Tamuz Shomron Film Festival is an international film celebration that spans four days of culture and entertainment, during which 90 films from Israel and around the world will be screened, in a combined format of film marathons at the Ariel Cultural Hall where dialogue circles will also take place with filmmakers, and at the same time traveling screening evenings throughout Samaria - West bank.

The festival invites filmmakers to submit feature films, documentaries, and animations, both short and long, from Israel and around the world, for the screening programs, with priority given to films that deal with conflicts of culture, heritage, and identity, from a human and moving perspective, that provoke thought and inspiration.

By submitting, you agree to all the details and rules that appear below, please read them before submitting.

Cash prizes:
- Best full length Documentary film
- Best Israeli Short Film
- Best International Short Film

Non-competitive screening programs: feature drama films

The festival competition will be supervised by an external judging committee that will operate in a fair, objective, impartial, and conflict-of-interest manner. The competition will be accessible to all filmmakers in the film industry;

The judging committee will consist of renowned filmmakers and/or film experts from Israel and/or around the world.

2025 Winners cash prizes:
Full-length Documentary - Nili's Battles By Tal Kushner & Yaniv Ben Aharon
Israeli short - Bloody Groom, by Aviad Shtachelberg.
International short - Catalogue of Noses by Josie Andrews, USA

2024 Winners cash prizes:
Full-length - Documentary- 'The Grave Hunter', by Yohai Rosenberg.
International short - The Red Bike, by Turban Beck, Denmark
Israeli short - 'S.G.', by Tal Kushner.

2023 winners:
The cash prizes:
Full-length - Documentary - 'The green line', by Yehudit Kahana, Israel
The Israeli short film - 'Globster' (Narrative) by David Tauber, Israel
The international short film - 'Nakam' (Narrative) by Andreas Kessler, Germany

Honorable mention certificate awards:
Full-length - Documentary - 'The Three of Us', by Henia Brodbecker, Israel
Israeli short film - drama 'Girl Number 60427' by Shulamit Lifshitz, Israel
Israeli short short film - docu 'Borys is not Crazy', By Hillel Rate, Israel

Animated short film - 'Light' by Jitka Nemikinsová, Czech Republic
Experimental short film - 'Hand' by Rose Wang, China

International short film - drama 'The Bathtub', by Sergi Marti Maltas, Spain
international short documentary film - 'Self Portrait with with Marcus Santos' by Zoran Djordjevic, Brazil
international short short film - Animated - 'Gefilte Fish' by Yuliya Lanina, United States

- When registering the film, you declare that all the rights to the broadcasts belong to you

- No premiere required

- The number of entries by one author is not limited.

- There are no restrictions on the year of production of the film, but priority is given to films created between 2024 - 2026.

- All non-Hebrew speaking films must have English subtitles SRT file

- Hebrew-language films are required to attach a subtitle file in Hebrew and English.

- Screening copy: MP4 or MOV in h264 codec.

- We will accept ONE VERSION of your entry only. We will NOT accept "updated" cuts
such as "new sound mix", "new effects added", etc.

- Films selected for the festival are required to send us the poster in addition to the digital file of the film. As well as 3 frames from the film, credits for the cinematographer, director, screenwriter, editor, producer and actors, for the purpose of publishing the program on the festival website and in printed advertising.
All of these details are required to appear on the film page when registering the film for the festival.

- The festival may use excerpts from competition films (up to 10% of the length of the film, but no more than two minutes) to promote the festival on television, all social media such facebook, instagram etc, and the Internet.

- We will not be able to accept a film that contains sex, drugs, or naked

- The festival is planned to take place as a physical event, but due to the war situation there may be changes regarding the holding of the festival, its dates or the physical or hybrid format, which in part will include online screenings subject to the approval of the filmmakers.

