Palestine has selected Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36 as its official submission for the 2025 Academy Awards in the best international feature category.
The historical drama is set in 1936 during the Palestinian revolt against British colonial rule. The film follows Yusuf, a young villager caught between his rural home and the political upheaval in Jerusalem, as tensions rise amid growing unrest, British crackdowns, and the influx of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe. Palestine 36 will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival with a gala screening during the opening weekend on September 5.
The ensemble cast includes Hiam Abbass (Succession), Saleh Bakri (Blue Caftan), Robert Aramayo (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Billy Howle (The Perfect Couple), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones), Dafer L’Abidine (Children of Men), Yasmine Al-Massri (The Strangers Case), Yumna Marwan, newcomer Karim Daoud Anaya as Yusuf, and Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons (The Beekeeper).
Produced by Ossama Bawardi, Cat Villiers, Azzam Fakhreddin, Hani Farsi, Nils Åstrand, Olivier Barbier, Nathanaël Karmitz, Katrin Pors and Hamza Ali, the film was made through Philistine Films, Autonomous, Corniche Media, MK Productions and Snowglobe.
Production was initially planned to shoot entirely in Palestine but was disrupted following the events of Oct. 7, with parts relocated to Jordan before returning to complete the film on location in Palestine.
Jacir, one of the most prominent Palestinian filmmakers, previously directed Salt of the Sea (2008), When I Saw You (2012) and Wajib (2017), all of which were selected as Palestine’s Oscar entries. She is also the founder of Philistine Films, a production company supporting independent Arab cinema.
France’s mk2 films and Lucky Number are handling international sales.