Moshe Rosenthal’s Tell Me Everything has emerged as Israel’s official entry for the 2027 Oscar race for Best International Feature after winning Best Picture at the Ophir Awards on Thursday.
The Ophir result carries added weight beyond Israel’s film industry honors: in Israel, the film that wins the Ophir for Best Picture automatically becomes the country’s submission to the international feature category at the Oscars.
Tell Me Everything dominated the Ophir Awards, taking 10 trophies in total. Rosenthal was among the night’s key winners, claiming Best Director and Best Screenplay in addition to the film’s Best Picture victory. The film entered the ceremony with a record 16 nominations.
The drama, whose Hebrew title is Independence, is set in Israel in 1987. Its story follows 12-year-old Boaz, played by Yair Mazor, who discovers that his father, portrayed by Assi Cohen, is gay. The revelation fractures the family as the early shadow of the AIDS pandemic forms part of the backdrop. A decade later, father and son try to rebuild their relationship and find a path toward healing.
Ido Tako plays the older Boaz. The cast also includes Keren Tzur, Neta Orbach and Mor Demari.
The film had already begun building an international profile before its Ophir sweep. Tell Me Everything made its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it screened in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. It later opened in Israeli theaters on September 1.
With the Ophir Best Picture win, Rosenthal’s film now moves from a major domestic awards triumph into the next stage of Oscar consideration. The 15-film shortlist for the international feature category is scheduled to be revealed December 15. Oscar nominations are set to be announced January 21, 2027.
Israel has a long history in the international feature race but has yet to win the Oscar. The country has been nominated 10 times in the category, most recently in 2011 for Joseph Cedar’s Footnote. Since that nomination, Israel reached the 15-film shortlist in 2015 with Foxtrot and submitted Shai Carmeli-Pollak’s The Sea last year.
What Happens Next?
Tell Me Everything will represent Israel as countries’ selections move through the Oscar process. Its next major checkpoint is the international feature shortlist announcement on December 15, followed by the Oscar nominations announcement on January 21, 2027.