Fez – Israel’s culture minister Makhlouf “Miki” Zohar said he will cut the Culture Ministry’s 2026 allocation that underwrites the Ophir Awards—the budget line that funds the Israeli Film Academy’s organization of the ceremony, venue and production costs, and related awards programming (including Israel’s Oscar submission support)—after “The Sea” won Best Film.
The announcement followed Tuesday night’s ceremony in Tel Aviv and immediately raised legal questions about whether the ministry can unilaterally defund the event.
A win with Oscars consequences
Under long-standing industry practice, the Ophir Best Film automatically becomes Israel’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature, which will go on to compete at the Oscars.
With its victory, The Sea will represent Israel in the 2026 race at the Oscars, a selection that arrives amid fierce debate at home and abroad over war policy and cultural boycotts.
What the film is about
Directed by Israeli filmmaker Shai Carmeli-Pollak and produced with Palestinian partner Bahaer Agbarian, the Arabic-Hebrew drama follows Khaled, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy from the West Bank who attempts to reach the Mediterranean after being turned back at a military checkpoint.
The film also earned Best Actor for 13-year-old Muhammad Gazawi and Best Supporting Actor for Khalifa Natour, underscoring the Academy’s history of honoring works that examine Israeli-Palestinian realities.
Zohar’s threat and the legal fight ahead
Calling the ceremony “pathetic” and “detached,” Zohar said taxpayers should not fund an event that, in his view, insults Israeli soldiers.
Civil liberties advocates signaled they would challenge any defunding in court, saying the move raises free-expression concerns. Whether the ministry has authority to pull the allocation is likely to be tested in the coming weeks.
A somber ceremony, a divided industry
Reports described an emotional night dominated by the Gaza war and the hostage crisis, as filmmakers defended cinema’s role in confronting difficult truths. The Sea’s team framed the win as an appeal to empathy; Gazawi used his speech to wish that “all children… live and dream without wars,” while Academy chair Assaf Amir praised the film’s humanist lens.
Why it matters
If Zohar’s plan survives legal review and budget negotiations, Israel’s top film awards may need private or philanthropic backing to continue, testing the resilience of a sector already navigating political pressure at home and calls for boycotts abroad.
For now, The Sea proceeds on the awards trail as the funding battle unfolds.
