04/05/2023 - The Israeli pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film has a jam-packed schedule planned between 19 and 22 May

The Israeli pavilion at a previous edition of the Cannes Film Festival

The Israeli pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival and its accompanying Marché du Film has a jam-packed schedule planned between 19 and 22 May, with events focusing on co-production meetings and collaboration with the international film industry. On Friday 19 May, the day starts with an international women's panel titled “Between Ageism and Equality”. The event aims to explore practical initiatives and steps that can be taken to keep women over the age of 40 in the industry (or indeed bring them back), and it features notable speakers, including Victoria Thomas, Katie Bailiff, Dana Morag, Helene Granqvist, Kate Kinninmont, Susan Liddy, Elizabeth Kaide and Nitza Wilon.

The day continues with discussions on co-production, starting with a meeting between Moroccan and Israeli filmmakers. This will be followed by talks on creative business with the African creative market and, after that, co-production opportunities with Austria and Italy. All of the events highlight the importance of diversity in co-production in the film industry and how this can enrich films, offer accurate insights into various cultures, and open our eyes to new experiences.

On Sunday 21 May, the Israeli pavilion will feature a full day of events to strengthen ties between countries and their film industries. The first event, “Poland - Israel, Co-Production Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts”, will feature speakers from the Polish Film Institute and the Ministry of Culture and Sport in Israel. Later in the day, the pavilion will host representatives from Georgia, Bulgaria and Cyprus to discuss co-production possibilities and build bridges between neighbouring countries. These events offer a unique opportunity to connect with filmmakers worldwide and explore potential collaborations. In addition, producers from those countries will arrive to share and learn about new projects.

Finally, on Monday 22 May, the Israeli pavilion will host a Short Film Panel titled “Emerging Talents and Short Films”. The session will explore how innovative players like the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund and T-PORT can contribute to solving various problems. The panel will feature speakers including Amos Geva, Jeremy Zelnik, Armin Schneider, Kathleen Mcinnis, Kate Green and Florian Weghorn.

Later that day, the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir College, in collaboration with the 22nd Cinema South Festival in Sderot, will host a panel titled “South Is Center - Emerging Talents from the (Global) South”. The rendezvous will offer a glimpse of fringe filmmaking, featuring speakers of the likes of Dr Erez Pery, Gali Luzon, Guillaume Mainguet and Lucas Taillefer from the Produire au Sud workshop.

Osnat Bukofzer, the artistic director and co-production expert of the Israeli pavilion, under the auspices of Israel’s Ministry of Culture and Sport, shared her vision: “For us, it is a new format for gatherings; we hope that the pavilion will be packed with industry members from all around the world to meet friends, find new partners and learn about new projects. If a producer has a project suitable for co-production, the Israeli pavilion invites them to join us with a glass of wine facing the sea; you may find a partner for your next film with us.”