Ophir Awards

Israel’s film industry is thriving - so why can’t it crack the Oscars?

Israel has earned 10 Oscar nominations but never won. Are the Ophir Awards helping choose its strongest contenders?

|ByHANNAH BROWN
The cast and crew of ‘Tell Me Everything,’ after it received the Ophir Award for Best Picture.Premium
FOR THE first time, the festival will feature two outdoor screens.

Arava International Film Festival expands to two outdoor screens for 15th edition in November

The Arava International Film Festival returns November 4 to 14 with nine Israeli premieres, Hollywood classics, and two outdoor screens beneath the Negev desert sky.

|ByHANNAH BROWN
‘TELL ME EVERYTHING’S 16 Ophir nominations are the highest total received by any movie in the history of the awards. The film tells the coming-of-age story of a boy who discovers his father is gay at the height of the AIDS epidemic and who reconnects with him later in life.

Which film will be Israel's submission to the Oscars? Inside the Ophir Awards' red carpet

The Jerusalem Post attended Israel's own Oscars ceremony and interviewed some of the country's biggest stars.

|ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS
Picture of Tell Me Everything/ courtesy of United King Films

'Tell Me Everything' wins Best Picture at Ophir Awards, earns Israel’s Oscar submission

Tell Me Everything won Best Picture and 9 other awards at the Ophir Awards and will go on to be considered for the Best International Feature Academy Award.

|ByHANNAH BROWN

Al Pacino reportedly dating Israeli actress

Meital Dohan is best known for her guest starring spot on Weeds.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018ByAMY SPIRO
American Film Institute Life Achievement Award – Show – Los Angeles, California, U.S., 08/06/2017 - Actor Al Pacino speaks on stage.

The Cakemaker’s sweet Ophir win

The first two presenters, ultra-Orthodox director Rama Burshtein and Arab director Maysaloun Hamoud, embodied the diversity of the Israeli film industry.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018ByHANNAH BROWN
A scene from 'The Cakemaker'

Gay-themed films battle for the Ophir Prize

The Ophir voters can be unpredictable, but you can expect that Regev will find something to meet with her displeasure before they are done handing out the statuettes.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018ByHANNAH BROWN
"The Cakemaker" by Ofir Raul Graizer is a leading contender for the Ophir Prize

‘Flawless’ leads Ophir Award nominations

Transgender model Stav Strashko makes history with best actress nod

JUNE 22, 2018ByAMY SPIRO
Scene from the film Flawless

The dangerous dance of 'Foxtrot' critics

“Any up-and-coming director knows that if they make films that defame Israel there will be those in the world who will warmly accept them," says Israel's culture minister.

OCTOBER 30, 2017ByHANNAH BROWN
A SCENE from Samuel Maoz’s critically acclaimed ‘Foxtrot.’

Scenes from an Israeli marriage: ‘Foxtrot’ wins best film, Ophir Awards

In developing the character of Ya’ara, Koler says that she often tried to think about her own fears when confronting situations that were “outside her comfort zone.”

OCTOBER 2, 2017ByBERNARD DICHEK
Gili (Udi Razzin) and Ya’ara (Noa Koler) scout the location where they plan to build their dream home in the Galilee countryside.

Fancy footwork: ‘Foxtrot’ is a rich, intricate dance

Foxtrot is the rare art house film with real suspense, and it holds your attention to the last moment, which contains a surprise that adds another layer to the tragedy.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2017ByHANNAH BROWN
Lior Ashkenazi in 'Foxtrot.'