Oscar Nomination Win For MGSDII Emerging Filmmaker!

Dear Friends of the MGSDII,

Film has the ability to cross cultural divides, create dialogue, and inspire connections. Israel has developed a flourishing film industry, with movies competing in international film festivals and winning numerous awards. Over the last three years, the MGSDII has partnered with the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival to support an emerging filmmaker program, awarding 2 filmmakers each year a residency in San Diego to work on their next projects and screen their films in university classrooms and in the community.

I am excited to let you know that our latest emerging filmmaker, Tomer Shushan, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the category of best Live Action Short Film! This continues our trend of selecting future stars of Israel’s film industry for the MGSDII residency. Read more below about what some of our past recipients are up to today.

Bravo to all! -Susan

MGSDII Emerging Filmmakers – Where Are They Now?

Tomer Shushan (2021 – White Eye) was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of best Live Action Short Film! His film, shot in one take, tells an intense story about the night-time odyssey of a young man in south Tel Aviv who comes across a locked bike that was recently stolen from him. He accuses an African worker of having stolen it, then discovers that the truth of what happened is more complicated.

Tal Inbar (2020 – The Home Front) received funding from Nancy Spielberg to turn her short-documentary into a feature-length film! The Home Front chronicles a policeman who invites a stranger in distress into his home and leaves him alone with his wife. He departs to deal with a terrorist event, not knowing the stranger is actually a terrorist.

Eli Rezik (2019 – Ten Bell Tolls) just finished his latest short film. Borek tell the story of Lilian, a Palestinian woman who was born and raised in France, as she finds herself spending a rainy night in Haifa. As she searches for the most delicious borek in town, secrets are revealed and the intense desire for an identity surfaces. While in San Diego, Ten Bell Tolls won Best Short at the The Joyce Forum Short Film Festival.

Moshe Rosenthal (2019 – Our Way Back) is releasing a feature-length film, starring Lior Ashkenazi and Sasson Gabai. Karaoke follows Meir and Tova as they live a middle class life in a sleepy suburb, plagued by an unspoken sense of disappointment and regret. When Itsik Marziano, a former Miami based model agent, moves into their building, their lust for life is reignited!