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PALESTINE 36 to hold its Arab World premiere at Red Sea International Film Festival's Grand Gala
05 November 2025
Annemarie Jacir’s historical drama PALESTINE 36 — Palestine’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards — will finally be unveiled to Arab audiences with its grand gala Arab World premiere screening, presented as part of the Arab Spectacular Program at the fifth Red Sea International Film Festival, which will take place in Jeddah from December 4th to 13th.
This news follows the film winning an Audience Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival, getting shortlisted for the 38th European Film Awards, Best Screenplay nomination at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and winning Best Film at the Tokyo Film Festival.
Eager to see the film screening closer to home, director Jacir said, “We are thrilled to finally announce our Arab Gala premiere at the Red Sea Film festival, and to finally bring the film to our own audiences.”
A revisit of the events leading to the Arab Revolt of 1936, PALESTINE 36 follows Yusuf as he drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest of 1936 Mandate Palestine, where several villages were rising up against British rule.
However, history is relentless; with rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping an increasingly fascist Europe and Palestinian calls for independence, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
A co-production between Palestine, the UK, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, the film premiered to sold-out acclaim at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival. It has since screened at AFI Fest, Rome, Chicago, Cork, and Thessaloniki.
It includes a roster of A-list actors, with many of Palestinian origin, including Hiam Abbass (PARADISE NOW, BLADE RUNNER 49), Palestinian cinema and theater icon Kamel El Basha, Saleh Bakri (SALT OF THIS SEA), and Yasmine Al-Massri (Netflix’s CASTLEVANIA, THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US!), alongside top-shot British actor Jeremy Irons, the acclaimed Tunisian actor and model Dhafer L’Abidine, Billy Howle, GAME OF THRONES stars Liam Cunningham and Robert Aramayo, Syrian actor Jalal Altawil, as well as the debuting Yafa Bakri and Karim Daoud Anaya.
The film is produced by Ossama Bawardi, with co-production by Azzam Fakhrildin, Cat Villiers, Hani Farsi, Nils Åstrand, Olivier Barbier, Katrin Pors, Hamza Ali, and Elissa Pierre (through Philistine Films, Autonomous, Corniche Media, MK Productions, and Snowglobe); cinematography by Hélène Louvart; and music by Ben Frost. It is also distributed in the Arab World by MAD Distribution.
Annemarie Jacir has written, directed, and produced over 16 films, with premieres at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, and Telluride. All four features she directed were Palestine's Oscar entries. She also directed the first feature by a Palestinian female director, the acclaimed SALT OF THIS SEA — a FIPRESCI winner and her second work to debut at Cannes. WHEN I SAW YOU won Best Asian Film at the Berlinale, and WAJIB garnered 36 awards, including those at Mar Del Plata, Dubai, and London.
As the founder of the independent production company Philistine Films, Jacir frequently collaborates with Arab filmmakers in roles including editor, screenwriter, and producer. She is deeply committed to working with local crews and nurturing emerging Arab talent through mentorship and training, actively supporting the growth of independent cinema across the region.
Jacir lives in Palestine and has served on juries for major film festivals, like Cannes, Berlin, and Sundance. She is a member of several prestigious film academies, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy.
In her hometown of Bethlehem, she co-founded Dar Jacir, an independent, artist-run cultural space. Her work has been celebrated in retrospectives at venues like the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York and the Toronto International Film Festival.
This news follows the film winning an Audience Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival, getting shortlisted for the 38th European Film Awards, Best Screenplay nomination at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and winning Best Film at the Tokyo Film Festival.
Eager to see the film screening closer to home, director Jacir said, “We are thrilled to finally announce our Arab Gala premiere at the Red Sea Film festival, and to finally bring the film to our own audiences.”
A revisit of the events leading to the Arab Revolt of 1936, PALESTINE 36 follows Yusuf as he drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest of 1936 Mandate Palestine, where several villages were rising up against British rule.
However, history is relentless; with rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping an increasingly fascist Europe and Palestinian calls for independence, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
A co-production between Palestine, the UK, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, the film premiered to sold-out acclaim at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival. It has since screened at AFI Fest, Rome, Chicago, Cork, and Thessaloniki.
It includes a roster of A-list actors, with many of Palestinian origin, including Hiam Abbass (PARADISE NOW, BLADE RUNNER 49), Palestinian cinema and theater icon Kamel El Basha, Saleh Bakri (SALT OF THIS SEA), and Yasmine Al-Massri (Netflix’s CASTLEVANIA, THANK YOU FOR BANKING WITH US!), alongside top-shot British actor Jeremy Irons, the acclaimed Tunisian actor and model Dhafer L’Abidine, Billy Howle, GAME OF THRONES stars Liam Cunningham and Robert Aramayo, Syrian actor Jalal Altawil, as well as the debuting Yafa Bakri and Karim Daoud Anaya.
The film is produced by Ossama Bawardi, with co-production by Azzam Fakhrildin, Cat Villiers, Hani Farsi, Nils Åstrand, Olivier Barbier, Katrin Pors, Hamza Ali, and Elissa Pierre (through Philistine Films, Autonomous, Corniche Media, MK Productions, and Snowglobe); cinematography by Hélène Louvart; and music by Ben Frost. It is also distributed in the Arab World by MAD Distribution.
Annemarie Jacir has written, directed, and produced over 16 films, with premieres at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, and Telluride. All four features she directed were Palestine's Oscar entries. She also directed the first feature by a Palestinian female director, the acclaimed SALT OF THIS SEA — a FIPRESCI winner and her second work to debut at Cannes. WHEN I SAW YOU won Best Asian Film at the Berlinale, and WAJIB garnered 36 awards, including those at Mar Del Plata, Dubai, and London.
As the founder of the independent production company Philistine Films, Jacir frequently collaborates with Arab filmmakers in roles including editor, screenwriter, and producer. She is deeply committed to working with local crews and nurturing emerging Arab talent through mentorship and training, actively supporting the growth of independent cinema across the region.
Jacir lives in Palestine and has served on juries for major film festivals, like Cannes, Berlin, and Sundance. She is a member of several prestigious film academies, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, BAFTA, and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy.
In her hometown of Bethlehem, she co-founded Dar Jacir, an independent, artist-run cultural space. Her work has been celebrated in retrospectives at venues like the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York and the Toronto International Film Festival.
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