Film Festival Awards Roundup: Israeli Nominations Record, Shanghai and Tallinn Winners, Blue Dragon Honors

Israeli Ophir Awards nominations set record

The Israeli film "Tell Me Everything" received 16 Ophir Awards nominations on Sunday, setting a new record for the most nods ever granted to a single film at the awards, according to the Times of Israel. The film, written and directed by Moshe Rosenthal, follows a young boy in 1987 learning his father is gay; it premiered at Sundance in January and had its Israeli premiere at the Jerusalem Film Festival last month. It is nominated for best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor, best actress and several other categories. Competing in the best picture category—which determines Israel's submission to the Oscars—are Avi Nesher's "Our Loves" (12 nominations total), about characters whose stories intertwine during the October 7 Hamas attack; the Israeli-German film "Where To?" (11 nominations); "Mama" (11 nominations); "Home," written, directed and starring Reut Akkerman; and "The Wedding Entertainer" (12 nominations). The Ophir Awards ceremony, organized by the Israel Academy of Film and Television, is slated for September 9.

Tallinn Black Nights crowns 'Misericordia'

Emma Dante's Italian drama "Misericordia" won the Grand Prix for best film in the Official Selection Competition at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, the Estonian News Hub reported. The film follows three sex workers raising a young man whose mother died in childbirth in a deserted coastal area. Jury chair Danish actress Trine Dyrholm called it "a compelling cinematic work that emphasizes the importance of showing humanity and remaining supportive in a marginalized environment." Simone Zambelli took Best Actor for the film. Manuel Martín Cuenca won Best Director and shared Best Screenplay with Lola Mayo for "Andrea's Love," while New Zealand director Loren Taylor won Best Debut for "The Moon is Upside Down." Anna Hints' "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood" won Best Baltic Film, and Boaz Yakin's "ONCE AGAIN (for the very first time)" took the Audience Award. Twenty films competed in the main competition.

Shanghai festival hails 'Atlantic Rhapsody'

Zhong Kaifeng's debut feature "Atlantic Rhapsody" swept the Golden Goblet prize at the Shanghai International Film Festival, per festival coverage. The jury, led by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, sought films that "surprised and captivated," and singled out the film's cinematography and editing. The festival's international winners also included Colombia's "Iluminada" and Morocco's "Halima," while Zhang Songwen won Best Actor for "Secret in the Box." The film follows a young man seeking his father, framed as a symbol of China's industrial evolution.

Blue Dragon Series Awards celebrate streaming hits

The 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards, South Korea's first ceremony dedicated to streaming series, were held July 31 at Paradise City Incheon, honoring 23 works and 48 nominees from platforms including Netflix, Disney+, Wavve, Genie TV, Coupang Play and TVING released between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026. Kim Go-eun, who led three series this year—"You and Everything Else," "The Price of Confession," and "Yumi's Cells Season 3"—won the Grand Prize in her 14th year in the industry, her first such honor; she tearfully asked the industry to "keep finding me and give me opportunities." The military cooking fantasy "Legendary Chef" swept three awards: Best Series, Best Supporting Actor for Yoon Kyung-ho, and the OST Popularity Award for IVE's An Yu-jin. Park Bo-kyung won Best Supporting Actress for her role in "The Art of Sarah."

Bonito CineSur spotlights South American cinema

The fourth edition of Bonito CineSur, held in Bonito in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, concluded with the presentation of the Pantanal Trophy to winners across its competitive sections, having received a record 905 film submissions and selected 32 productions from ten countries including Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, Colombia and Chile. The Colombian production "Sukua," directed by Omar E. Ospina, won best South American short film, while the top award among feature films went to "Who Killed Narciso?" by Paraguayan filmmaker Marcelo Martinessi. Alejandro Calderón's Colombian feature "Páramos II: El Origen" won best environmental feature from both the official jury and the audience. The audience chose the Peruvian film "Naira" as best South American feature, while Higa Ke – Eye for an Eye by Conrado Roel was named best film from Mato Grosso do Sul by the audience. The edition honored Chilean actress Paulina García, Argentine filmmaker Luis Puenzo, and documentary filmmaker Vincent Carelli.