A film festival in Leeds had to book extra screenings after Palestinian film Palestine 36 sold out in no time.

The 11th Leeds Palestinian Film Festival has closed with its biggest audiences yet. Venue partner Hyde Park Picture House had to schedule additional screenings of Palestine 36.

The historical drama, from director Annemarie Jacir, is Palestine’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Oscars.

Much more than a period film

It tells the story of a Palestinian revolt against British colonial rule in the years before World War Two.

Jacir says:

It has been a long-time dream to tell the story of the 1936-39 revolt, and telling it through the
different points of views of an ensemble of characters came naturally. The 1936 uprising marks the most pivotal moment of our history and I was interested in telling the story in an intimate, raw and personal way.

PALESTINE 36 is a period film, but I never conceived it as something of the past. It has always been current, relevant and alive. Sometimes critical, never nostalgic, always searching. Set in a time I never lived, PALESTINE 36 is deeply personal. We do not choose the circumstances of our lives, we do not choose war or the million painful moments we learn to survive. Sometimes we choose how we react to them.

The cast features noted Palestinians Hiam Abbass and Saleh Bakri, alongside newcomers including Yafa Bakri and Wardi Eilabouni. Jeremy Irons, Billy Howle, Liam Cunningham and Robert Aramayo portray some of the colonists.

The film makers had to overcome numerous challenges due to Israel’s war on Gaza. Producer Ossama Bawardi reflected on the process, saying:

Making a film of this size once is a feat; to prepare it twice, amid war and instability, was an ordeal. After years of preparation, we lost almost everything we had built.

The war forced us to restart and rebuild from the ground up, navigating instability, delays, and the heavy emotional toll borne by everyone involved.

It was a reminder of the trauma we have lived over and over, a trauma inherited by generation after generation.

Sell-out

Palestine 36 sold out so rapidly that the cinema needed to add extra dates mid-festival. This rare move shows the growing appetite for Palestinian cinema in the North of England. Seven of the festival’s 13 events reached full capacity, with three more nearly sold out.

Paul Rogers, emeritus professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, introduced the movie to a packed house. He said:

Presenting Palestine 36 to a capacity crowd at Hyde Park Picture House, a film now submitted for an Oscar, demonstrated the hunger for historical narratives that challenge mainstream framings of the region. The turnout showed these stories resonate far beyond academic circles.

The festival’s partnership with Leeds International Film Festival brought further institutional weight. Chris Fell, Festival Director at Leeds International Film Festival, said:

We were delighted to partner with Leeds Palestinian Film Festival for the screening of Yalla Parkour. The enthusiasm from the audience continues to highlight the strong demand in Leeds for new and urgent narratives on the big screen.

The festival’s curatorial judgment proved prescient. The Voice of Hind Rajab sold out before going on to win the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature at Leeds International Film Festival. The 2025 programme also featured five UK Premieres.

Leeds Palestinian Film Festival Co-Director Frances Bernstein said:

Leeds audiences turned up in force. We presented challenging, artistically excellent work, and people responded. In particular, we saw huge empathy and hunger to know more about Gaza.

Organisers are now planning the 12th edition in November 2026 and exploring larger venue capacity.

Featured image via Watermelon Pictures

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