Overview

• Under Ophir rules, the Best Film automatically becomes Israel’s candidate for the Academy’s international feature category, with shortlist and nomination announcements set for Dec. 16, 2025 and Jan. 22, 2026.
• Shai Carmeli-Pollak’s Arabic- and Hebrew-language film follows a 12-year-old Palestinian boy who risks a clandestine journey to reach the sea after being turned back at a checkpoint.
• The Sea also won best screenplay, best actor for 13-year-old Muhammad Gazawi, best supporting actor for Khalifa Natour, and best original score.
• The ceremony unfolded hours after Israel launched a major ground offensive on Gaza City, with speeches referencing the hostages and the human toll of the war.
• Gazawi appealed for children to “live and dream without wars,” and a statement read for Natour criticized the army’s entry into Gaza, while industry petitions urged boycotts of Israeli film institutions and Israel’s culture minister threatened funding cuts.