The selection qualifies the film to enter the shortlist of films which will compete for nomination nods.
The shortlisted films will be announced on 16 December 2025, and the final nominations on 22 January 2026.
Palestine 36 will see its world premiere in the Gala Presentations section of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2025.
Written and directed by Annemarie Jacir, Palestine 36 is set against the backdrop of the 1936–1939 Palestinian Arab Revolt—a pivotal uprising against British colonial rule, and the increasing Jewish immigration to Palestine.
The film follows Yusuf, a young man torn between his tranquil rural homeland and the escalating unrest in Jerusalem. With waves of Jewish refugees arriving from fascist Europe, tensions heighten, culminating in a historic clash that shapes the region's future.
The cast includes renowned names such as Jeremy Irons, Hiam Abbass, Liam Cunningham, Saleh Bakri, among others.
Also a founding member of the Palestinian Filmmakers' Collective, director Jacir has several well known titles in her repertoire, including a road movie Wajib (Duty, 2017), and drama When I Saw You (2012) which won Best Asian Film at Berlinale 2013.
Her film Salt of this Sea (2008), was an Official Selection of the Cannes Festival in 2008 and Palestine's submission to the 81st Academy Awards.
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