Transgender model Stav Strashko makes history with best actress nod
By AMY SPIROUpdated: JUNE 23, 2018 08:13Scene from the film Flawless(photo credit: ISRAEL FILM FUND)Flawless, the film about three teenagers preparing for their senior prom, led the nominations for the Ophir Awards, which were announced earlier this week.The film, called The Prom in Hebrew, was nominated for 12 awards including for best picture, best direction and screenplay.The film’s star, Stav Strashko, was nominated for best actress, making history as the first transgender woman nominated in an acting category.“What a happy day!” Strashko wrote on Instagram after hearing the news. “I wanted to be an actress since I can remember. And when I got the role of Eden in the movie Flawless it was a great dream come true. It is a great honor for me to be the first transgender actress to be nominated for the Best leading Actress Award at the Ophir Awards and I hope that the film will reach as many hearts as possible and will contribute to Transgender Empowerment and Love of the Different.”Noble Savage, a film by Marco Carmel about a teenage boy with an eating disorder and an alcoholic stepfather, garnered 10 nominations, including best film, best direction and best screenplay.The Cakemaker, which was released last year and features a German baker in love with a married Israeli man, was nominated for nine awards.Another film nominated for best picture was Keren Ben-Refael’s Virgins, which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. Actress Joy Rieger picked up the award at the festival for best actress in an international feature for her work in the film.Red Cow, by Tsivia Barkai, which is also nominated for best picture, was screened earlier this year at the Berlin International Film Festival.The awards ceremony will take place on September 6 in Ashdod.
