Emerging Filmmakers
Esther Fischer Emerging Israeli Filmmaker Artist in Residence
Film has the ability to cross cultural divides, create dialogue, and inspire connections. Over the last seven years, the MGSDII has partnered with the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival to support an emerging filmmaker program, awarding two filmmakers each year the Esther Fischer Emerging Israeli Filmmaker Artist in Residence Prize. The residency offers a chance to visit San Diego for three weeks to work on their next projects, meet students and faculty in university classroom screenings, and cultivate relationships and share their art with the larger San Diego community.
Esther Fischer has been a long-time thought partner and friend of The MGSDII. Her appreciation of film and the arts has gifted many young Israeli filmmakers the opportunity to travel to San Diego and create long-lasting connections with other young filmmakers like themselves in San Diego.
“Meeting with Esther is always a highlight for the filmmakers. How can you not love her wonderful energy and enthusiasm”, said recent resident Gadi Rimer.
2025 Esther Fischer Emerging Israeli Filmmaker Artists in Residence
Nikolay (born 1986) is a Jerusalem-based independent filmmaker.
At the start of his adolescence, he immigrated from a small and unknown village in Russia to Israel. Facing the challenges of language barrier and communication difficulties, Nikolay developed a unique cinematic language that is both silent and deeply sensitive.
After graduating from the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, Nikolay created several short films that were featured in and won awards at various international film festivals. His short film “Blowing In The Wind” premiered at the Haifa International Film Festival.
Collaborating with fellow Jerusalem filmmaker Benny Shklovsky, starting in 2023, Nikolay created the documentary short “Voiceless Witness”, filmed, and edited during the ongoing Gaza War, which premiered at the 2024 DocAviv festival. Together, they also created the fiction short “Winter Flowers”, which premiered at the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival.
Benny is a Jerusalem based filmmaker.
Born in 1987 and immigrated with his family from Russia to Israel in 1991. Growing up in a single-parent household in a distressed neighborhood of Jerusalem, Benny was exposed to multicultural environment and extraordinary life-shaping experiences.
Has a BFA from the Steve Tisch School of Film and Television at Tel Aviv University. His student sci-fi short film “Reeds” was supported by and screened at UtopiaFest Tel Aviv.
After years of on-set and studio work as an editor, post-production supervisor, and even stuntman, Benny focused on independent fiction and documentary production.
He often encourages compact and minimalistic productions, with a focus on constant revision of story elements to maximize on dramatic effect.
Collaborating with fellow Jerusalem filmmaker Nikolay Kouleshov starting in 2023, he created the documentary short “Voiceless Witness” which was filmed and edited during the ongoing Gaza War, premiering at the 2024 DocAviv festival. Together they also created the fiction short “Winter Flowers” premiering at the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival.
In his spare time loves woodworking, playing bass guitar, and skateboarding.
Efrat was born in Israel in 1987 and graduated with honors from the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School.
Her graduation film “Out Of Reach” won the Outstanding Film Award of her class and was screened at dozens of festivals in Israel and around the world, winning international awards.
Since completing her studies, she has written and directed two more short films,
“Third Look” – screened at numerous festivals including Palm Springs ShortFest and SLAMDANCE, and “Foreign”.
She received two development grants for feature-length films, one for AFTER YOU and the second for FOREIGN – based on the short film of the same title.
2023 Emerging Filmmakers
White Lie
Requiem for a Whale
Letter to a Pig
2023 Emerging Filmmakers
He Can Sleep on the Couch
All Those Beginnings
2022 Emerging Filmmakers
Shabbat
Empty Spaces
2021 Emerging Filmmakers
With Slight Steps
White Eye
2020 Emerging Filmmakers
The Home Front
Girl With a Fork in a World of Soup
2019 Emerging Filmmakers
Ten Bell Tolls
Our Way Back
Interested in hosting a screening?
Please contact Paige Milgrom-Hills, Program Manager, at paige@mgsdii.org.