Thicker Than Water Thicker Than Water Eléna Weiss Producer Verena Gräfe-Höft Lab Edition 14 , 2026 SCENE PITCH Production Junafilm Country Germany SYNOPSIS Fiona (14) and her brother Lenn (11) are on a family holiday when their parents suddenly separate. Their mother Thea tells Lenn in detail their father sexually assaulted her. Determined to protect Lenn, Fiona sets out to prove her mother is lying, but Lenn believes Thea, and their bond begins to fracture. When their parents reconcile and the toxic family dynamic closes in again, Fiona lets go of being Lenn’s protector. Only then can the siblings come back together, their bond stronger than ever. DIRECTOR'S NOTE "Thicker Than Water" is an autobiographical story and, at its heart, an ode to siblinghood. While it explores trauma being passed on to the next generation in a very direct way, its tone is shaped by the humor, tenderness, and resilience of Fiona and Lenn's relationship. Fiona must learn to let go of control, and truly listen to her brother, allowing their bond to become a powerful protection against childhood trauma. This is a story of two young survivors that offers hope and empowerment. LOG LINE During an all-inclusive holiday in Tenerife, the once unbreakable bond between 14-year-old Fiona and her younger brother Lenn is put to the test when they are confronted with a traumatic family secret. ABOUT THE FILMMAKER Eléna is a filmmaker with a BA in acting and MA in directing. Her short films "Flick a Cig" and "Of Kisses and Capes" screened at over 50 festivals worldwide and won several awards. She was selected for the stART.up scholarship for young artists and the ATELIER young talent programme by Filmfest Hamburg and Cannes Critics’ Week. Her series "Decibel" was part of Torino Series Lab 2025. She is currently developing her debut feature "Thicker Than Water" with Junafilm and the series "Holy Sh*t" with Letterbox. PRODUCER Verena Gräfe-Höft Junafilm is a highly awarded independent production company. Since its founding in 2009, Junafilm has been developing innovative stories that inspire international audiences and are the result of trusting collaboration with creative minds from around the world. Junafilm’s productions range from feature films & series to international co-productions. With their first feature, "Nothing Bad Can Happen" Junafilm was presented in Cannes (Un Certain Regard, 2013). The film won more than 20 awards and was successfully received at more than 100 festivals. As a former journalist & author, Verena Gräfe-Höft is intensively involved in the development and creative realization of all Junafilm projects. Verena is an EAVE, ACE and Inside Pictures alumna, and was selected by German Films in 2017 as ‘Producer on the Move’. For "Pelican Blood" she won the Producer Award at the 2019 Hamburg Film Festival. PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE ○ Junafilm ○ Behringstraße 16b, Hamburg ○ info@junafilm.de , verena@junafilm.de ○ +40-39906567 PRODUCTION BUDGET ○ Total budget: 3,000,000 USD ○ Confirmed budget and source: 60,000 USD (MOIN Filmfund Development Funding; Own Investment) LANGUAGE German, Spanish, English Drama GENRE Back To Participants HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB WHO'S WHO MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY SCOUTS AND PITCHING DECISION MAKERS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ

At the Edge of the World At the Edge of the World Amelia Nanni Producer Isabelle Truc Lab Edition 11 , 2023 SCENE PITCH Production IOTA PRODUCTION, Belgium Country Belgium, Italy SYNOPSIS Nine year old Axelle spends the summer separated from her mother. She is entrusted to her grandparents: the extravagant Paolina and the shy Natale, living in Stiappa. It is said that a curse strikes this tiny Toscan village: every summer one person must die. Axelle, with the help of a small group of children led by Ambra, will do her best to ward off the evil eye of her grandparents. Axelle and Ambra will have to face death for the first time. DIRECTOR'S NOTE My project here is to adopt a child's point-of-view to tell her first meeting with death. Death is a taboo in our Western societies. We count our dead but we don't know how to prepare mourning and how to deal with it. However, it is only by collectively assuming death that we can really live with it and, above all, take care of the living whatever their age. In this film, I wish to put death back at the heart of life. LOG LINE Axelle (9 years old) spends the summer with her grandparents in Italy. It is said that a curse strikes their village: every