Israeli filmmaking is taking an important leap back onto the global stage this season, as an Israeli movie, Moshe Rosenthal’s Independence, and two US films produced by SIPUR, an Israel-based international entertainment studio, have been officially selected for the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, it was announced on Wednesday.
The inclusion of Independence marks the first time in a decade that an Israeli narrative feature will compete at the festival.
Only a handful of Israeli movies have ever been shown in Sundance’s official competition. Dror Shaul’s Sweet Mud ( 2006) and Elite Zexer’s Sand Storm (2016) each won the Grand Jury Prize. It is especially significant, given that about 5,000 film-industry professionals, including Emma Stone and Javier Bardem, signed a petition in September calling for a boycott of Israeli films.
Moshe Rosenthal’s Independence
Rosenthal’s new feature, Independence, starring Assi Cohen, Ido Tako, and Keren Tzur, will hold its world premiere in the festival’s international competition- a category featuring only 12 films selected from around the world.
The film follows 12-year-old Boaz in 1987, who uncovers a life-altering secret about his father, Meir (Cohen), triggering a chain of events that fractures their family. A decade later, the adult Boaz (Tako), haunted by guilt, sets out to confront the past.
The cast includes one of Israel’s most acclaimed actors, with Assi Cohen making his first major film appearance in years; rising star Ido Tako (The Vanishing Soldier and Come Closer); acclaimed theater actress Keren Tzur; and newcomer Yair Mazor in his first leading screen role as the young Boaz.
Independence is Rosenthal’s second feature, following the critical and festival success of Karaoke, which premiered at Tribeca and won four Ophir Awards.
Reflecting on the moment, Rosenthal said: “Independence is a personal project made with deep love for people, created in a time of very little hope. To share it with the world at Sundance is profoundly meaningful. I hope this is the beginning of a positive shift that allows Israeli cinema to flourish globally once again."
SIPUR's Sundance debut
In addition to Rosenthal’s film, SIPUR has announced that two of its new projects have also been selected for Sundance- Buddy, a horror film, which marks SIPUR’s first entry into this genre, and the romantic comedy Chasing Summer.
Buddy was written and directed by Casper Kelly (Too Many Cooks). The film stars Emmy-winner Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, and Michael Shannon, among others. It was produced by BoulderLight Pictures (Weapons, Barbarian) alongside Low Spark Films (Emily the Criminal).
Chasing Summer stars Jewish-American comedian Iliza Shlesinger, who also wrote the screenplay. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Josephine Decker, the film offers a contemporary millennial coming-of-age story told through a distinctly female lens.
The cast features Lola Tung (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Megan Mullally, Garrett Wareing, Tom Welling, Aimee Garcia, Cassidy Freeman, and Jeff Perry. It was produced with Pressman Films (Dead Man’s Wire) and Indus Valley (Are We Good),
SIPUR, led by Emilio Schenker, has become a growing force in international production, with previous titles including the Emmy-winning documentary about the October 7 massacre, We Will Dance Again, Bad Boy (which was acquired globally by Netflix), and Hagai Levi’s series, Etty.