ALL LABS' NEWS

The 13th Edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab is open for submissions!
For over a decade the JSFL has supported the development of groundbreaking feature films from Israel and the world.
If you are in the early stages of writing your first or second screenplay for a feature, we invite you to join our creative community.
Submissions are open until JUNE 19, 2024!

*Israeli projects can be submitted through the open call. International projects can be submitted by Invitation only

Good news for the film "Windless", by Pavel G. Vesnakov, which was developed in our 9th edition: It's world premiere is set for the upcoming Karlovy Vary festival, taking place at the end of June in Czech Republic.
Additionally, after this happy notification, it has been announced the film was picked up by the sales company Alpha Violet for international sales.
Good luck!

Photo credit: Red Carpet

Big congratulations to our Lab graduate Tom Nesher whose film “Come Closer”, which was developed at the 9th edition of the JSFL, won the Viewpoints Award after a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The jury stated: “From alien abductions, to a ski team in Afghanistan, to a young man investigating the murder of his father, the diverse films of the Viewpoint category inspired all of us to think and feel deeply. However, when choosing a winner, our decision was unanimous. This film pulled us all in from the first few frames and we felt that we were in skillful hands as it is fiercely executed and superbly performed.”

Congratulations!

Good luck to the eight Israeli projects who are embarking on their journey to develop their scripts in the third edition of the Series Lab! Aleeza Chanowitz; Boaz Frankel; Tomer Shushan; Adi Adwan; Bar Cohen and Tohar Sherman-Friedman; Aurit Zamir and Shiri Nevo Fridental; Marc Grey and Nitai Gat; and Rita Borodiyanski.

Out of 100 submissions these eight projects were selected to take part in the Series Lab and to work on the development of their series in the local and international market under the guidance of leading industry professionals including Noah Stollman; Keren Margalit; Ossi Nishri; Gal Zaid as well as former HBO drama head David Levine and producer Joe Peracchio.

The Lab is generously supported by production company New Mandate Films, producer Gideon Tadmor, The Jerusalem Municipality and The Sam Spiegel Estate

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.