Palestinian Films Draw Packed Theaters Across America Despite Widespread Censorship Efforts
Packed theaters across the United States are screening Palestinian films to enthusiastic audiences, marking a significant cultural shift despite ongoing efforts by institutions and distributors to censor them. The documentary "The Encampments," which chronicles the Columbia University pro-Palestine student protests, has drawn crowds since its recent release, giving American viewers access to narratives largely absent from mainstream news coverage since the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023.
The film's success comes as Palestinian cinema experiences what many are calling a renaissance, with multiple productions gaining international recognition while facing distribution barriers and institutional resistance in the American market.
Student Voices From the Front Lines
"The Encampments" focuses primarily on the Columbia University encampment established in April 2024, following three key student activists through twelve days of protests that would spark a nationwide movement. According to The New Arab, the documentary has been "met with packed theatres, giving US audiences a glimpse of a narrative that the mainstream news has largely ignored."
The film's central figures include Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student who served as chief negotiator between activists and university officials, Sueda Polat, another graduate student involved in Palestinian advocacy, and Grant Miner, a Jewish PhD student and labor organizer who was subsequently expelled from Columbia for his participation.
"The students will remain here until they achieve their demands regarding divestment from the Israeli occupation that companies that are profiting and contributing to the genocide of our people."
- Mahmoud Khalil, speaking to CNN during the encampment
Khalil's story has taken a troubling turn since filming concluded. ICE agents arrested the student activist on March 8, 2025, and the activist remains in custody in Louisiana, facing potential deportation, according to The Hollywood Reporter. His detention has drawn significant backlash for what critics describe as a violation of First Amendment rights.
Directors Push for Continued Engagement
The film's directors, Kei Pritsker and Michael T. Workman, have been touring cinemas across the country, hosting post-screening discussions that emphasize the importance of sustained audience engagement.
"People are hungry for these stories and will show up to theatres, and when theatres see that, they're more likely to take the risk on programming a film like this," Workman told a packed theater following a screening in April, according to The New Arab.1 "So, bring your friends. If we keep packing the theatres, then we keep putting the film out and getting more people to see the film."
The directors have also used these platforms to advocate for Khalil's release and support other international students facing deportation threats.
A Broader Cultural Movement Takes Shape
"The Encampments" represents just one example of a larger trend in Palestinian cinema gaining traction despite institutional barriers. The success comes during what The Hollywood Reporter describes as "a time of growing support and interest in films about Palestinians."
This year's Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, "No Other Land," exemplifies both the recognition and challenges facing Palestinian narratives. The film, co-directed by Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and Palestinian activist Basel Adra, initially faced significant barriers to distribution in the United States despite receiving critical acclaim worldwide.
According to Common Dreams, the film "has been unable to obtain distribution in theaters or on streaming platforms in the U.S.—despite being the highest-grossing Oscar-nominated documentary in the rest of the world." However, the filmmakers have responded by organizing independent screenings in approximately 100 theaters across the United States.
Industry Recognition Amid Censorship Claims
The Academy Awards ceremony provided a significant platform for Palestinian voices, with "No Other Land" directors using their acceptance speech to address what they termed "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians. The response from the Hollywood audience was notably supportive, with journalist Mehdi Hasan expressing that he was "stunned" that such direct condemnation was "supportively applauded" by the elite audience.
"There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people. And I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path."
- Yuval Abraham, co-director of "No Other Land," during his Oscar acceptance speech
Peter Beinart, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents, suggested the cultural shift represents a significant challenge to traditional pro-Israel lobbying efforts. "They are winning politically but losing culturally," Beinart said, according to Common Dreams."Their attack ads can't stop Blue America's shift in collective consciousness on the question of Palestinian freedom."
New Production Companies Fill the Void
The rise in Palestinian cinema has been supported by new industry players, most notably Watermelon Pictures, a Palestinian-owned production company founded by brothers Rad and Hamza Ali in April 2024. According to Variety, the Chicago-based company "was created with a mission to change the mainstream narrative around Palestinian people and other marginalized groups."
Watermelon Pictures operates as part of MPI Media Group, a Chicago firm launched by the Ali brothers' father and uncle in 1976. The company has quickly gained international recognition with titles including "From Ground Zero," "The Encampments," and "The Teacher."
"We just want to continue their legacy," Hamza Ali told Variety. "We're adding to the scope, and we know how to navigate the industry. It's something that I know my dad and uncle would be proud of."
Cannes Platform Provides International Support
The Palestine Film Institute's presence at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival represented another significant milestone for Palestinian cinema. Under the theme #HereThereAndForever, the organization presented its most ambitious program to date, featuring showcases, screenings, and networking opportunities.
Mohanad Yaqubi, the public programmer at the Palestine Film Institute, told The Hollywood Reporter that their presence was "not one of celebration," but instead focused on "how we can shape the narrative surrounding Palestinian cinema and stories through the filmmakers themselves."
"We're not celebrating being in Cannes. There's nothing to celebrate for us... Some of our members have family in Gaza currently, and they are present here in Cannes. It's difficult, but this industry should not just cater to affluent individuals."
- Mohanad Yaqubi, Palestine Film Institute public programmer
The festival also marked the official introduction of the PFI Film Fund, developed in collaboration with partners including IDFA, International Media, and the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture.
Historical Context and Cultural Significance
Palestinian cinema's current moment builds on decades of struggle for representation and recognition. According to research from the IAFOR Journal of Media, Communication and Film, Palestinian cinema has long been "intricately tied to the memory of a pre-1948 Palestine and the desire of return" and "concerned with making what has been forcibly made invisible, visible."
