Palestine has 18 times submitted a film to the Academy Awards for the Best International Feature race, twice being nominated for an Oscar, including in 2005 for “Paradise Now” and 2013 for “Omar,” both directed by Hany Abu-Assad. The country is hoping to land its third nomination with a buzzy historical drama set to debut at TIFF, “Palestine 36,” which has landed North American distribution ahead of its world premiere.
Director Annemarie Jacir’s “Palestine 36” has been acquired for North American distribution rights by Watermelon Pictures, a distribution company that launched in 2024 with the aim of amplifying underrepresented filmmakers from across the world, with its own roots in Palestine. Last year, the company landed on the Oscars shortlist for its release “From Ground Zero” but didn’t advance to the final five nominees.
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“Palestine 36” could be a sleeper hit to go the distance, though. The film is Jacir’s fourth feature that Palestine has submitted for Oscar consideration, including “Salt of the Sea,” “When I Saw You,” and “Wajib.” The film also has a Palestinian cast alongside some other recognizable British stars to fit the historical occupation setting, including Hiam Abbas, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Cunningham.
Jacir’s film, which she wrote and directed, is set in 1936 amid villages across Mandatory Palestine who are rising against British colonial rule. A man named Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
Saleh Bakri, Hiam Abbas, Jeremy Irons, Liam Cunningham, Karim Daoud Anaya, Yafa Bakri, Yasmine Al Massri, Billy Howle, and Robert Aramayo star in the film.
TIFF is giving “Palestine 36” its world premiere on September 5, making it the first Arab film to be featured in the Gala section at the Toronto festival. No release plans have been set by Watermelon Pictures.
Hamza Ali, co-founder of Watermelon Pictures, said, “We’re honored to present ‘Palestine 36,’ a historic gift of a film with an incredible, star-studded cast. Annemarie Jacir has created a sweeping epic masterpiece that helps us better understand our past and the role it played in how we arrived at the moment we’re in today.”
“Filming a story about war while living through one was an extraordinary challenge, but against all odds, we’ve crafted a cinematic work that we believe will deeply capture audiences around the world. With Watermelon Pictures’ deep experience and commitment to powerful storytelling, we couldn’t ask for better partners to bring this film to North American audiences,” producer Ossama Bawardi said.
“Palestine 36” was produced by Ossama Bawardi for Philistine Films in Palestine and co-produced by Cat Villiers for Autonomous and Hani Farsi & Nils Åstrand for Corniche Media in the UK and Olivier Barbier for MK Productions in France. Production partners include BFI, BBC Film, Katara Studios, Doha Film Institute, Watermelon Pictures, and Roya TV. The cinematographer is Hèléne Louvart and the film is scored by Ben Frost.
Watermelon’s Co-Founder Hamza Ali negotiated the sale with Philistine Film’s Ossama Bawardi. International sales for the film are being co-handled by Olivier Barbier, Founder and Head of Acquisitions at the Paris-based sales company Lucky Number, and by MK2 Films.
Variety first reported the news.