summer, one person must die. For the first time, she will face death. ABOUT THE FILMMAKER Franco-Italian and from the 3rd generation of immigrants, Amelia spent many holidays in Stiappa, a small, isolated village, where she saw her grandparents die. This village is increasingly depopulated, to the point where she knows more dead people than alive. The ruins multiply and urge her to make her first feature film in this place. Amelia is graduated from the University of Paris 7 in cinema, and also has a masters degree in directing from the INSAS (Brussels). PRODUCER Isabelle Truc Created in 2000 in Belgium by Isabelle Truc, Iota Production has produced around fifty documentary films. While maintaining a particular focus on this activity, the company has opened to fiction, animation, and TV series. Most recently, the documentary Hawar, Our Banished Children by Pascale Bourgaux had its world premiere at Visions du Reel 2023. We have also produced 11 shorts and a dozen fiction films, including Our Struggles by Guillaume Senez selected at the Critics' Week of Cannes in 2018 and Oleg by Juris Kursietis, as a co-production, selected at the Cannes Director’s fortnight, 2019. On the animation side, we have participated in the production of Tomm Moore's previous animated feature films, Brendan and the Secret of Kells and The Song of the Sea, nominated for Oscars and Cesars and awarded the prize for best European animated film in 2015. PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE Iota production, La hulpe (Belgium) contact email : contact@iotaproduction.com contact telephone number : +32 2 344 65 31 PRODUCTION BUDGET The production budget in USD : 2.245.820 USD confirmed budget in USD and source : 824.130 USD (Media development, Belgian Tax Shelter, Belgian cinema center (writing support, artistic development support, production development support). LANGUAGE French, Italian Coming of age GENRE Back To Participants HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB WHO'S WHO MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY SCOUTS AND PITCHING DECISION MAKERS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ

ALIYA ALIYA Dekel Berenson Producers Paul Wesley, Marek Rozenbaum, Alexander Rodnyansky Lab Edition 9 , 2021 SCENE PITCH Production Country Israel SYNOPSIS Aliya, an 18-year-old recent immigrant from Ukraine, finds meaning in her newly discovered Jewish identity and in feelings of patriotism towards her adopted country. Wanting to do her share, she had volunteered to join the Israeli army and now trains to become a drill instructor, where she learns how to turn just out of high-school teenagers into toughened IDF soldiers. Still new in the country and unfamiliar with the nuances of Israeli society, she struggles to fit in and finds herself increasingly isolated, particularly as she intends on being the best soldier in the course. After weeks of intense physical and psychological training at the desert base, her company receives seventy-two hours leave, and Aliya returns to her family in Tel Aviv. At home, Aliya is confronted by her mother, who is much less enthusiastic than her about the family's move to Israel, and especially with her daughter's decision to join the military. Determined to have fun, Aliya heads into the city for a night out but ends up being assaulted by her date. After a turbulent and unsettling weekend at home, Aliya must return to the military base but struggles to complete her course as she re-evaluates her values, beliefs, and place in Israeli society. DIRECTOR'S NOTE In many ways, Aliya is an autobiographical film. I left my home country of Israel at the age of 21, days after completing my mandatory three years of service in the Israeli Defense Forces. The reasons I left are complex, yet they primarily have to do with my disenchantment with many of the values and beliefs I was brought up with, both social and political. Inversely, Aliya, who discovered as a teenager that she was Jewish, immigrates to Israel with her family so she could join the military. In its heart, deeply personal, Aliya is a coming of age story, yet it is one that also encapsulates the narrative of an entire country, in which interpersonal relationships are a metaphor for violence between nations and people. A militarized country, one which is in a constant state of war, is inherently violent, not only towards its adversaries but towards its own people as well. Put simply, the violence one inflicts upon others always ends up being inflicted upon oneself. While taking place in Israel, Aliya is a universally important and timely film