The Israeli film “The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan),” starring Shuli Rand and Elon Gold, earned 12 nominations for the 2026 Ophir Awards, including Best Feature Film.
The Ophir Awards are Israel’s version of the Oscars. The nominations were announced Aug. 2.
In addition to Best Feature Film, “The Wedding Entertainer” received nominations for Best Actor for Rand, Best Supporting Actor for Tal Friedman, Best Supporting Actress for Malky Goldman, Best Screenplay for Rand and Best Cinematography for Giora Bejach.
The film also received six nominations in technical categories: Best Editing for Yosef Grinfeld and Amir Winkler, Best Sound Recording and Sound Design for Shahaf Wagshal and Ran Tzruya, Best Original Music for Assaf Talmudi, Best Art Direction for Shahar Bar-Adon, Best Costume Design for Carmel Meir and Best Makeup for Eti Ben-Nun.
Set in Jerusalem’s Hasidic wedding circuit, “The Wedding Entertainer” follows Moishe Striker, played by Rand. Moishe once received the top jobs as a badhan, a performer hired to entertain guests at Hasidic weddings. Years of alcoholism left him in serious financial trouble. He is now in desperate need of money to pay for the wedding of his daughter Surah Leah, played by Goldman.
Rand received nominations for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. In total, he has been nominated for seven Ophirs, including wins for Best Actor for “Life According to Agfa” in 1992 and “Ushpizin” in 2004.
Goldman received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role, her first Ophir nomination.
Gold received his first Ophir nomination as one of the film’s executive producers. Shlomo Boehm, Jonathan Gordon and Charles-Edouard Gros are also credited as executive producers. Chaya Amor, Aviv Ben Shlush, director Gidi Dar and Daniel Finkelman are the film’s producers.
Gold’s character, Meshulam, is a high-priced American-born badhan who has already secured the wedding booking Moishe hopes will help him pay for his daughter’s wedding and restore his career.
Tal Friedman plays Yisroel Bumchik, Moishe’s childhood friend. His Best Supporting Actor nomination is the third Ophir nomination of his career. His first two came in the Best Actor category for “Schwartz Dynasty” in 2004 and “Muchrachim Lehiyot Same’ach” in 2005.
Cinematographer Giora Bejach’s nomination for Best Cinematography is his 10th Ophir nomination. He has won the award four times: for “Lemarit Ain” in 2005, “Lebanon” in 2009, “Big Bad Wolves” in 2013 and “Foxtrot” in 2017. His other nominations came for “Giraffes” in 2001, “The Debt” in 2007, “Father’s Footsteps” in 2008, “This Is Sodom” in 2010 and “Flawless” in 2018.
“The Wedding Entertainer” reunites Dar and Rand, who worked together on “Ushpizin,” the 2004 drama set within Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox community. Dar did not receive a Best Director nomination for “The Wedding Entertainer.”
The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival in June. It screened at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival in July, where it won the festival’s Narrative Audience Award.
The Ophir Awards ceremony will take place Sept. 9 at Cinema City Glilot, about five miles north of Tel Aviv.
