ALL LABS' NEWS

The final pitching event of the 14th edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab was held as part of the international networking events at The Venice Production Bridge.
10 projects were pitched in front of an international jury including Sarah Duve-Schmid – CEO Film Funding and Corporate Representative, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Christian J. Vesper - Film and Television Executive and Gabor Greiner - Head of Acquisitions, Films Boutique, who awarded prizes in the amount of $70,000.

The Sam Spiegel International Film Lab $50,000 Grand Prize, donated by the Beracha Foundation was awarded to Leaving Gur by Brachi Haisherik. Producer - Tammy Cohen.
The jury statement read: “A bold and unexpected vision of sexuality and intimacy, this film explores curiosity, the desire to break free, and the strength it takes to defy a community's expectations and follow one’s own path. Set in a world unknown to us, it's a love story that feels both strange and deeply human”.

The Sam Spiegel International Film Lab Emerging Filmmaker Award in the amount of $20,000 was granted to Horse Parade by Luciana Vieira (Director) and Gabriela Matarazzo (Writer), Producer- Claudia Chakmati.
The jury statement read: “A fresh coming-of-age story set in a world rarely seen through a female gaze. The film enters a distinctly masculine universe and turns it on its head through the eyes of a young woman finding her voice, power, and place within it.”

A Special Recognition to a tough, warm and funny project that explores the definition of family and commitment was presented to the "Don't Forget Flora" by Yotam Knispel, produced by Harel Ben Melech.

Dana Blankstein Cohen, executive director of the Sam Spiegel Film and Television Institute: “We are deeply grateful to the Venice Film Festival for hosting the Lab’s culmination event. At Sam Spiegel, we believe that in times of war and division, we must not remain on the sidelines, but act: protect artistic freedom, and ensure cinematic voices are heard. This year’s Film Lab reminds us of cinema’s power to make indifference more difficult. Peace cannot simply be waited for — we must seek it and pursue it. Our thanks to the Beracha Foundation, the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation, and the Sam Spiegel family for their trust and continued support and to Mor Eldar, Lab director.”

Mor Eldar, Director of the Sam Spiegel Labs adds: "After around 10 months of development, 10 projects from our Film Lab are set to connect with the global film industry at one of the world's top three film festivals. I am immensely proud of our participating filmmakers and certain that their hard work will yield great success, following in the footsteps of our past alumni who continue to excel year after year."

Two awards for "Children of the Monkey" in the Orizzonti Competition at the Venice Film Festival!
The film, developed at the 11th edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab, won Best Screenplay for Tommaso Landucci & Damiano Femfert, alumnus of the Lab, as well as the Best Male Performance award to it's lead, Riccardo Scamarcio.
Congratulations to the filmmakers and the entire team on this remarkable achievement.

Photo by: Reuters

10 Israeli Academy Awards were awarded for the film "Tell Me Everything", including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. The film, developed in the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab's 7th edition, will represent Israel in the competition for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
Congratulations to filmmaker Moshe Rosenthal and the whole cast & crew!

*English follows

ההרשמה למחזור ה-15 של חממת סם שפיגל לקולנוע בינלאומי נפתחה רשמית!
יוצרים.ות שנמצאים.ות בתהליך כתיבת תסריט לסרט הראשון או השני שלהם.ן (עלילתי באורך מלא) – זה הרגע שלכם.ן.
אנחנו מזמינים.ות אתכם.ן לעבור תהליך פיתוח עמוק, מדויק ומקצועי, ולהצטרף לקהילה יצירתית ובינלאומית מעוררת השראה.
כבר מעל עשור שחממת סם שפיגל מפתחת סרטי קולנוע פורצי דרך מהארץ ומהעולם, שרבים מהם מגיעים לפסטיבלים המובילים והנחשבים ביותר בעולם. הסרט הבא יכול להיות שלכם.ן.

תאריכי הגשה: 27.7.26 עד 24.8.26
לפרטים נוספים והגשה:
https://labs.jsfs.co.il/filmapplication

For over a decade, the JSFL has developed groundbreaking feature films from Israel and across the globe, sending many of them to the world's leading film festivals.
If you are in the early/mid-stages of writing your first or second screenplay for a feature-length film, we invite you to take a deep professional dive, develop your script with top-tier mentors, and join our vibrant international creative community.
Submission Dates: July 27 – August 24, 2026
Apply now & find more info here: https://labs.jsfs.co.il/filmapplication

Moshe Rosenthal's “Tell Me Everything”, developed in the 7th edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab, leads this year's Israeli Academy Awards with an all-time record of 16 nominations!

