10 Awards and One Giant Night for "Independence": Moshe Rosenthal Still Processing

Moshe Rosenthal's film "Independence" won ten Ophir Awards at last night's ceremony, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Rosenthal, still processing the achievement, discusses the pressure leading up to the ceremony, the surprising casting process, and his concerns ahead of the Oscar race as Israel's representative amid boycotts and the complex attitude toward Israel worldwide.

Moshe Rosenthal's film "Independence" was the big winner of the 2026 Ophir Awards ceremony, held last night (Wednesday). The film, currently screening in theaters, arrived at the ceremony with a record 16 nominations and won ten awards, tying for the second-largest win count in the award's history alongside "Seven Blessings" (2023) and "Yana's Friends" (1999). Rosenthal himself won awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, while the professional team won seven additional awards: Ziv Berkovich for cinematography, Dafi Farbman for editing, Ido Dolev for art direction, Hava Levi Rozalski for costume design, Maya Levi Shamai for makeup, Hamutal Zerem Kastel for casting, and Vitali Grinshpon for sound recording and design. In an interview with Walla, Rosenthal said he is still processing the big night, and that after the ceremony he celebrated with the team at a karaoke of songs from the film. He described the pressure that came with the record nominations, and the casting process where different actors than those he originally envisioned changed the characters. As the winner of Best Film, "Independence" was chosen to represent Israel in the Oscar race. Rosenthal expressed concern about the antagonism Israel provokes in the world, but expressed hope that the film's universal and human story could bridge and neutralize the politics.