw inspiration from the area | Networking activities to promote a social network of filmmakers and teams from the region | And actions to integrate the community into dedicated film events.
Objectives and areas of activity of the program:
The establishment of local industry – the cooperation with the Sderot Municipality and the Sha’ar Hanegev Council, leads to the establishment of an infrastructure that will provide production services, advanced cinematography, and editing studios. The Negev Film Fund will complete the system and enable the establishment of an extensive and branched local industry whose contribution to the region will be phenomenal.
Meetings for the local industry – holding meetings between filmmakers living in the area with members of the national film industry, combined with lectures and workshops.
Publication of submission dates open to all – Kol Kora tenders for all filmmakers in Israel to submit proposals in the various fields in accordance with the goals and rules of the Southern Film Initiative, in all genres.
Operating incubators for filmmakers at the beginning of their career from the region, which includes development grants, accompaniment by script editors, a workshop, and a pitching event for the selection of winners of production grants.
Creating a network that includes a database of filmmakers and production teams living in the area and an Internet platform for collaborations and the integration of local personnel in the development and production teams, of productions in the area and for filmmakers from the center to film in the area.
A development and production workshop in the field of animation in accordance with the model developed in the area, the participants in the workshop will deal with social issues to create a collection of short films.
Nomadic Cinema – A hotbed for Bedouin filmmakers from the area, to create a collection of short documentaries. The films will present diverse perspectives through stories and characters close to the world of the filmmakers . In collaboration with Southern Cinema Village.
Workshops for training lecturers and script editors for filmmakers living in the south – in order to enrich the database of lecturers and script editors for filmmakers from the region.
Publication of submission dates for all filmmakers in Israel – for films that meet the criteria for regional production.
International professional workshops – leveraging the Southern Development Studio, initiated by the Negev College in collaboration with Produire au Sud in France, a prestigious international project to promote feature films to the center of the European arena and recruit additional partners such as CNC.
Regional preparation, including the creation of a database that includes potential filming sites, accommodation and catering options, access routes and local staff, and their publication on relevant websites.
Screening of an Israeli film + meeting and dialogue with the audience – Arranging Israeli film screening events for the residents of the area, accompanied by a meeting with the filmmakers /actors /lectures combined with a dialogue with the audience.
Kolnoana – Implementation of the “Kolnoana” project to promote screening events in remote localities, including Bedouin localities in the area, and to encourage residents to watch Israeli cinema.
A joint film project for the Pinchas Sapir College of the Negev
And the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund
With the support of the Film Council and the Ministry of Culture.