Shai Carmeli-Pollak’s The Sea , about a Palestinian boy, won Best Film at Israel ’s Ophir Awards in a somber ceremony in Tel Aviv on Tuesday dominated by Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza as well as the hostage crisis.

Many attendees turned up dressed in black while all the acceptance speeches alluded either to the fate of Israeli hostages abducted in the Hamas October 7, 2023 terror attacks and, or the human toll of Israel’s subsequent military operation in the Gaza Strip.

The ceremony kicked off just hours after Israel launched a major ground offensive on Gaza City, with the overall death toll in the wider Gaza Strip now standing at more than 64,000 people.

Under its Best Film win, The Sea automatically becomes Israel‘s entry to the Best International Feature Film

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