Cinema South Festival

Panorama

Competitions

TV Premiers

Retrospective

Sci-Fi Focus

Southern Exposure

School of Audio & Visual Arts at Sapir

Border Breaking Cinema

CSF Ferry

VR Focus

DocoCast Workshop

Kids & Teens

Live Music

Studio Darom

Previous Festivals

About the Festival

Cinema South International Film Festival, founded by the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir Academic College, returns to take place in the summer, as it always was until 2020, —and for the first time in full scale since October 7, 2023.

What began as a platform for the school’s graduating student films has, over the years, evolved into an international film festival — one of the 5 largest film & TV festivals in Israel — providing a central stage for bold, high-quality Israeli and international cinema in all genres.

As an event that has taken place since its inception inside a conflict zone — and all the more so since the day of the massacre — the Cinema South International Film Festival is not only a cinematic celebration, but also a visual and audial expression of the Southern human spirit: a spirit that insists on living, creating, and feeling. The festival sees its very existence and ongoing activity as a social and cultural mission, contributing to the recovery of this unique region, honoring its diverse voices, and telling its story in the first person — through personal experience and with the highest artistic standards. It is produced by people of the South and reflects the local culture and aspirations. The festival's strength lies in the integration of its diverse audiences, the intentional eclecticism of its artistic content, and the unique setting of Sderot, the towns, and landscapes of the South.

Over the years, the festival’s artistic program has championed independent and subversive cinema: work created on the margins, aiming to provoke critical dialogue, touch deep emotional chords, and offer a journey-like experience. The festival’s artistic vision regards cinema as a rich and dynamic medium — one in which the story is at the center, but all paths to it are valid.

The Cinema South International Film Festival is produced by residents of the Western Negev and places the Southern story and local communities center stage — before and after the October 7th massacre. The festival embraces the families of the hostages and their struggle for their loved ones’ return, honors the soldiers and reservists, and addresses the war and its impact on the communities of the South through its programming. We call for an end to the war and for days of peace and tranquility in this unique region.

The Cinema South International Film Festival and the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir invite film and culture lovers from the South and across the country to eight days of Southern and Israeli creativity: new films and series produced during wartime, special encounters, memorial events, and a wide selection of award-winning international films making their Israeli premiere, here in the beautiful South.