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Israeli culture and sports minister Miki Zohar has said that the Israeli Film Academy's Ophir Awards will be defunded after its Best Feature Film prize went to The Sea, a drama about Palestine
According to Variety, Zohar claimed that the film "spat in the face of Israeli citizens", and accused it of depicting "our heroic soldiers of the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) in a defamatory and false way".
He added that the film's victory sparked outrage among Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers who "dedicate their lives to defending the homeland".
He claimed the funding cut will take effect in 2026.
However, it is unclear whether Zohar has the authority to defund the awards.
Commonly termed the "Israeli Oscars", the Ophir Awards are a showcase for excellence in the Israeli film industry, and they are held four months prior to the announcement of nominees for the Oscars
The winner of the Best Feature Film award will be sent as Israel's submission to the Oscars, where it will compete for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category.
So under Israel's own protocol, The Sea is automatically set to be Israel's submission to the 2025 Oscars for Best Foreign Film.
Screenshot from the film's trailer.
Image via Nachshon FIlmsThe Sea is an Arabic-language drama about a Palestinian boy, Khaled, and his quest to visit the sea
According to the film's website, The Sea follows Khaled, who lives in the occupied West Bank, on a school trip to Tel Aviv where he is excited to visit a beach for the first time.
However, IDF soldiers deny him entry at a checkpoint, and he is turned away while his friends are able to proceed.
Screenshot from the film's trailer.
Image via Nachshon FilmsDetermined to fulfil his dream, Khaled sneaks into Israel and embarks on a journey to the coast, despite not knowing the way or speaking Hebrew.
Meanwhile, his father, who works in Israel without a permit, risks his livelihood to search for his son.
In addition to Best Feature Film, Muhammad Gazawi, who played Khaled, won Best Actor, and Khalifa Natour, who played his father, won Best Supporting Actor. The film also won Best Screenplay and Best Original Score.
"I wish for all the children of the world, everywhere, to have the same opportunity — to live and dream without wars," Gazawi said in his acceptance speech.
The film is an Israeli-Palestinian co-production, with creatives from both communities working together to bring it to life
At the 2025 Ophir Awards, which The Sea dominated, many on stage urged the Israeli government to put an end to the conflict in Gaza.
T-shirts bearing messages like, "a child is a child is a child" were a common sight, as were pictures of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas.
The chairman of the Israeli Film and Television Academy, Asaf Amir, said that in light of both government criticism and a Hollywood-led boycott of Israeli film productions, he was proud that an Arabic-language collaboration between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis would be selected to represent Israel at the Oscars.
"Especially in the harsh reality we live in, as the never-ending war in Gaza takes a terrible toll in death and destruction, the ability to see the 'other,' even if he is not of your own people, gives me small hope," he said
The film's trailer may be viewed here.
Meanwhile, Israel's widely condemned and renewed offensive in Gaza City continues, causing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that Reuters estimates has killed 65,000.
A United Nations inquiry has also confirmed that the Israeli government and military are committing genocide in Gaza.
In March 2025, the Palestinian co-director of the documentary No Other Land, which won Best Documentary at the 2024 Oscars, was beaten by Israeli settlers before being arrested by the military. He has since been released.