that touches on themes that concern all people, regardless of race, gender, or background. Moreover, it is a story that is personal to me, and a strong reflection of my values as they relate to nationalism, religion, hierarchies, authority, and power. These are themes that I’ve explored for almost two decades, since my days in Budapest studying towards a Master’s degree in International Relations. I hope that by turning these cerebral ideas into film, audiences all over the world will gain insight not only into the double-edged nature of violence in the Middle East as it manifests itself in the lives of Israelis, but in their personal lives as well, whoever they are, and wherever they may be LOG LINE Aliya, an 18-year-old immigrant from Ukraine, finds meaning in her recently discovered Jewish identity and patriotism towards her newly adopted country. Training to become a drill sergeant in the Israeli army, she finds it hard to go on with her life, and considers her role in society, and in training young men in the military. ABOUT THE FILMMAKER PRODUCERS Paul Wesley, Marek Rozenbaum, Alexander Rodnyansky Marek Rozenbaum holds a degree in Social work and Film from the Tel Aviv University. He has directed 2 films and produced over 40 feature films and international co-productions, among them award-winning films that have received worldwide recognition. Mr. Rozenbaum is the recipient of five Ophir Best Film Awards. He served as Chairman of Israel's Film and Television Producers Association and today is a Member of its Board as well as chairing the Israeli Academy of Film and Television for a decade PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE Transfax Film Productions was established in 1989 as an independent production company specializing in feature film production and co-production. The company has produced over 40 feature films and international co-productions -many winning international prizes including Keren Yedaya’s Or (Camera D’or)& That Lovely Girl, and A Strange Course of Events by Raphael Nadjari (Quinzaine des Realisateurs) and Our Father by Meni Yaish. Production Company Transfax, Tel Aviv, Israel mailto:marek@transfax.co.il +972 50 523 8766 PRODUCTION BUDGET Production Budget $1,400,000 LANGUAGE Hebrew, Russian Drama GENRE Back To Participants HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB WHO'S WHO MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY SCOUTS AND PITCHING DECISION MAKERS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ

We congratulate the Lab alumnus winning prizes at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2025: "Oxygen" by Netalie Braun (developed in the 9th edition of the Lab) - awarded Best Israeli Feature Film "Dead Language" by Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun (developed in the 4th edition of the Lab) - awarded Best Script "The Sea" by Shai Carmeli Pollak (developed in the 5th edition of the Lab) - awarded Special Mention and Best Ensemble Cast We congratulate the Lab alumnus winning prizes at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2025: "Oxygen" by Netalie Braun (developed in the 9th edition of the Lab) - awarded Best Israeli Feature Film "Dead Language" by Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun (developed in the 4th edition of the Lab) - awarded Best Script "The Sea" by Shai Carmeli Pollak (developed in the 5th edition of the Lab) - awarded Special Mention and Best Ensemble Cast Prizes for "Oxygen", "Dead Language" and "The Sea" at the Jerusalem Film Festival NEWS ITEM HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB SERIES LAB TEAM NEWS

Murina Murina Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic Producer Zdenka Gold Lab Edition 7 , 2018 SCENE PITCH Production Country United States / Croatia SYNOPSIS A teenage girl decides to replace her controlling father with his wealthy foreign friend during a weekend trip to the Adriatic Sea. DIRECTOR'S NOTE LOG LINE A teenage girl decides to replace her controlling father with his wealthy foreign friend during a weekend trip to the Adriatic Sea. ABOUT THE FILMMAKER PRODUCER Zdenka Gold PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE PRODUCTION BUDGET LANGUAGE GENRE Back To Participants HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB WHO'S WHO MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY SCOUTS AND PITCHING DECISION MAKERS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN for the next edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab! Submissions are open until August 4th at 16:00 CET If you have a first or second feature