Ophir Award


The Ophir Awards, full name: the Israel Film Academy Award, sometimes also known as the Israeli Oscars or the Israeli Academy Awards, are film awards for excellence in the Israeli film industry awarded by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. The award, named after Israeli actor Shaike Ophir, has been granted since 1990.
The Academy Awards ceremony takes place every year in September, about four months before the announcement of the nominees for the American Academy Award. The winner of the "Best Film" award is sent as Israel's representative to compete for an Oscar nomination in the "Best Foreign Film Oscar Award" category. Out of the winners of the Ophir Award in the "Best Film" category over the years, 10 films have been chosen to be nominated for the Oscar Award in the "Best Foreign Film" category.

History

The predecessors of the award were the Israeli Film Center Award and the Silver Menorah Award.
The first Israeli Academy Awards ceremony was held since the establishment of the academy in 1990 It was held annually at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center. In 2004 it was renamed the Ophir Awards after Shaike Ophir. The award holds annual competitions in the field of feature and documentary cinema among the films produced that year. The Ophir Awards are awarded in 18 categories in the field of Israeli cinematic creation.
Since 2003, the Academy has held a separate ceremony for television programs. Before the establishment of the Academy, the "Kinor David" was awarded in the years 1963 - 1986 to creators in various fields of Israeli culture. The award was given both in the field of cinema and in the field of communication. Starting in 2003, these awards are given separately as part of the "Awards of the Israel Television Academy".
The year 2004 is known as the record year for viewing percentages of Israeli films and the record year for the Ophir Awards ceremony: 23 feature films competed, including the blockbusters "Turn Left at the End of the World", "Campfire" and "Walk on Water".
As of 2022, The highest number of Ophir Awards won by a single film is 11, for the film "Nina's Tragedies", which in 2003 won 11 awards out of a possible 13, including the best film, but lost the best actor award to Aryeh Elias and the best composer award to Ehud Banai. The record for winnings per person belongs to Assi Dayan and Gil Toran, who won 8 Ophir awards each. Assi Dayan is also the only one who won awards for directing, writing and acting.
The award is televised every year. In the beginning it was broadcast on Channel 2 as part of Keshet Medial Group broadcasts, and then the broadcast moved to Channel 10. In 2016 the ceremony was broadcast live on Channel 24 and then returned a second Channel 12.
The winner of the Best Film award usually becomes Israel's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, although exceptions include Aviva My Love and The Band's Visit, which was disqualified for having more than 50% of its dialogue in English. Israel submitted the runner-up for that year—Beaufort—instead. The latter film was eventually nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
The statuette awarded to prize winners was designed by the Israeli sculptor Richard Shiloh, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2011.
The categories in which the award is distributed:
In addition, almost every year awards are given for lifetime achievement and a recognition award for professional achievements.

List of winners

  • 1990: The Lookout
  • 1991: Beyond the Sea
  • 1992: Life According to Agfa
  • 1993: Revenge of Itzik Finkelstein
  • 1994: Sh'Chur
  • 1995: Lovesick on Nana Street
  • 1996: Saint Clara
  • 1997: Pick a Card
  • 1998: Circus Palestine
  • 1999: Yana's Friends
  • 2000: Time of Favor
  • 2001: Late Marriage
  • 2002: Broken Wings
  • 2003: Nina's Tragedies
  • 2004: Campfire
  • 2005: What a Wonderful Place
  • 2006: Aviva, My Love and Sweet Mud
  • 2007: The Band's Visit
  • 2008: Waltz with Bashir
  • 2009: Ajami
  • 2010: The Human Resources Manager
  • 2011: Footnote
  • 2012: Fill the Void
  • 2013: Bethlehem
  • 2014: Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
  • 2015: Baba Joon
  • 2016: Sand Storm
  • 2017: Foxtrot
  • 2018: The Cakemaker
  • 2019: Incitement
  • 2020: Asia
  • 2021: Let There Be Morning
  • 2022: Cinema Sabaya
  • 2023: Seven Blessings
  • 2024: Come Closer
  • 2025: ''The Sea''

    Awards ceremonies

This is a list of Ophir Award ceremonies.

Ceremonies

Award Records

Record nominations for a film : 15 - "The World is Funny" , "Image of Victory", "Let it be Morning"
Record of wins for a film : 11 – "Nina's Tragedies"
Record of wins per person : 10 - Israel David
Record of wins for the soundtrack: 10 - Israel David
Record of wins for editing: 7 - Einat Glazer-Zarhin
Record of winnings for photography: 4 - David Gurfinkel
Record of wins for an actress: 3 - Ronit Elkebetz, 3 - Dana Ivgy, 3 - Anat Waxman, 3 - Raymond Amsalem
Record wins for a player: 4 - Sasson Gabai
Record of winnings for a screenplay: 4 - Savi Gabizon
Record of wins for directing: 3 - Savi Gabizon
Record of wins for the documentary film: 2 - Arnon Goldfinger, Nadav Shirman, Shlomi Elder

Ceremony hosts

The following have hosted the Academy Awards ceremony on two or more occasions.
HostNumber of Ceremonies
Moni Moshonov5
Avi Kushnir2
Shlomo Bar-Aba2
Tal Friedman2
Ilan Peled2