With the recent nomination for No Other Land, a growing list of Palestinian films is joining prestigious filmmakers with the highly respected Oscar nomination. The film centres on Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, documenting Adra’s life and struggles in his village under Israeli occupation.

No Other Land (2025):

A Palestinian Israeli collective documents the destruction of Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank. The film captures the growing relationship between Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval. Despite its critical acclaim and finding 24 distributors around the world, the four directors of the film initially struggled to find a US distributor. The film is now scheduled to have a limited release in the US on Jan. 25.

Paradise Now (2005):

‘Paradise Now 'is a psychological thriller set in both Palestine and Israel. The film depicts two friends based out of Nablus, Said and Khaled, who were recruited to become suicide bombers in Tel Aviv. The story follows the pair’s last day before their ‘final task’, and the tense challenge of attempting to cross the border while being armed. The director of the film, Hany Abu Asad, was born in Israel to a Palestinian family. Abu Asad’s films seem to never veer too much into fiction, as he initially got his start working in TV news, leading to his investment in documentary films and eventual feature films. The 2005 film is also currently available to watch on Netflix.

Omar (2013):

‘Omar,’ another film directed by Hany Abu Asad, is a story that dives into the complexities of masculinity, honour, and love. Winner of the Cannes’ Special Jury Prize in 2013, the story follows Omar, a Palestinian baker, who often crosses the border to frequent his high-school love, Nadia. After he and his friends are caught causing trouble to Israeli soldiers, Omar is caught between a crossfire of either continuing to be imprisoned or cooperating with the Israeli counterparts and betraying his friends.

Ave Maria (2015):

‘Ave Maria’ is a short film depicting the story of a group of Palestinian Catholic nuns who had their routines disturbed right before Sabbath when a family of Israeli settlers had their car broken down in the West Bank. Small spoiler: The Israeli family needs to use the nearest phone, and the nuns have taken a vow of silence. The film was nominated for the Best Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2015 and was directed by Palestinian filmmaker Basil Khalil.

The Present (2020):

‘The Present’ is another short film depicting the story of a Palestinian father and his daughter attempting to buy a wedding anniversary gift in the occupied West Bank. Initially released on Netflix in 2021, the film, co-written and directed by Farah Nabulsi, won the BAFTA award for Best Short Film prior to its Academy Award Nomination.

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