project qualifying the requirements for the Lab - we welcome you to apply for our next edition. For more information on the submission requirements and for the application form, please visit the application page: https://filmlab.jsfs.co.il/filmapplication SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN for the next edition of the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab! Submissions are open until August 4th at 16:00 CET If you have a first or second feature project qualifying the requirements for the Lab - we welcome you to apply for our next edition. For more information on the submission requirements and for the application form, please visit the application page: https://filmlab.jsfs.co.il/filmapplication Submissions are open for Sam Spiegel International Film Lab - Edition 14 NEWS ITEM HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB SERIES LAB TEAM NEWS

The $50,000 Sam Spiegel International Film Lab Grand Prize, generously donated by the Beracha Foundation, was awarded last night to Zejtune from writer-director Alex Camilleri and producers Rebecca Anastasi from Malta and Ramin Bahrani, USA. Semaine de la Critique artistic director, Ava Cahen, the head of this year’s jury presented the prize at a gala ceremony hosted by the French Consulate in Jerusalem. The jury decided to split the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab Emerging Filmmaker Award into two extraordinary projects: Elka’s Not a Shiksa | Aleeza Chanowitz and Red Gold | Mathieu Volpe. FACTORY 54 awarded the $8,000 Artistic Vision Award, to Ice and Cream writer-director: Oshri Zeituni From the Media: Screendaily: https://www.screendaily.com/features/artistic-director-elad-samorzik-on-reuniting-jerusalems-industry-strands-under-one-banner/5172818.article Deadline: https://deadline.com/2022/07/venice-critics-week-2022-selection-ricky-hatton-alex-camilleri-sam-spiegel-film-lab-prize-1235076526/ The $50,000 Sam Spiegel International Film Lab Grand Prize, generously donated by the Beracha Foundation, was awarded last night to Zejtune from writer-director Alex Camilleri and producers Rebecca Anastasi from Malta and Ramin Bahrani, USA. Semaine de la Critique artistic director, Ava Cahen, the head of this year’s jury presented the prize at a gala ceremony hosted by the French Consulate in Jerusalem. The jury decided to split the Sam Spiegel International Film Lab Emerging Filmmaker Award into two extraordinary projects: Elka’s Not a Shiksa | Aleeza Chanowitz and Red Gold | Mathieu Volpe. FACTORY 54 awarded the $8,000 Artistic Vision Award, to Ice and Cream writer-director: Oshri Zeituni From the Media: Screendaily: https://www.screendaily.com/features/artistic-director-elad-samorzik-on-reuniting-jerusalems-industry-strands-under-one-banner/5172818.article Deadline: https://deadline.com/2022/07/venice-critics-week-2022-selection-ricky-hatton-alex-camilleri-sam-spiegel-film-lab-prize-1235076526/ The Jerusalem Sam Spiegel International Film Lab Awards announced at the close of its celebratory 10th Edition NEWS ITEM HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB SERIES LAB TEAM NEWS

14TH EDITION CATALOGUE 14TH EDITION PROJECTS MENTORS JURY LAB FILMS TEAM Director: Netalie Braun 2021 Year of lab participation: 9 Lab edition: Country: Israel Producer: Adi Bar-Yossef Oxygen Anat eagerly awaits her son Ido’s release from the army and their planned trip abroad. When his release is canceled and he's being sent for the new war, she sets out on a journey to bring him home. Lab edition: Jerusalem Film Festival 2025 - Best Israeli Feature Film Mar del Plata Film Festival 2025 Synopsis 2025 Year of release: PITCH Trailer HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION

All I Can Do All I Can Do Shiri Nevo Friedenthal Producer Marek Rozenbaum Lab Edition 8 , 2019 SCENE PITCH Production Country Israel SYNOPSIS Reut, a young prosecutor, takes over a sexual assault case, based on the sole testimony of Efrat - a rebellious yet fragile victim, who lives with her wild female partner. Reut is reluctant, but as the trial progresses and Efrat collapses, Reut learns the true nature of strength, love and sisterhood. DIRECTOR'S NOTE LOG LINE ABOUT THE FILMMAKER PRODUCER Marek Rozenbaum PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE PRODUCTION BUDGET LANGUAGE GENRE Back To Participants HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB WHO'S WHO MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY SCOUTS AND PITCHING DECISION MAKERS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ

