Oscars

Javier Bardem speaks out for Palestine at the Oscars, while Iranian dissidents were ignored

Sporting a pro-Palestine button, Bardem was the only presenter to reference the war in Gaza, which ended in October, a contrast to previous years in which the war was widely mentioned.

|ByHANNAH BROWN
Javier Bardem wears a pin which reads: "Palestine" on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 15, 2026.
MEYER LEVINSON-BLOUNT

Israeli director Levinson-Blount's student film is up for an Oscar

“It’s really an honor to represent my film school at the Oscars. The cast and crew of the film are thrilled, he said. “It’s a student film and it wouldn’t have happened without a lot of teamwork.”

|ByHANNAH BROWN
MICHAEL B. JORDAN in ‘Sinners.’

Oscars clash 2026: ‘Sinners’ takes on ‘One Battle After Another’

From 'One Battle After Another' to 'Sinners,' find out which films and stars are poised to dominate the 98th Academy Awards this Sunday.

|ByHANNAH BROWN
ARTEM "ALFRED" Nakache (inset), a Jew who swam for France at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, is depicted in lane 4 in the animated short film 'Papillon.'

French animated short tells story of Jewish swimmer who survived Auschwitz

The film is based on the extraordinary real life of Alfred Nakache, a Jewish athlete whose story of resilience under Nazi persecution has previously been told in two French documentaries.

|ByANDREW SILOW-CARROLL/JTA

Oscar-nominated Iranian screenwriter released from prison in northern Iran after 17 days - report

Mehdi Mahmoudian, who is nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, was imprisoned after he signed a letter condemning Khamenei.

FEBRUARY 17, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
Mehdi Mahmoudian, Oscar-nominated co-writer of Jafar Panahi’s "It was just an accident."

Godfather actor Robert Duvall dies aged 95

Duvall passed away peacefully, aged 95, on Sunday, his family announced on Monday.

FEBRUARY 16, 2026ByJAMES GENN
Actor Robert Duvall arrives for the world premiere of Widows at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Canada, September 8, 2018.

Spielberg wins Grammy for John Williams documentary, becomes ninth Jew to earn 'EGOT' status

Spielberg was awarded the Grammy for producing 'Music by John Williams' before the ceremony on Sunday. The win makes him the 22nd person to win the quartet of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.

FEBRUARY 3, 2026ByPHILISSA CRAMER/JTA
STEVEN SPIELBERG poses on the red carpet at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California, US, January 11, 2026.

‘Hamnet’ is Oscar-bait about Shakespeare's free-spirited wife - review

Hamnet, which just opened in theaters around Israel, is a movie about William Shakespeare’s family that really wants to be about something else.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
BRITAIN'S QUEEN Camilla (R) attends a special screening of 'Hamnet', the film adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning novel, in central London on January 27, 2026.

Israeli film Butcher's Stain receives an Oscar nomination in Best Live Action Short category

Butcher’s Stain has already won a Silver Medal in the Narrative category at the 2025 Student Academy Awards, an important achievement for a filmmaker at the beginning of his career.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
Omar Sameer Mahamid stars in Meyer Levinson-Blount's Butcher's Stain, a short film that has received an Oscar nomination.

Israeli film industry in turmoil as Culture Ministry awards ignite backlash 

Israeli cinema is heading for a showdown as the culture minister threatens funding and sparks boycotts.

DECEMBER 24, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Likud parliament member Miki Zohar reacts during an arrangements committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, January 13, 2020.

'Butcher’s Stain' lands Oscars shortlist as Israel shut out of international feature race

Butcher’s Stain is about Samir (Omar Sameer Mahamid), an Arab Israeli working in a supermarket in Tel Aviv, who is accused of tearing down hostage posters in the break room.

DECEMBER 18, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
An Oscar statue is seen on stage after the 82nd annual Academy Awards nomination announcements in Beverly Hills February 2, 2010.

Norwegian movies 'Dreams' and 'Love' open in Israel

Norway’s arthouse boom continues, though Haugerud’s trilogy relies heavily on dialogue over emotion.

DECEMBER 7, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Scene from 'Dream'

Tom Nesher’s Ophir Award-winning and Israeli Oscars selection, 'Come Closer,' to open in US

It also won Ophir Awards for Best Director, Best Actress (Lia Elalouf), and Best Editing (Shauly Melamed). Nesher was named one of Variety’s Directors to Watch in 2025.

DECEMBER 2, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Lia Elalouf in Tom Nesher's Come Closer.

The few prominent Jews worldwide demanding sanctions on Israel betray us - opinion

These kinds of Jews simply don’t have the required agency to demand that we be held to account and be sanctioned.

OCTOBER 26, 2025BySHERWIN POMERANTZ
AMONG THOSE demanding that Israel be penalized for defending itself is Hannah Einbinder, who could not resist yelling out ‘Free Palestine’ recently upon accepting her Emmy, the writer notes.