Renen Schorr Heller, founder of Israel’s Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem, has died at the age of 72.
A statement from the School shared “the heartbreaking news of the sudden passing” of Schorr.
“His passing marks the end of an era, leaving an immeasurable legacy not only in Israeli cinema but also in the hearts of all those who had the privilege to learn from, work alongside, and be inspired by him,” read the statement.
Israeli filmmaker Schorr produced his first feature, drama Lo L’Shidur, in 1981. He made his feature directorial debut with romance Late Summer Blues in 1987, which he also produced and wrote the story for. The film won three prizes at 1988’s Israel Film Academy awards – best film, screenplay and original music.
Schorr founded the Jerusalem School of Film in 1989. He led the school for over three decades until 2019, raising it to the status of a leading international film school. It was renamed the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in 1996, in honour of US independent producer Spiegel.
The school has an impressive list of graduates, including Nadav Lapid, Nir Bergman, Talya Lavie, Rama Burshtein and Ra’anan Alexandrowicz.
Schorr was also founding director of the school’s Sam Spiegel International Film Lab in 2011. The Lab has developed successful international films including Laszlo Nemes’s Oscar-winning Son Of Saul, Lapid’s The Kindergarten Teacher and Antoneta Kusijanovic’s Murina.
His other achievements included pushing successfully for Israel to be included in the European Film Academy in 2001; and founding cinematheques in the Israeli cities of Herzliya and Holon.
Schorr continued working as a filmmaker alongside his Sam Spiegel role, writing and directing The Loners in 2009 and most recently 2024 documentary Wake Up, Grandson – Letters to My Rebellious Rabbi.
He was awarded France’s honorary Chevalier des arts et lettres award in 2016; and was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Israeli ministry of culture in 2024.
“Our community is heartbroken by the news of the death of our teacher and founding director, Renen Schorr,” said Dana Blankstein Cohen, executive director of the School. “He established what was to become not only his life’s work, but a project that changed Israeli cinema beyond recognition and thus Israeli culture as a whole. Renen was at the helm of the school for more than a generation and did so with unprecedented passion that allowed the school to become a leading and noteworthy institution in the world of cinema.
“Our hearts are with his family and with the many for whom Renen was a significant mentor in their own journeys as filmmakers and as humans.”
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