The Israeli pavilion at Cannes Film Festival has a packed schedule between the 19th and 22nd, with events focused on Co-productions meetings and collaboration within the international film industry. On Friday, 19 May, the day starts with an international women's panel titled "Between Ageism & Equality," the panel aims to explore practical initiatives and steps that can be taken to keep or bring back women over the age of 40 in the industry, 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, the co-production options with Austria and Italy. All the events highlight the importance of diversity in co-production in the film industry and how these can enrich films, offer accurate glances into cultures, and open eyes to new experiences.
On Sunday, 21 May, the Israeli pavilion will feature a full day of events to strengthen ties between countries in the film industry. 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 neighboring 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 & Short Films " The session will explore how innovative players like Gesher Multicultural Film Fund and T-PORT can contribute to solving them. 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 panel will glimpse cinema-making in the margins, featuring speakers like 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 Ministry of Culture and Sport, Israel, shared her vision; for us, it is a new format of 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 all to join us with a glass of wine opposite the sea; you may find a partner for your next film with us.