The Sam Spiegel International Film Lab (JSFL) is a laboratory that seeks to support new voices that need to be heard and create opportunities for a multitude of stories to reach audiences. Since its launch in 2011, it has become a leading force in the development of innovative feature films.
It is a project of the Sam Spiegel Film School in Jerusalem, which is on the Hollywood Reporter's list of the top 15 film schools in the world. The School produces around 30 films a year and its graduates form the backbone of the Israeli film and television industry, including Golden Bear winner Nadav Lapid, the creator of Shtisel, Yehonatan Indursky and directors Rama Burshtein and Talya Lavie.
In this 13th edition, the laboratory has a program of master classes with the participation of Lawrence Bender, producer of the legendary Pulp Fiction, Lawrence Bender and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Joseph Cedar. In addition, projects from Austria, Brazil, France, Hungary and Israel will be presented.
Despite the current difficulties arising from the war in Israel, the Laboratory has achieved great successes: such as come closer, by director Tom Nesher, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Viewpoint Award, in addition to winning Best Feature Film at the Ophir Awards, becoming Israel's candidate for the Oscars.