The undersigned, the authorized representative of the project named below and throughout this application (hereafter called the "Project") to Shomron Community Center (hereafter called the “Institute”) for consideration for the 2026 Tamuz Shomron Film Festival (hereafter called the “Festival”), hereby acknowledges the following:

1. The undersigned represents and warrants to the Institute that:
(a) The undersigned is duly authorized, on behalf of the undersigned and on behalf of all other persons or entities who have any ownership rights, licenses or interests (including, without limitation, intellectual property rights or distribution licenses) in or relating to the Project (collectively and separately hereafter called the “Project’s Owners”), to permit the Institute to exhibit this Project in the Festival and to make the promises, representations and warranties set forth herein,
(b) exhibition of the Project in the Festival will not violate any law or any right or consent of any person or entity, whether such exhibition is theatrical (live), digital, or any combination thereof; and
(c) the Project is not subject to any litigation, arbitration, or other adversarial claim or proceeding, nor is the Project the subject of any threat of litigation, arbitration, or other adverse claim or proceeding.

2. The undersigned further represents and warrants, on behalf of the undersigned and the Project’s Owners, that the exhibition of the Project in the Festival will not violate or infringe any copyright, patent, privacy right, publicity right, trademark, service mark or any other personal or property right of any person or entity, and that the Project does not and will not constitute or include any defamation of any person or entity.
All license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the Project in or in connection with the Festival, have been and will be timely paid in full.

3. In the event that the Project is accepted by the Institute for inclusion in the Festival, the undersigned acknowledges, on behalf of the undersigned and the Project’s Owners, that the Institute’s exhibition or presentation of the Project in the Festival does not and will not create any confidential or fiduciary relationship between the Institute on the one hand and the undersigned and/or the Project’s Owners on the other.

The undersigned further acknowledges, on behalf of the undersigned and the Project’s Owners, that neither the undersigned nor any of the Project’s Owners will receive any compensation for such exploitation, although some Festival prizes may include cash awards.

The undersigned acknowledges that no obligation of any kind is assumed by, or may be implied against, the Institute or the Festival in the event of, by virtue of, or as a result of the Institute’s selection of the Project for the Festival.

The undersigned and the Project’s Owners understand and acknowledge that the selection of the Project for inclusion in the Festival does not and will not in any way constitute an express or implied endorsement or approval by the Institute or the Festival of the content of the Project or any opinion expressed therein.

4. The undersigned agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, to indemnify and hold harmless the Institute and the Festival, together with each of their parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, attorneys, creative advisors, agents and representatives (collectively, “Tamuz Shomron Film Festival”), from and against any and all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, fees and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs) that may be asserted by any person or entity, or may be incurred by the Institute, the Festival, or any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival Related Parties, at any time in connection with the Project or the Institute’s use, handling, consideration or exhibition thereof, and/or arising from any breach or alleged breach of any representation made by the undersigned to the Institute, the Festival or any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival Related Parties, including, without limitation, any express or implied representation in these Terms and Conditions.

5. The undersigned warrants and agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, that the Project is being submitted to the Institute voluntarily and without promise or inducement, and that the submission of the Project neither imposes nor creates any obligation or responsibility on the part of the Institute, the Festival, and/or any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival to accept the Project for inclusion in the Festival, to exhibit the Project in the Festival, to acknowledge the submission of the Project, or to return any Project materials to the undersigned or others.