From its earliest development stages, we knew this was an exceptional project. Following its selection as the opening film of the Jerusalem Film Festival, “Tell Me Everything” is now nominated in all the leading categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

The Israeli Academy Awards are Israel's highest honors in cinema, and the winner of the Best Film award will represent Israel in the competition for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

Congratulations to the entire team, and best of luck!

We are proud and happy to announce that "Children of the Monkey" by Tommaso Landucci and Damiano Femfert, graduates of our 11th edition, will take part in the Orizzonti competition at the upcoming prestigious Venice Film Festival.
Congratulations to Tommaso and Damiano on this wonderful achievement.

Congratulations to Alex Camilleri, for winning the Best Screenplay Award in the international competition of the Tribeca Film Festival with his film "Zejtune", developed at the 10th edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab.

After it's successful world premiere in Sundance Film Festival, "Tell Me Everything" by Moshe Rosenthal was announced as the opening film for the Jerusalem Film Festival 2026, with a festive screening at the iconic Sultan's Pool.
The film, developed in our 7th edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab, takes place in the 1980s, as pop music soars and AIDS spreads, and tells the story of 12-year-old Boaz who discovers a shattering truth about his beloved father. The film was produced by Green Productions and United King Films.

חממת הסדרות של סם שפיגל פתוחה להגשות!

חממת סם שפיגל לסדרות נועדה ליוצרים.ות ישראלים.ות אשר עושים.ות את צעדיהם.ן הראשונים בעולם הטלוויזיה הישראלי והבינלאומי. החממה מחפשת צוותים של מפיקים.ות ותסריטאים.ות אשר מפתחים.ות סדרות או מיני-סדרות עלילתיות מבטיחות, בכל ז׳אנר, המיועד לקהל בוגר.

הקול הקורא למחזור 5 של חממת הסדרות ייפתח להגשות ב-7 ביוני, 2026.
דדליין להגשות: ה-7 ביולי, 2026 (בשעה 14:00 שעון ישראל)

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The Sam Spiegel Series Lab is open to submissions!

The Series Lab is open to outstanding Israeli creators making their initial steps in the world of Israeli and international TV. The Lab is seeking teams of producers and writers who are developing a promising scripted project- either series or limited series, in any genre intended for an adult audience.

Call for entries for the Series Lab's 5th Edition will be open for applications from June 7, 2026.
Deadline for submissions: July 7, 2026 (at 14:00 Israel Time

Congratulations to Myrsini Aristidou from Cyprus, participant of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab's 9th Edition, that won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival 2026, as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. What a great way to start the film's journey around the world!

Congratulations to Alex Camilleri, writer and director of the film "Zejtune" (that won the first prize at the Sam Spiegel Film Lab's 10th Edition), that will hold it's world premiere at the Göteborg Film Festival 2026. Good luck to Alex and the team!

The 1st Session of Sam Spiegel International Film Lab's 14th Edition concluded last week in Jerusalem - after an intensive week filled with workshops, masterclasses, tours, dinners and of course - personal working and writing time for each participant with his mentor, on their feature film project.
10 projects from all around the world (Brazil, Austria, Germany, Hungary and Israel) arrived at the Scots House Hotel in Jerusalem, for an exciting week of work alongside their mentors Clare Downs (UK), Jacques Akchoti (France), Thomas Hailer (Germany) and Sari Turgeman (Israel).
During the week, the filmmakers went through an A.I. workshop led by Omri Marcus, a walking tour in the Old City of Jerusalem guided by filmmaker Benjamin Freidenberg, and a masterclass with award-winning screenwriter and director Michel Franco.

The participants of the 14th edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab leave Jerusalem with notebooks full and a creative spirit that continues with them beyond this moment.

We thank everyone who made this week possible: The Beracha Foundation, Edmond de Rothschild Foundation, Shuster Polakoff Foundation, The Sam Spiegel Estate, Ministry of Culture and Sport, Embassy of Hungary Tel Aviv, Institut Français Israel, Embassy of France in Israel, FFA – German Federal Film Fund, Austrian Film Institute, State of Israel – Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
See you at the next session.