“The Sea,” a poignant drama about a Palestinian boy from who risks his life to go to the beach for the first time in Tel Aviv, will represent Israel in the international feature race at the Oscars.

The movie, directed by Shai Carmeli Pollak and produced by Baher Agbariya, won best picture at the Ophir Awards, the Israeli equivalent to the Oscars, which qualifies the movie to be the country’s official submission. The movie also won best screenplay, best actor for the 13-year old Palestinian star Muhammad Gazawi, best supporting actor for Khalifa Natour and best original score.

The Ophir Awards are voted on by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television — which brings together nearly 1,100 filmmakers, producers and actors.

“The Academy congratulates director Shai Carmeli Pollak and prod

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