Ophir Award | |
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Awarded for | Best in film |
Country | Israel |
Presented by | Israeli Film and Television Academy |
First awarded | 1982 |
Official website | www |
The Ophir Awards (Hebrew: פרס אופיר), also the Israeli Oscars, are film awards awarded by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry. They are named after actor Shaike Ophir and first given out in 1982.
The first Israeli Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1982 with the first award being presented to director Shimon Dotan for the film Repeat Dive, and since 1990 has been held annually at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center.
The highest number of Ophir Awards won by a single film is 11, achieved only by Nina's Tragedies. Assi Dayan won the award 8 times and is the only person to have won as a director, as a screenwriter and also as an actor.
The winner of the Best Film award usually becomes Israel's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, although exceptions include Aviva My Love and The Band's Visit.