The undersigned further agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and the Project’s Owners and every other representative or person affiliated with the Project, that , in submitting the Project for consideration, the undersigned, the Project’s Owners, and any other representative or person affiliated with the Project are jointly and severally waiving, forfeiting, forgoing and relinquishing any right that we might otherwise have to assert any claim or commence any proceeding in any forum or tribunal against the Institute, the Festival, or any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival Related Parties, based upon, arising out of or otherwise relating to the submission, exhibition or failure to exhibit the Project (including, without limitation, claims relating to any failure or refusal to exhibit the Project in the Festival, the exhibition or marketing of the Project at or in connection with the Festival, alleged oral or written representations by the Festival or its representatives relating to the submission or exhibition of the Project, and any other matters arising from or relating to the submission of the Project), whether such claims may be based on theories of contract, implied contract, tort, statute, or other legal theory (hereinafter, “Claim”). In the event that any Claim is asserted, or any action, arbitration or other proceeding is brought or commenced, in violation of the agreement set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, the undersigned, on behalf of the undersigned, the Project’s Owners, and any other representative or person affiliated with the Project agrees to indemnify the Institute and the Festival from any and all Claims, losses, liabilities, damages, fees and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs) that are incurred by the Institute, the Festival and any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival Related Parties as a result of or in connection with any such Claim or any action, arbitration or other proceeding brought in violation of the representations and agreements set forth in this submission agreement.

6. Without in any way limiting the provisions or scope of the agreements set forth herein, the undersigned further agrees and accepts that, in the event that any Claim is asserted, or any action, arbitration or other proceeding is brought or commenced, by the undersigned, any of the Project’s Owners, or any other representative of or person affiliated with the Project, in violation of the agreements set forth herein, and in the further event that an arbitrator or other tribunal should permit such Claim to proceed despite the waiver language set forth in paragraph 5 above, the sole and maximum remedy that could be awarded to any person or entity asserting any Claim shall be a refund of the submission fee paid in connection with the submission of the Project to the Institute for consideration for the Festival.

Under no circumstances shall any other remedy, including without limitation actual, expectancy, reliance, consequential, special, punitive or exemplary damages, or any other damages, or injunctive, declaratory, provisional or other relief, be available to the undersigned, the Project’s Owners, or any other person or entity representing or affiliated with the Project.

7. In the event that the Project is accepted by the Institute for inclusion and exhibition in the Festival, the undersigned, requiring the consent of no other party to do so, hereby grants, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, each of the following rights to the Institute, the Festival, and any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival Related Parties without reservations, conditions or qualifications:

(a) the right to use footage, stills and/or titles, and information from or relating to the Project for promotional purposes;

(b) the right to issue and authorize publicity concerning the Project and all personnel related to the Project; and

(c) to use the names, likenesses and biographical information of all Project personnel, including, without limitation, director(s), producer(s), writer(s), cast member(s) and crew in connection with the exhibition of the Project in, and promotion of, the Festival and the promotion of Institute.

8. The undersigned warrants and agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, that the Institute has made no claims, representations or guarantees, and has provided no assurances, in relation to the internal process utilized by the Institute with respect to selection of projects for inclusion in the Festival, and that the submission of the Project neither imposes nor creates any obligation or responsibility on the part of the Institute, the Festival, or any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival Related Parties to provide the undersigned, the Project’s Owners, or any Project- related parties with comments, feedback or other information pertaining to the viewing or consideration of the Project by the Institute for possible inclusion in the Festival.

9. The undersigned warrants and agrees, on behalf of the undersigned and each of the Project’s Owners, that by submitting the Project to the Institute, the Institute and all persons employed by, contracted by, or otherwise directly associated with the Institute are deemed to have been granted the irrevocable right to view and/or download all digital assets associated with the Project, including, but not limited to, any representation of the Project in the form of video files, still images, assets streamed via the Internet, and/or all other assets and information provided by the Applicant on the application.
All digital assets referenced above shall remain active and accessible by the Institute until the conclusion of the Festival on 11-16/11/2026
Any dissemination of these materials, incidental or otherwise, shall not be the responsibility of the Institute or any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival Related Parties.

10. Code of Conduct: Tamuz Shomron Film Festival promotes an environment where bold, creative, and distinctive voices are celebrated. Tamuz Shomron Film Festival is committed to allowing filmmakers, their teams and Festival attendees to experience the Tamuz Shomron Film Festival free of harassment, discrimination, sexism, and threatening or disrespectful behavior.
The Institute reserves the right to rescind an invitation to participate in the festival for those who engage in such conduct.

