At the beginning of 2014 the New Fund for Cinema and Television (NFCT) decided to replicate the huge success of its regional Greenhouse model within Israel through a new program targeting Jewish and Arab women documentary filmmakers. At a time when intolerance and discrimination are unfortunately on the rise, the NFCT recognized an urgent need to foster mutual understanding and to build bridges between the Jewish and Arab communities. The NFCT has chosen to focus on women filmmakers because women in Israel still face significant social and economic barriers to becoming successful documentary film directors and producers, especially women from vulnerable and marginalized groups.
The program brings together 12-16 talented female filmmakers from diverse religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and supports them in the development of compelling documentaries that amplify women’s voices about important contemporary and social issues. The one-year program includes three 5-day residential workshops spanning a period of eight months.