Discoveries from Israel World Cinema

Nur is getting pulled over for getting old and underachieving. After a glance to a not so bright future, she's motivated (mainly by anxiety) to take control of her life, facing reality's unlikely circumstances.

Queen Khantarisha presents two Yemenite writers in their sixties. A songwriter and lyricist of love, is also behind some of the hottest hits that resonated in Yemeni clubs and weddings. The work of the other woman, a Jerusalem-born, religious, poet and writer, touches on demons, madness, rape, and rebellion and has garnered her community's denunciation. The film explores the personal costs of straddling the ambitions of creative expression and the restraints of conservative communities requiring subservience. One writes and composes love songs in Yemenite that are being sung in clubs, weddings and other events but only few knows that she is writing them. The other writes provocative poetry and prose, she revolt in her past and her parents who oppressed her sexually and mentally. The film exposes the tension between the daily, personal struggle of these women. The struggle between the tradition they live and respect and that of their internal passion.

Since his wife's passing, Yigal refuses to lock his door, burying himself in grief. a short film about loss, unexpected connections, and quiet compassion.

While her husband participates in the battles for Israel’s independence, Naomi, a nurse at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, does not rest for a moment, taking care of the wounded and midwife. Naomi finds out that her little brother is coming to Israel on the Aliyat Hanoar ship and she is going to pick him up. When she returns to the hospital, she discovers that her husband has been wounded in battle, but she must not lose concentration while assisting a pregnant woman in critical condition.

Jamal is a thirty something man, facing the deterioration of everything he has ever believed in: the political party, Islam, and more importantly, traditional family life. He leaves his home to look for answers.

Shai is homosexual and Fix is trying to straighten him up.

Being Bisexual, being fluidic, stop hiding, just being.

A short about love, adoption and parenthood. The story of two gay parents' adoption process as told by one of the fathers.

A father tricks his son into a late-night trip to search for their "lost" cat in the forest.

A documentary created by the Jewish National Fund explores the challenges posed by threats from neighboring borders, malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and food scarcity during times of austerity in Israel. In response, Israel initiated a project to drain the Hula Valley swamps, aiming to convert the land into fertile ground for farming and livestock. The film showcases the efforts to reclaim the Hula Valley and the objective of ensuring food security for the expanding population.

A documentary film showing Maccabi Tel Aviv's journey in the 2012-13 season towards the 20th championship in the club's history and the first in a decade.

Using his own illustrations and medical records, the director attempts to come to terms with the effects of a variation in his chromosomes known as XXY-47.

A young girl enters a nightmare as a doctor’s action during anesthesia leads to a disturbing journey.

A film poem in Yiddish, inspired by the Ahava Rabbah prayer, it is a letter to a lost love among the landscapes of Southeast Asia.

In the process of demolishing a Bedouin village, two people are killed: a Bedouin villager and an Israeli policeman. The police declare it a terror attack, but subsequent investigations point to a very different story. Constructing a documentary that feels like a detective thriller, filmmaker Doron Djerassi thoroughly lays out the course of events through interviews, archival materials and security camera footage.

The film focuses on a 4-month-old lamb who is dealing with a congenital disability in his legs. As a result, he experiences physical and mental difficulties, for which he receives personal and focused treatment in order to take care of his needs. Our film focuses on his process of returning to the other living sheep in the flock.

A student mockumentary film about an analogy between pigeons and the politican stance in Israel.

A comedy skit about a matchmaking show where 3 men compete over the heart of "Marylin Monroe".

The feeling of suffocation, whether physical or emotional, real or metaphorical, is a universal experience often triggered by traumatic events. This innovative video, created by Michal Bratt in collaboration with Spanish choreographer Israel Galván, seeks to articulate this feeling through cinematic dance. Portraying the struggle to cope with confinement, the protagonist embarks on a journey expressed with honesty, humor, and moments of madness, all in search of inner peace and hope within the confines of a closed room. Will she find liberation? Will we find it?

In the future state of Israel where a dictatorial regime exists, homosexual relations are illegal. Tomer, a released prisoner, performs service work as a whitewasher. He is about to finish his duties to the state and go free, when an encounter with a person from his past overwhelms him with old feelings and jeopardizes the terms of his release from prison. When the citizens of the country are filmed 24/7 one step in the wrong direction could be devastating.

"Smooth" is a documentary that was set to premiere in March 2025 on Kan 11, but was delayed due to Chappell Roan. The film is exploring the life and career of Mess Yuval. It also follows her journey from the world of high-fashion modeling to becoming a social media icon, earning the title "Queen of Fun and Carnival." Through exclusive interviews and archival footage, Smooth delves into her impact on fashion, online culture, and her dedicated fan base. The documentary also highlights her decision to pause her modeling career for military service and the ongoing speculation about her possible return to the industry.

