Ophir Awards 2013: Nominations

Stealing the show and the hearts of many (yes, mine too!) this morning in Jaffa were no other than Shaike (Yeshayahu Levi) and Gavri (Gavriel Banai) of HaGashash HaHiver, the Israeli comedy troupe who define a class of their own, classic comedians with hilarious word-play, captivating stage presence and a sense of style, and they sing really well too! HaGashash (the name means “The Pale Tracker” in Hebrew) will receive the Ophir Lifetime Achievement Award for 2013. Sadly, the third member of this trio, Poli (Yisrael Poliakov, (1941 – 2007), is not here to share in this tribute.

The Ophir Award nominations for 2013 were announced at a press conference that took place this morning at Mishkenot Ruth Daniel in Jaffa. A new category has been introduced this year, in cooperation with the Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival, with an award for Best Short Feature Film. The Ophir Awards ceremony will take place on September 28, 2013 in Haifa, in conjunction with the Haifa International Film Festival, and will be broadcast live on Channel 10.
2013 Ophir Award Finalists

Best Feature Film

Bethlehem – produced by Talia Klinhandler
Magic Men – produced by Shemi Shinfeld, Amitan Menelson
Hunting Elephants – produced by Ehud Bleiberg, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery
Sweets – produced by Dov Shtoyer, Joseph Pitchhadze, Ran Friedberg, Perry Kafri, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery
Six Acts – produced by Udi Yerushalmi, Yonatan Gurfinkel

Best Fringe Feature Film

I am Bialik – produced by Aviv Talmor
White Panther – produced by Dafna Prenner, Shay Eines, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery, Amir Golan, Guy Behar

Best Documentary Film

Ladies First – produced by Ofer Naim, Amir Gdalia; directed by Riki Shelah
The Garden of Eden – produced by Amir Harel, Ayelet Kayit, Ran Tal; directed by Ran Tal
Ponevez Time – produced by Einat Pinsky Goldschmidt, Talia Klinhandler; directed by Yehonatan Indursky
Five Broken Cameras – produced and directed by Guy Davidi
Bureau 06 – produced and directed by Yoav Halevy
The Gatekeepers – produced by Dror Moreh, Phillipa Kowarsky; directed by Dror Moreh

Best Short Feature Film

Aya – produced by Hillel Rozman, Yael Abecassis, Pablo Meller; directed by Oded Ben Nun, Michal Brazis
Babga – produced by Morton Shelton; directed by Gan de Langa
Bruchim HaBaim ve… Mishtatfim BeTza’arhem (Welcome and… our condolences) – produced by Haim Meckelberg, Esti Yaakov Meckelberg; directed by Leon Prodovsky
Hofesh Gadol (Summer Vacation) – produced by Tal Granit, Sharon Maymon, Gal Greenspan, Roey Korland; directed by Sharon Maymon, Tal Granit
Hanaya Batzel (Parking in the Shade) – produced by Itamar Tabenkin; directed by Ori Rom

Best Director

Yuval Adler, Ali Waked – Bethlehem
Tom Shoval – Youth
Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado – Big Bad Wolves
Joseph Pitchhadze – Sweets
Johnathan Gurfinkel – Six Acts

Best Actor

Shadi Mar’i – Bethlehem
Makhram Khoury – Magic Men
Sasson Gabay – Hunting Elephants
Tzahi Grad – Big Bad Wolves
Alon Abutbul – A Place in Heaven

Best Actress

Tali Sharon – She is Coming Home
Reymonde Amsalem – Kidon
Rotem Zisman Cohen – A Place in Heaven
Yuval Sharf – The Wonders
Reymonde Amsalem – Fragile
Sivan Levy – Six Acts

Best Supporting Actor

Tzachi Halevy – Bethlehem
Zohar Strauss – Magic Men
Moni Moshonov – Hunting Elephants
Dov Glickman – Big Bad Wolves
Moni Moshonov – Sweets

Best Supporting Actress

Liora Rivlin – She is Coming Home
Shirilee Deshe – Youth
Rotem Zisman Cohen – Hunting Elephants
Ahuva Keren – The Dove Flyer
Keren Berger – A Place in Heaven
Hana Laszlo – Fragile

Best Cinematography

Yaron Sharf – Bethlehem
Giora Bejach – Big Bad Wolves
Boaz Yehonatan Yaacov – A Place in Heaven
Shay Goldman – Fragile
Shark de Mayo – Six Acts

Best Screenplay

Yuval Adler – Bethlehem
Reshef & Regev Levy – Hunting Elephants
Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado – Big Bad Wolves
Joseph Madmony – A Place in Heaven
Rona Segal – Six Acts

Best Editing

Ron Omer – Bethlehem
Joelle Alexis – Youth
Asaf Korman – Big Bad Wolves
Dov Stoyer – Sweets
Arik Lahav Leibovich – Six Acts

Best Casting

Liron Zohar, Naama Zaltsman – Bethlehem
Orit Azulay – Youth
Liron Zohar, Naama Zaltsman – Hunting Elephants
Limor Shmila – Big Bad Wolves
Galit Eshkol – Six Acts

Best Production Design

Yoav Sinai – Bethlehem
Arad Showat – Big Bad Wolves
Miguel Markin – The Dove Flyer
Miguel Markin – A Place in Heaven
Yoav Sinai – Sweets
Adam Kalderon – Six Acts

Best Costume Design

Lee Alambic – The Dove Flyer
Laura Sheim – A Place in Heaven
Doron Ashkenazi – Sweets
Keren Ron, Yaron Arye – Fragile
Adam Kalderon – Six Acts

Best Makeup

Orly Ronen – Bethlehem
Orly Ronen – Hunting Elephants
Elinor Gigi Adoni, Dikla Sharabi – Big Bad Wolves
Ronit Dugo Arviv – A Place in Heaven
Etti Bin Nun – The Wonders

Best Original Music

Yishai Eder – Bethlehem
Ophir Leibovitch – Magic Men
Hayim Frank Eilfman – Big Bad Wolves
Ophir Leibovitch – A Place in Heaven
Boris Martzinovsky – Sweets

Best Original Soundtrack

Avi Mizrahi, Ashi Milo – Bethlehem
Itay Elohav, Gil Toren – Kidon
Daniel Shitrit, Ronen Nagel, Lee Zohar – Big Bad Wolves
Tuli Hen, Alex Claude, Daniel Meir – A Place in Heaven
David Lis, Gil Toren, Yossi Appelbaum, Erez Einy Shavit – Sweets
Motti Hefetz, Itzik Cohen, Tomer Koren – Six Acts