Palestinian film

Attendees gather for the opening of the Gaza International Festival for Women's Cinema, Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, October 26, 2025. (Courtesy of the Gaza International Festival for Women's Cinema)

In a tent in central Gaza, a women’s film festival is born

Held over six days last week, the inaugural International Festival for Women's Cinema was ‘an affirmation that Gaza loves life despite the genocide.’

By Ibtisam Mahdi November 4, 2025

Hamdan Ballal, left, and Rachel Szor, winners of the award for best documentary feature film for "No Other Land," attend the Governors Ball after the Oscars in Los Angeles, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Must the Palestinian have an Oscar for the world to care when he’s attacked?

We can't accept the rules of recognition set by the very powers that dispossess us, especially the idea that our success is what makes us worthy of protection.

By Sleman Altehe March 25, 2025

Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, and Yuval Abraham pictured at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles after their film "No Other Land" won the Oscar for best documentary, March 2, 2025. (Jordan Strauss/AP)

Make no mistake: ‘No Other Land’ is a victory for the Palestinian struggle

While some have accused the Oscar-winning film of normalization, leaders and activists in Masafer Yatta are unwavering in their support for joint resistance.

By Samah Salaime March 7, 2025

Latest

Screengrab from "Lyd." (Courtesy of the directors)

A Lyd without the Nakba

Merging documentary with sci-fi, a new film narrates the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian city in 1948, and imagines what it would look like if the war never happened. So the Israeli government banned it from being screened.

By Dikla Taylor-Sheinman October 25, 2024

A still from the short film 'Sorry Cinema' by Ahmed Hassouna, part of a film project produced by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi. (Courtesy of Rashid Masharawi)

‘Film was the best way to convey our art amid the suffering in Gaza’

Shunned by the Cannes Festival, Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi organized a protest screening of short films made by Gazans during the war.

By Ruwaida Amer July 2, 2024

A discussion held during the Jerusalem Arab Film Festival at Yabous Cultural Center, occupied East Jerusalem. (Samir Shareef)

At local festivals, Palestinian cinema steps out of its comfort zone

Two film festivals in Haifa and Jerusalem showcased an appetite for a Palestinian cinema scene that is thriving despite many obstacles.

By Vera Sajrawi August 16, 2023

Palestinians watch a film screened on the Israeli Separation Wall as part of a festival, Aida refugee camp, Aug. 29, 2008. (Anne Paq/Activestills)

‘Palestinian art is a remarkable victory against those trying to erase us’

Hollywood director Hany Abu-Assad shares his thoughts on the difficulties of making Palestinian films, who gets to tell stories about the occupation, and why it is a 'miracle' that Palestinian art is thriving.

By Rami Younis August 16, 2021

A still from Nur Abu Jnayeh's documentary 'Visit.'

Women filmmakers shine at Palestine’s first student film fest

The first Bethlehem Student Film Festival included a strong showing from Palestinian women from both sides of the Green Line, with films tackling patriarchy, gender stereotypes, and the occupation. By Suha Arraf The Bethlehem Student Film Festival kicked off last week, showcasing 74 student films from all over the world, including France, Algeria, Egypt, China,…

By +972 Magazine April 16, 2019

Filmmaker Sami Alalul (right) on set with Maysa Daw for his film From Beneath the Earth, which debuted at the DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Sami Alalul)

In new film, underground Palestinian musicians compose their own identity

He was denied entry to the U.S. for the premiere of his debut film, a short documentary about Palestine’s underground music scene. But director Sami Alalul seems unfazed. Sami Alalul sounds out every syllable of his Queen’s English, ending most sentences with an almost timid lilt. It’s a manner of speaking that can seem deferential,…

By Samer Badawi October 10, 2017

Tamar Tal and Barak Heymann receiving Ophir Award for Best Documentary Film "Life in Stills" in Hafia. September 21, 2012. "Fill the Void", which was named Best Picture of 2012 and will represent Israel in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the American Academy Awards on February 24, 2013. (Avishag Shaar-Yashuv/Flash90)

Palestinians have no role to play in Israel’s film academy

Out of the 982 members of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, there is not a single Palestinian. I leave my gear with the rest of the production team and go downstairs to take a walk around the village. At the village center I find a bit of shade overlooking the local pub. While…

By Rami Younis August 25, 2016

"When I Saw You", a film by Annemarie Jacir. (Photo: Courtesy)

Why can’t we walk back?: A conversation with Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir

‘When I Saw You’ tells the story of a Palestinian child in 1967 who refuses to accept his fate as a refugee. Writer and director Annemarie Jacir discusses what led her to make the film and what lessons its carries. By Frank Barat Returning to Palestine is a recurring theme in Annemarie Jacir’s films. Unlike…

By +972 Magazine December 13, 2013