Short Film Competition Jury 2025

Dan Sachar, a graduate of Sapir’s School of Audio and Visual Arts, began honing his filmmaking skills as an additional director on some of Israel’s most acclaimed TV series, including FAUDA and TEHERAN. Notably, he went on to direct the second season of the blockbuster Israeli series LINE IN THE SAND. His latest endeavor, STATE OF ALERT — a French espionage thriller based on the international bestselling novel Unit 8200 — is slated to air soon on TF1.
In addition to his work as a director, Sachar is also one of Israel’s leading VFX supervisors, overseeing international co-productions such as HBO’s SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE and Hulu’s NO MAN’S LAND.

Ady Walter is a French filmmaker and graduate of the Doctoral School of the IEP of Paris. In 2022, his feature film SHTTL won the Audience Award at the Rome International Film Festival and premiered at the BFI London Film Festival. The film was also selected for over 150 international festivals, including the Shanghai, Cleveland, and Taormina International Film Festivals, as well as by Film at Lincoln Center in collaboration with the New York Jewish Museum.
Between 2016 and 2025, Walter wrote and directed several documentaries for France Télévisions, Canal+, TF1 (Histoire), and MK2. His first documentary, Shalom Amigos, produced by INA and TV5, earned an IFTA Award from the British Film Institute. He also co-wrote MR X, directed by Tessa Louise-Salomé, which was featured at the Sundance Film Festival, the Rotterdam International Film Festival, and the Berlin French Film Week in 2021.
Walter’s most recent documentary, Pierre de Coubertin, An Olympic Life, was produced by Federation and Anant Singh for Canal+ and its international distribution. He is currently showrunning Harlem Hellfighters, an upcoming animated series for Canal+, and developing his next feature film with TF1 Studio.

Tom Nesher is a director and journalist whose debut feature, "Come Closer", was Israel’s official selection for Best International Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards. The film premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Viewpoints Award, and went on to receive multiple accolades, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Leading Actress at the 2024 Israeli Academy Awards.

Before transitioning to filmmaking, Nesher was an investigative journalist and television anchor, creating in-depth documentary pieces that explored pressing social issues that sparked national conversations. 

In January 2025, Variety named Nesher one of its "10 Directors to Watch," recognizing her as one of the most exciting new voices in cinema