The Israeli culture and sports minister Miki Zohar has vowed to cut funding for the Israeli Film Academy’s Ophir Awards after its top prize was given to “ The Sea ,” an Arabic-language drama about a Palestinian boy from the West Bank who risks his life to go to the beach in Tel Aviv.

Israel’s top film honors, the Ophir Awards are voted on by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television which brings together nearly 1,100 filmmakers, producers and actors. In winning the Ophir’s best film nod, “The Sea” automatically qualified to represent Israel in the Oscars’ international feature race. “The Sea,” directed by Shai Carmeli Pollak and produced by Baher Agbariya, also won best screenplay, best actor for the 13-year old Palestinian star Muhammad Gazawi, best supporting actor for Khalifa Nato

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