Jerusalem readies two separate pitch events

The Jerusalem International Film Lab, established in 2011 at the initiative of the Sam Spiegel Film & Television School-Jerusalem, will hold its pitching event and awards ceremony for film projects developed through the Lab, within the framework of the forthcoming Jerusalem Film Festival (July 5-14).

The panel of stellar international jurists will be headed by Locarno’s artistic director Olivier Pere. The jury also includes the head of Cannes’ Cinefondation, Georges Goldenstern, Danish producer Vibeke Windlov, Marit van den Elshout, of Rotterdam’s CineMart, Match Factory’s Michael Weber, Maya Amsellem of WestEnd Films, and Tzvika Kertzner in charge of the Scriptwriting Track at the Sam Spiegel School. In addition, 20 prominent international producers and sales agents will be in attendance at the pitching event.

On July 7, the jury will announce the two Film Lab projects to share production prizes totaling $80,000, a contribution of the Beracha Foundation. An additional prize of $25,000 will be awarded by the Jerusalem Film and Television Fund, for an outstanding script which is set in Jerusalem.

The brainchild of Renen Schorr, the founding director of the Sam Spiegel School, the Jerusalem International film Lab is the world’s fourth Film Lab of its type, alongside the Sundance Institute (US), The Binger Film Institute (Amsterdam) and the Turin Film Lab (Italy). 

The list of international projects competing this year in Jerusalem includes I Dream in Another Language by Ernesto Contreras (Mexico); Imperial Dreams by Malik Vitthal (US); Mr. Kaplan by Alvaro Brechner (Uruguay/Spain); Run by Philippe Lacote (Ivory Coast); Late to Die Young by Dominga Sotomayor (Chile); We Are Young—We Are Strong by Burhan Qurbani (Germany).

Among the Israeli projects are The Kindergarten Teacher by Nadav Lapid, whose The Policeman was awarded last year in Locarno, also Barash by Michal Vinik, Ending Song by Asaph Polansky, Paradise by Shimon Shai, The Red Heifer by Tsivia Barkai and Clay by Chaim Elbaum.

At the same time, the Jerusalem Film Festival will be holding, on July 8-9, its own Pitch Point Sessions, catering to Israeli productions already on their way and looking for partners to join in. The jury includes Arte’s Andre de Margerie, Daniel Leconte of Doc@Stock Film, Petr Kemppinen of the Finnish Film Foundation, Dan Jarvey of Court 13, Janine Marmot of Hot Property Films, Tony Wosk of Middle Child Films and Paul Stephens of Canada’s The Film Works. Awards in this competition are offered by Arte (€6,000), French CNC (€5,000) and the Van Leer Foundation (€8,000).