"I'm so generic it makes me sick" Follows Haya Moshka Modbuk, a 19-year-old Haredi from Haifa who serves in the IDF, discovers that she is a lesbian and, by the way, a professional rainstick player. Haya Moshka lives with her mother, Ravshake Modbuk, a divorced woman in a Haredi society who is trying to survive and confronts her daughter after an incident with the rainstick. Modbuk goes through a journey of adulthood and struggles with her complex Israeli identities in front of her family and Israeli society. A parody of Israeli and high school films.

A rebellious teen battles a mysterious force that controls his school.

On the night of her break-up with her girlfriend, Shai is cursed to read people's minds - except the opposite. Everyone can read her mind. Including her one true ex.

Blindly trapped in an abusive relationship, Maya has to face the reality she’s trying to repress. When she is exposed to her hidden depths she becomes violent herself.

Alfred (81) is a colorful street philosopher, loved by women, but it’s Ruth (77) whom he has loved his whole life. After 18 years of separation from Ruth, their daughter sets out with a camera to confront the past and try to reunite the family once again.

"Offside Trap" is a narrative-driven dance film which delves into the gap that often exists between our perception of reality versus actuality. As complex individuals, we frequently interpret reality through our individual prism, shaped by our past experiences, traumas, and memories. Blinded by her triggers, our protagonist is hijacked by her distorted perception. She makes quick assumptions and jumps to conclusions, intensifying her detachment from actual reality.

"The Rocky Horror Show" is about a young couple, Brad and Janet, who get stuck on a stormy night and seek help in the strange house of Dr. Franknfurter, a mad scientist. During their stay at the house, they encounter a bizarre musical show in which Franknfurter, along with a colorful group of strange characters , present an unconventional show that develops into a story of love, passion and crazy music.

The film documents the last year of World War II and the Holocaust in Budapest, as depicted in the diaries kept by Jewish citizens living in the city and their neighbors. The diaries describe the daily degradation of the situation, the persecution of the Jews, the battles that destroyed the city and the disillusionment that marked the end of the war.

The first documentary film ever made about psytrance. It tells the story of “Drugless Festival”, better remembered in Israel as “Huga Festival” that took place in Ganey Huga, a water park in the North of Israel, for 3 days, back in the summer of 1997.

In Israel's Negev desert, Farhan Al-Nabari (72) - a fearless arbitrator, fights to prevent the next killing between feuding Bedouin families. His tent, a "place of refuge," anchors tradition amid rising youth violence challenging state and tribal authority. As societal desperation and poverty intensify, Farhan faces a profound struggle: the State of Israel demands the uprooting of his tribe from its home of 71 years. Amid frantic reconciliation efforts between tribes, this poignant tale unfolds-a clash between ancient traditions and modern mandates. Farhan fights to preserve his community's legacy, navigating a delicate balance between the timeless laws of the desert and the new world.

Impressionability Complexions Good fellas

A young lesbian girl, a student at the girls' seminary , studies Torah and undergoes conversion therapy in an attempt to change her sexual orientation and establish a holy Jewish family.

Follows the relationship of a girl and a stranger beyond her front door.

On the hot summer days in the old city of Acre, a tradition connects the generations – children and teens jump from the old city walls into the sea waters below, a test of courage on the path to masculine maturity. Among the black coastal rocks and ancient stone ramparts, each leap is absolute freedom and a breath of fresh air amid the boredom of the long summer vacation. During the endless sweltering days, everlasting friendships are forged around this defining tradition, as the ranks of youth are replenished from generation to generation. The film unveils a nostalgic and stirring world of friendships, dangers and displays of bravery – all anchored in the experience of youthful masculinity atop the ancient city walls.

A non-functional relationship between Dror (10) a deaf child and Moshik, his father who struggles to accept his deafness. Moshik insists on integrating Dror in a school for hearing children, where Dror experiences bullying. He first sees his son’s distress after Dror attacks the class bully and is expelled. Now the two have to communicate to find solutions.

In this captivating, jaw-dropping documentary, filmmaker Itai Anghel spent nearly a month with the people of Ukraine during the siege on Kyiv. From the day before the invasion, when its residents did not believe they were in Putin's sights - to quickly rallying to protect their nation, and to fighting in battle. This documentary shows rare images, voices, and stories of people in Bucha, Irpin, and Gorenka, weeks before they became internationally known for the worst of reasons. Although focusing only on Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, the Israeli identity of the crew led to unexpected and dramatic encounters. As Ukraine has a Jewish president, the expectations from Israel were high; and as the war intensified, Ukrainians' disappointment with the Jewish state grew. "I don't feel that he's (former Israeli PM Bennett) wrapping himself in our flag," said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Anghel in Kyiv.