11. The undersigned hereby acknowledges on behalf of all Project Owners that the undersigned has read and understood the Rules and Regulations for submitting a project to the festival.

12. By completing the submission application for 2026 Tamuz Shomron Film Festival consideration, the undersigned, on behalf of the undersigned and all Project Owners, freely and voluntarily gives and expresses full and complete acceptance of all of the terms and provisions set forth in these Terms and Conditions.
The parties acknowledge that no oral representations, inducements, promises or assurances of any kind, and no representations, inducements, promises or assurances not set forth in these Terms and Conditions, have been made to the undersigned or the Project’s Owners by the Festival, the Institute, or any Tamuz Shomron Film Festival Related Parties.

13. The festival reserves the right to accept or reject submitted films in accordance with the professional judgment of the judging committee and without communicating the reasons to the filmmakers.

14. The existence of the festival and its program are conditional on the annual budget, if the festival does not take place for any reason and/or the program changes - the filmmakers and the presenters of the films will not have any claim against the Shomron Community Center and/or the festival staff

15. I, the undersigned, undertake to indemnify you for any damage caused to you as a result of a claim and/or demand from any of the creators and/or owners of the project due to the screening of the film at the festival and/or the use of any materials from the project as part of the festival

ENTERING A FILM IN THIS FESTIVAL IMPLIES THE ACCEPTANCE OF THESE REGULATIONS!

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Marta Zukowska-Sherabayani

    Fantastic Communication, we were not part of official selection, but our film was shown outside the competition, but the whole experience from beginning to end was very enjoyable. Highly professional and in the end we also received Hebrew subtitles as a bonus for our very own short Film The Visitor. Super happy and gutted we could not attend this year. Would highly reccommend this festival and would happily apply again with other projects.

    December 2025
    Response from festival:

    Dear Marta and the entire talented crew of "The Visitor"!
    Thank you very much for the unique project, which raises poignant questions about truth and life, with the help of a clever script with brilliant dialogues and touches of humor.
    We were honored to screen your film, and of course we look forward to hearing from you on other projects in the future and meeting you on the red carpet!

  • Communication was excellent, and the team was wonderful. Hospitality was also fantastic. Thank you for selecting "Red Snow" by Jonathan Dumosch.

    November 2025
    Response from festival:

    Thank you very much, dear Assaf, and the talented Jonathan, for sharing an extraordinary animated film, which manages, without a single word, to take us on an exciting and moving journey with the experience of a father anxious for the safety of his son, in a bout of post-traumatic stress disorder.

  • Rivka Imber

    תודה רבה על פסטיבל נפלא,
    על הקשבה, התחשבות ואנושיות.

    November 2025
    Response from festival:

    תודה רבה רבקה ורותי על השיתוף ביצירה קולנועית מטלטלת ונוקבת מתוך ההתמודדות ההורית לילד עם צרכים מיוחדים.
    נוכחותכן באירועי הפסטיבל ופתיחת החוויות האישיות והליך ההפקה מאחורי הקלעים העשירו את באי הפסטיבל והותירו חותם משמעותי.

  • Katie Green

    It's always great to participate in the Tamuz Shomron festival. Thank you again for another fantastic year.

    December 2024
    Response from festival:

    Dear Katie, it is exciting to meet anew every year the treasure of sweet fruits that you carefully present for the festival. We are very happy and grateful for the partnership and the quality that you make accessible to the general public through registering the films with us.

  • It was such a wonderful festival, and being with you made it even more special. Thank you for everything.

    December 2024
    Response from festival:

    Dear Nephan, Thank you very much for the kind words. Indeed, the festival was significant and exciting, and thank you for the film 'Siren' which was more relevant here than ever and allowed us to experience the war situation from a child's point of view. We wish you continued successful filmmaking and hope to meet again at the following festivals