Annemarie Jacir’s acclaimed film follows Yusuf who longs for a future beyond the 1936 revolt against British colonial rule
Sharjah Art Foundation presents the UAE premiere of Palestine 36 (2025), a historical drama written and directed by Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir.
Palestine 36, Jacir’s fourth directorial feature, is one of the two films selected for the Foundation’s inaugural Sharjah Film Platform Feature Fund—a robust grant designed to support and promote films from the region. It also won the Tokyo Grand Prix at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival (2025) and has been shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards (2026) in the best international feature category.
As villages across Mandatory Palestine rise against British colonial rule in 1936, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
The premiere, taking place on 24 January 2026 at 8:00 pm in Mirage City Cinema, Al Mureijah Square, will be followed by a Q&A session with director, Annemarie Jacir and producer Ossama Bawardi.
Tickets can be purchased through sharjahart.org.
Established in 2024, the 500,000 AED Sharjah Film Platform Feature Fund supports UAE-based filmmakers in realising their cinematic visions. The 2025 award was shared between Palestine 36 and Mohamad W. Ali’s debut feature, Colored Sweets, scheduled to be released later this year. The recipients were selected by an international jury consisting of Sohail Dahdal, filmmaker and professor of media, American University of Sharjah; Suha Arraf, filmmaker and script doctor; Talal Afifi, founder of the Sudan Film Factory and President of the Sudan Independent Film Festival; and Nawar Al Qassimi, Vice President, Sharjah Art Foundation.
Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. The Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.
Established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Sharjah Biennial, which launched in 1993, the Foundation is a critical resource for artists and cultural organisations in the Gulf and a conduit for local, regional and international developments in contemporary art. The Foundation’s deep commitment to developing and sustaining the cultural life and heritage of Sharjah is reflected through year-round exhibitions, performances, screenings and educational programmes in the city of Sharjah and across the Emirate, often hosted in historic buildings that have been repurposed as cultural and community centres. A growing collection reflects the Foundation’s support of contemporary artists in the realisation of new work and its recognition of the contributions made by pioneering modern artists from the region and around the world.
Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons. Her Highness Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi serves as President and Director. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Sharjah is the third largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. It was named UNESCO's Arab Capital of Culture for 1998 and the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019.
Alyazeyah Al Marri
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org
+971 (0)6 5444113
Annemarie Jacir’s acclaimed film follows Yusuf who longs for a future beyond the 1936 revolt against British colonial rule