In February of this year, the Israeli Embassy in France established an Israel pavilion at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, in conjunction with T-Port, to promote and present the best Israeli short films. The event is the world’s largest film festival dedicated to short films, and in terms of audience and professional presence, it is the second-largest film festival in France after Cannes. Over 3,600 visitors from 80 countries attended the festival this year.
A selection of Israeli short films was screened throughout the festival for industry professionals, and mentoring sessions were held for Israeli filmmakers. Director Salomon Chekol came to the festival to present his film “What Has Changed.” The film tells the story of Shai, an IDF soldier on active duty who returns home determined to celebrate Passover with his family and rejects his friends’ invitation to go out during the Seder.
Chekol was enthusiastic about his visit to the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival and said, “This is the first time I’ve flown to participate in an international festival. People from all over the world came to view and watch movies. It was new and beautiful and cool. The Israeli films were wonderful, and the audience responded to them with love and applause. I left with a good feeling to continue creating.”
He added that “we came to participate despite all the complications and bureaucracy, thanks to the support of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and T-Port, who helped move things forward and fulfill our dream. I am thankful, and I hope and pray that this will continue and that we will meet again for more work and joint creation.”