Israeli Film Council seeks funding change after Venice premiere of Naza
Israel's Film Council wants festival success stripped from the formula that shares out state film money, days after the Venice premiere of the documentary Naza.
The council, an organisation that advises the Israeli Ministry of Culture on film policy, made the recommendation after an emergency meeting called in response to the selection and world premiere of Naza at Venice, according to Deadline. It also proposed a new state-backed strand to support films about the heroism of Israeli soldiers.
Naza is directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. The film is built around testimony from 24 Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers about targeting decisions in Gaza, testimony challenged by the Israeli army. It alleges that mass civilian deaths were routinely built into those decisions, according to Reuters, and examines Israel's use of AI systems in Gaza.
The ovation lasted 25 minutes. Naza received that extended reception at its Venice world premiere and then won the Special Jury Prize, with one report describing the ovation as record-breaking, according to Euronews.
The reaction in Israel was swift. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the film on 14 September 2026 as "shocking incitement," according to Reuters. He also threatened to strip Abraham and Szor of their citizenship.
Filmmakers Ari Folman, Shlomi Elkabetz, Ran Tal and Michal Aviad were among those who signed a petition expressing solidarity with the two directors. Abraham and Szor previously made the documentary No Other Land. They have said they made Naza out of obligation as Israelis to examine the systems behind the mass killing of Palestinian civilians, according to the Venice Biennale listing.
The funding proposal would change how Israel's six film funds compete for public money. Israel's state cinema budget is around 130 million Israeli Shekels, about $42 million, divided between the Israel Film Fund, The New Fund for Cinema and Television, The Makor Foundation for Israeli Film and Television, The Jerusalem Film and Television Fund, The Yehoshua Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts, and the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund.
Those funds bid for state finance through tenders decided on a points system that assesses recent performance. Selection at leading international festivals has traditionally been one criterion, carrying weight in the score. The council has now called for festivals to be removed from that scoring altogether.
The proposed new strand would favour films centred on the heroism of IDF soldiers and veterans who fought to secure Israel's existence. The council has also announced an urgent review of how it scores festivals representing Israel internationally after the Naza controversy.