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. 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. "Tell Me Everything" by Moshe Rosenthal to Open Jerusalem Film Festival NEWS ITEM HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME FILM LAB SERIES LAB TEAM NEWS

Plus Size Plus Size Screenwriters: Chilik Michaeli Producer/s Chilik Michaeli , United Channels Movies (UCM) Language: Hebrew, Japanese Format: 6 Episodes x 45 Minutes Genre Comedy Send PITCHDECK LOGLINE Four women from a run-down suburb rebel against sexism and the dictatorship of thinness, by forming a women’s sumo team, rocking their conservative town and redefining love and self-worth. SYNOPSIS Bat-El Messika - the daughter of Israel’s first sumo wrestler - is under pressure. Her parents and fiancé expect her to lose enough weight to fit into a wedding dress by undergoing gastric bypass surgery. Instead of complying, Bat-El rebels: she escapes the operating table and starts an all-female sumo wrestling group for plus-size women like herself. As Bat-El attempts to build a “normal life” with her devoted partner, Haim Bachar - a loving and dependable man - her carefully balanced world is shaken by the unexpected return of Maya, the woman who once bullied her as a child. When Maya joins the sumo group, Bat-El is forced to confront her past. What begins as unresolved tension evolves into an intense emotional and sexual attraction, pushing Bat-El toward a painful choice: social security, marriage, and conformity - or desire for another woman and a journey of self-discovery. In parallel, a second romantic storyline unfolds. Bat-El’s father, Herzl, becomes the group’s coach and clings to physical strength and honor in a desperate attempt to win back his ex-wife, Zehava - Bat-El’s mother. But Zehava is now dating Aharon, Herzl’s former sumo rival turned diet guru - and Maya’s controlling father. When the group receives an opportunity to represent Israel in an amateur sumo competition in Japan - all conflicts erupt at a boiling point - only one wrestler will earn the right to travel to Japan as Israel’s sole representative. Between wedding dress fittings that end in rips, a secret affair with Maya hidden from her fiancé Haim, extreme diets that implode, and sumo matches that end in heated ties, Bat-El realizes that a safe life is suffocating her, and like in a classic romantic comedy, just before stepping into the ring for the decisive sumo tournament, she gives up the sumo competition and runs to the airport, still in her sumo underwear, to stop Maya from leaving. WRITER'S STATEMENT “Plus Size” continues the spirit of our earlier work, this time through the form of powerful, fearless, plus-size women who break into the Israeli sumo arena. This is a romantic comedy series about liberation from the conditioning of body image. Our heroine, Bat-El, who frees herself from the dictates of body image, realizes that now it is also the time to free herself from another form of restricting conditioning- marriage, weddings, and the prescriptions of the "right life". The wrestling group is composed of four plus-size women -intelligent, humorous, sexy, and groundbreaking-just as women in the past broke into sports once reserved for men, such as soccer, basketball, boxing, freestyle wrestling, pole vaulting, weightlifting, ice hockey, and more. This time, it is sumo’s turn. The artistic intention is to combine sharp, bold humor with exposed emotion, exposed skin. The dynamic between Bat-El and Maya moves between athletic rivalry and romantic attraction, and between a wounded past and a surprising present - along a tonal axis that shifts from funny, to painful, to moving. The visual design will blend traditional Japanese aesthetics - the cleanliness and precision of a Japanese restaurant, and the delicate, matchstick-like quality of forest trees - with the vibrant colors of contemporary rural city in Israel . Sumo garments, the coach’s black attire, and traditional Japanese red will merge with forest green and shifting lighting. This visual contrast will serve the tone of this romantic comedy, where heightened color, physical presence, and moments of visual exaggeration support both humor and emotional intimacy, allowing tenderness, desire, and vulnerability to emerge through movement, touch, and the charged space of the ring. ABOUT THE WRITERS Erez Tadmor is a writer and director of several feature films, including Wounded Land that won three Israeli Academy Awards in 2015, among them Best Director. He directed the films Matchmaking and Matchmaking 2 that became amongst Israel's biggest box-office hits. In 2023 he