Annemarie Jacir has written, directed, and produced over 16 films, which have premiered at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, and Telluride. All three of her features were selected as Palestine’s official Oscar submissions. With SALT OF THIS SEA, she became the first Palestinian female director to helm a feature, premiering at Cannes and winning the FIPRESCI Prize. Her follow-up, WHEN I SAW YOU, won Best Asian Film at the Berlinale, while WAJIB cemented her international standing, picking up 36 awards across major festivals including Mar del Plata, Dubai, and London. Jacir is also the founder of Philistine Films, where she collaborates with Arab filmmakers as a producer, editor, and screenwriter, with a strong focus on developing local talent and independent voices across the region. Based in Palestine, she has served on juries at Cannes, Berlin, and Sundance, and is a member of AMPAS, BAFTA, and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy. In Bethlehem, she co-founded Dar Jacir, an artist-run cultural space, while her work continues to be showcased in retrospectives at institutions such as BAM and TIFF.
PALESTINE 36: Over the past year, Annemarie Jacir returned with her latest feature: PALESTINE 36 — an exploration of 1936 Mandate Palestine in its final years under British Rule before the gradual encroachment of Jewish settlers that later led to the establishment of the state of Israel. The film world premiered as part of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival’s Gala Program to a sold-out screening and a 10-minute standing ovation.
Par-for-the-Course Success: Since its premiere, PALESTINE 36 has made its way to more than 20 film festivals around the globe, before holding its Arab World premiere at the fifth Red Sea International Film Festival and winning five awards throughout its run, two of which are Best Film awards.
Continuing the Streak: With PALESTINE 36, Jacir updates her Palestinian feature film Oscar submission streak to four, further cementing her reputation as one of the country’s foremost f ilmmaking representatives on the world stage. The film was shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards; however, it did not make the final list of nominations.
