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The feature film "Palestine 36," directed by renowned Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir, has been officially included in the shortlist for the forthcoming 2026 European Film Academy Awards.
The award is organized annually by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence and outstanding achievements in cinema.
"Palestine 36" had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received an overwhelming response from the audience, who applauded for over twenty minutes in admiration and solidarity with Palestine.
The film, a co-production between Palestine, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and Norway, dramatizes events during the 1936 Arab Revolt in British Mandate Palestine.
Featuring an international cast including Hiam Abbass, Saleh Bakri, and Jeremy Irons, the movie uses a sweeping narrative to explore land, identity and resistance.
The shortlist placement signals growing recognition of Palestinian and Arab independent cinema on the global stage.
Film sector critics called the selection a remarkable achievement, highlighting the growing global presence of Palestinian and Arab independent cinema.
Jacir’s film was previously featured as a Gala Presentation at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it premiered to critical acclaim.
Set in 1936, "Palestine 36" traces the escalation of tensions between Palestinian Arabs, Jewish settlers, and the British authorities.
Through the story of Youssef, who lives between his rural village and a Jerusalem gripped by unrest.
As tensions escalate, he finds himself caught in a reality where village revolts intertwine with the rising waves of Jewish immigrants arriving from fascist Europe.
Amid Palestinians’ determination to gain independence and Britain’s tightening control, all sides move toward a decisive confrontation—one that would leave a profound mark on the future of the region.
While rooted in a historical period, the film draws explicit parallels with contemporary issues of land, displacement and identity.
Director Jacir described the project as deeply personal and timeless, explaining in an interview with Reuters that “it was always a very contemporary story for me.”
She emphasized that although the film revisits a historical revolt against British rule, its emotional and political dynamics—displacement, resilience, and the pursuit of self-determination—echo powerfully in today’s reality.
By connecting the revolt of 1936 to the broader Palestinian narrative, Jacir crafts a bridge between past and present, illustrating how struggles for identity and justice persist across generations
3 min read
