Banisko, by Omer Zigdon
Israeli student wins Nextv competition
Short sci-fi film by 18-year old student from Ramat Hasharon to be screened before Hollywood reps, who may decide to turn it into TV show
An Israeli high school student has won Nextv Entertainment's short film competition, awarding him the chance to screen his film in Hollywood before representatives from Disney, Paramount, and NBC.
Omer Zigdon's film Banisko, which is about 15 minutes long, was selected as best scripted drama from among 700 short films.
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The movie depicts Planet Earth in 2084. A secret colony has been formed outside the planet by a government agency, but they leave a special unit on earth to find the best minds and draw their memories, which will be used to serve a new generation of humankind. Eventually the agency leaves Earth with only two people, a new Adam and Eve.
"I liked the idea that every end is also a beginning," says Zigdon, an 18-year old film student at Alon High School in Ramat Hasharon.
"It raises questions about what existed here before Adam and Eve. Maybe we are just sitting on the ruins of a world that was destroyed."
Zigdon says others had attempted to discourage him from making the film, but that he had decided to go for it anyway upon meeting producer Ariel Nir. "This award proves anything is possible," he says.
The film student, who dreams of being a director some day, was also asked by Nextv to draft a proposal for a television show based on the movie. The proposal will be sent to Hollywood production companies for evaluation.
