Palestine has chosen Annemarie Jacir’s period drama Palestine 36 as its submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards, formalizing the pick on August 18 as the film readies a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5.
Set in 1936 during the Arab revolt against British rule, the story follows a young villager, Yusuf, as he moves between a rural home and a tense Jerusalem, with a cast led by Hiam Abbass, Saleh Bakri, Yasmine Al Massri, Liam Cunningham and Jeremy Irons.
The title marks Palestine’s 18th Oscar submission and Jacir’s fourth entry after Salt of This Sea, When I Saw You and Wajib, underscoring her sustained role in shaping the territory’s awards profile. The submission lands ahead of a December 16 shortlist and January 22 nominations on the Academy’s calendar for the 2026 ceremony.
Behind the camera, the production reflects an unusually broad coalition of backers. The project is supported by BFI and BBC Film and has regional distribution set through MAD Distribution in the Middle East and Curzon in the U.K., with additional partners spanning Europe. Sales and materials emphasize a grounded approach to the revolt’s early phase and its impact on daily life, rather than battle set pieces.
The film’s path to completion was not straightforward. Production was postponed weeks before principal photography amid the escalation of the Israel–Hamas war in late 2023 and resumed the following year, a delay that has framed early coverage of the movie’s journey to the screen. Producers have described the film as years in the making, with work continuing across multiple countries to recreate late-1930s Palestine.
Festival notes position Palestine 36 as a character drama within a historical canvas, highlighting themes of ambition, surveillance and political awakening. With its TIFF gala premiere set and an official Oscar submission in hand, the film enters the season with institutional support at home and a high-profile launch on the fall circuit.
