On Thursday, April 3, 2025, we will hold an open industry day for immersive storytelling (XR), in collaboration with Mifal Hapais – Culture and Arts Council. During the event, we will announce the XR 2025 Open Call for participation in an incubator workshop, and production grants for immersive works. Submission guidelines will be published on Makor Foundation’s website in June 2025 and the call for proposals will remain open for submissions for 35 days.

📣 Admission to the industry day is free, but prior registration is required. please see link below.

When and where?

Thursday, April 3, 2025, at the French Institute, Rothschild 7, Tel Aviv, from 13:30 to 19:00.

Schedule:

13:30 | Reception

14:00 | Opening Statements

Amit Goren, CEO & Artistic Director, Makor Foundation | Guillaume Mainguet, Audiovisual and Digital Attaché, French Institute

14:15 | New Media Horizons Delegation – Impressions, Reflections, and the Future

Alona Abt, Co-Founder & CEO, Hop! Media Group | Maya Shekel, XR Producer & Creator

14:45 | Keynote – The State of New Media

Michele Ziegler, Director of NewImages Hub & Chief Digital Officer | Cultural industries | Creative technologies | Events | Innovation |at Forum des Images

15:15 | Presentation of grant awarded projects – I See You XR 06-2024 Open Call

Nir Saar, Artistic Director, Makor Media Lab | Emi Sfard and Irena Bauman (Dream of Belonging) | Yael Danon and Itamar Levi (Ilana) | Tal Stadler and Udi Katzman (Accidents) | Chani Kopilowitz and Miriam Cohen (Tiger’s Mom)

16:30 | Break

17:00 | New Media Production – Challenges, Focus, and the Future

Fred Volhuer – Co-Founder // Ground Control // CEO @ Atlas V Group

17:30 | Presentation of the new XR 2025 Open Call for Proposals for Immersive Works (XR)

Amit Goren, CEO & Artistic Director, Makor Foundation for Israeli Films | Gili Gaon, Head of Documentary & Investigative Department, Kan 11

18:00 | Cocktail Reception on the Institute’s Rooftop & VR Experiences

*The Industry Day will be conducted in English.

For inquiries, please contact Vicki Cohen, Director of Content and Community Relations, Makor Foundation: vicki@kerenmakor.org.il

See you there!

On February 9, the Ministry of Culture and Sports published the new funding allocation criteria for cinema. We are working on updating the foundation’s regulations and the submission procedures and awaiting final decisions on certain funding provisions.

Registration for films and immersive projects to be selected for the 82^ndVenice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia is now open.

Congratulations to the four projects selected in our I See You XR Incubator Workshop, designed with The Israel Lottery Council for Culture & Arts, to help the teams to develop their immersive projects in new media, focusing on trauma and resilience. Eight talented teams participated, and four of them will receive development and production grants:

Dream of Belonging | Emi Sfard and Irena Bauman

Ilana | Yael Danon and Itamar Levi

Accidents | Tal Stadler and Udi Katzman

Tiger’s Mom | Chani Kopilowitz and Miriam Cohen

Good luck ❤️ 💪 💫

And of course, a huge thank you to our wonderful partners throughout this journey: The Israel Lottery Council for Culture & Arts – Mifal HaPais, the French Institute – The French Embassy in Israel, Goethe Institute, NewImages Hub and Forum des Images, The School of Psychology – Reichman University, Dorit Hakim Kramer and Lee Shira – Siena Film Foundation.