directed Children of Nobody which won at the Kolkata International Film Festival. Amongst his other films: The Art of Waiting (2019) Home Port (2016) and Soda (2024), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Together with Guy Nattiv, Tadmor also co-wrote and directed Magic Men (2014) and Strangers (2007), screened at Sundance. Sharon Maymon is a writer and director. He co-wrote the Academy Award (Oscar) winning short film Skin (2019). Maymon co-wrote and directed the TV series The Worst Best Thing (Keshet 12) Together with Tal Granit. In addition, he co-wrote and directed three feature films and two short films: My Happy Ending (2023) released in theaters in the U.S.; Flawless (2018) that was screened at Tribeca Film Festival; The Farewell Party (2014) that was screened at Venice and Toronto International Film Festival; Summer Vacation (2011) screened at Sundance, and To Kill a Bumblebee (2009) screened at Locarno Film Festival (2010). Sharon also co-directed A Matter of Size (2009) with Erez Tadmor - that premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. PRODUCER'S STATEMENT Plus Size is a fresh funny romantic comedy, bold, and emotionally rich new TV series currently in development. At its heart is the story of a group of women who decide to challenge the expectations placed on their bodies, their desires, and their right to define themselves. What begins as a personal journey for each of them gradually evolves into a warm, funny, and deeply human romantic comedy, anchored by an impossible three way love story that pushes them to confront who they truly are. For us as producers, this project is both a privilege and a creative joy. It offers a rare opportunity to reconnect with the remarkable talents of Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor, artists we know, trust, and admire. Their ability to blend humor, heart, and authentic emotion has created a world in which the story, characters, and tone come together to form something greater than the sum of all of the parts creating it. We are genuinely excited about Plus Size and confident that it will grow into a successful, engaging, and widely loved television series. PRODUCER PROFILE United Channels Movies (UCM) Founded by Chilik Michaeli and Avraham Pirchi. UCM has produced more than 40 titles, ranging from award-winning feature films to high-end television dramas. The Producers: Avraham Pirchi (President) brings a background in economics and market leadership, having served as CEO of major media marketing and distribution firms. Chilik Michaeli (Producer) is a veteran of the international circuit, with a career spanning leadership role as CEO of Israel Studios - the nation's largest production facility - and management at Warner Brothers. UCM’s body of work is a regular presence at the world’s most prestigious international film festivals, including Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, and Locarno. Notable successes include the cult hit Big Bad Wolves (declared by Quentin Tarantino as the best film of 2013), and the Locarno-selected Vanishing Soldier. Their current TV slate includes the historical drama The Stronghold and the upcoming series Double Panther. PRODUCTION CONTACT DETAILS chilikm@ucm-film.com Back To Participants HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION HOME SERIES LAB WHO'S WHO MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY ADVISORY BOARD PARTICIPANTS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS FAQ

14TH EDITION CATALOGUE 14TH EDITION PROJECTS MENTORS JURY LAB FILMS TEAM Director: Sacha Amaral 2019 Year of lab participation: 8 Lab edition: Country: Brazil Producer: Tomas Cohen The Pleasure is Mine What was at first a simple pursuit to regain stolen money becomes the chance for a dysfunctional family to finally reconcile. Lab edition: BAFICI Buenos Aires Film Festival 2024 Gijón International Film Festival 2024 Paris Chéries Chéris Film Festival 2024 BFI Flare London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival 2025 Synopsis 2024 Year of release: PITCH Trailer HOME TEAM NEWS LABS SERIES LAB PARTICIPANTS MENTORS PROFESSIONAL GUESTS JURY PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS SERIES LAB FILM LAB MENTORS JURY DECISION MAKERS SCOUTS AND PITCHING PROFESSIONAL GUESTS PARTICIPANTS & PROJECTS LAB FILMS PARTICIPATION APPLICATION PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS FILM FAQ FILM LAB SITE MAP ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT FILM FAQ FAQ PARTICIPATION APPLICATION RULES & REGULATIONS PARTICIPANTS OBLIGATIONS PARTICIPATION REGULATION