The Ophir Awards, colloquially known as the Israeli Oscars, are the most important film awards in the Israeli film industry and have been awarded by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television since 1990.
On Sunday, the office of Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar said that the minister was not invited to this year's ceremony. Zohar is not part of the guest list, amid a ceremony that will take place in a limited format due to the current situation in the country.
However, the ministry's office clarified that Zohar did not intend to attend the ceremony due to the ongoing war with Hamas and the fact that there are still hostages in captivity, as it considers it inappropriate to celebrate while IDF soldiers are risking their lives on various fronts. This is the second year in a row that Zohar has not attended the prestigious awards ceremony.
The minister has come under fire from the industry for his public stance on future industry reforms, which involve redirecting government funds toward commercial films, which could risk limiting the diversity of perspectives in Israeli cinema.