The academic analysis notes that "items like keys, title deeds, family photographs, newspaper clippings, school certificates, and marriage licenses are the foundation of Palestinian memory, and hence are a decisive part of Palestinian cinema, alongside landscape and trauma."
This historical context helps explain why current films resonate so strongly with audiences. As Politics Today observed in 2023, "The fact that Farha is among the top 10 films on Netflix shows that the Israeli counter-campaign to defame it has failed."
Allegations of Systematic Censorship
Multiple sources point to systematic efforts to limit Palestinian narratives in mainstream media platforms. Rock and Art reported allegations that "Netflix may be engaging in censorship by quietly removing Palestinian films from its library."
The article emphasizes that Palestinian filmmakers have long utilized cinema as a form of resistance, documenting the lived experiences, struggles, and resilience of Palestinian communities. Renowned Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman was quoted as saying, "For Palestinians, cinema is more than just art—it is a means of documenting our existence, of asserting our right to tell our story in our way."
A letter signed by nearly 70 Palestinian filmmakers, as reported by the World Socialist Web Site, accused Hollywood of "dehumanization" and criticized the film industry's long record of "distortion and repression of Palestinians and their national struggle."
Student Activism Continues Despite Crackdowns
The success of "The Encampments" comes as student activism around Palestinian issues continues despite increased crackdowns. According to The New Arab, "smaller gatherings have again sprung up over the past several weeks, wrapping up another academic year of restricted student protests that refuse to yield against censorship by the authorities."
The film captures the intensifying tensions between student activists and university administrations, as well as the heavily policed nature of the protests. One particularly chilling moment shows Khalil being asked what he would do if arrested, providing "audiences a chilling window into the reality the students were grappling with as they led a heavily policed movement."
Grant Miner, one of the featured activists, was among nearly twenty students penalized by Columbia for their participation in the protests. His expulsion on March 13, 2025, occurred as the state attempted to revoke his visa, despite his status as a lawful permanent resident.
Box Office Performance and Industry Impact
While "The Encampments" and similar films haven't achieved blockbuster commercial success, their cultural impact has been significant. The New Yorker noted that the documentary has become "widely known, getting write-ups in most mainstream publications, including Fox."
The film's success has encouraged theaters to take risks on similar programming. Directors Pritsker and Workman have emphasized that sustained audience engagement is crucial for continued distribution opportunities.
Watermelon Pictures has particularly benefited from this trend, with Variety reporting that the company "broke domestic box office records with the searing documentary 'The Encampments' just a year after being founded."
Academic and Critical Reception
Academic reviewers have noted the documentary's balanced approach to a complex subject. The New Yorker's analysis praised the film for avoiding "presenting [students] as exceptional, acknowledging the broader context of their struggle."
The review noted a "recurring visual theme in the film [that] juxtaposes the encampments at Columbia with refugee tent cities in Palestine," while acknowledging that "the scale of violence renders any single action insufficient."
Critics have also emphasized the historical parallels between current student activism and previous movements. The film includes discussions with alumni who participated in Columbia's anti-Vietnam War protests of 1968, which similarly led to campus building occupations.
International Film Festival Circuit
Palestinian films have found success on the international festival circuit, providing alternative distribution channels when mainstream outlets prove resistant. At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Palestinian director achievements included winning best short film for "I'm Glad You're Dead Now" and the debut of "Once Upon a Time in Gaza."
These successes have not only provided recognition but also practical support for Palestinian filmmakers. The Palestine Film Institute's Cannes program featured a focus on Palestinian producers and provided networking opportunities to support future projects.
Technology and Distribution Innovation
Faced with traditional distribution barriers, Palestinian filmmakers have increasingly turned to innovative distribution methods. The independent release of "No Other Land" in approximately 100 U.S. theaters represents one such approach, bypassing traditional distributor gatekeepers.
Social media and digital platforms have also played crucial roles in building audiences for these films. The directors of "The Encampments" have utilized post-screening discussions and social media engagement to build word-of-mouth support.
Future Developments
The current momentum in Palestinian cinema appears likely to continue, supported by new funding mechanisms and the establishment of production companies. The Palestine Film Institute's newly launched film fund aims to support four to six projects in various formats in its initial rounds.
Industry observers suggest that the cultural shift represented by packed theaters and Oscar recognition may signal broader changes in American attitudes toward Palestinian narratives. As Peter Beinart noted, "If politics is downstream from culture, they're in trouble," referring to traditional pro-Israel lobbying efforts.
The success of films like "The Encampments" also demonstrates the appetite for alternative narratives about complex political issues. As director Michael Workman emphasized, sustained audience support will be crucial for the continued programming of such films.
However, challenges remain significant. The detention of Mahmoud Khalil and the ongoing difficulties faced by Palestinian filmmakers in securing distribution highlight the continued obstacles to Palestinian cultural expression in the United States.
A Cultural Moment of Reckoning
The packed theaters screening "The Encampments" and other Palestinian films represent more than entertainment—they signal a cultural moment of reckoning with narratives that have long been marginalized in American media. Despite institutional resistance and distribution barriers, audiences across the United States are actively seeking out these stories, creating a grassroots demand that traditional gatekeepers can no longer ignore.
The convergence of student activism, international recognition through awards such as the Oscars, and the emergence of new production companies like Watermelon Pictures suggests that Palestinian cinema has reached a tipping point. Whether this cultural momentum can translate into lasting change in media representation and political discourse remains to be seen. Still, the enthusiastic response from American audiences suggests a significant shift in the public's appetite for previously suppressed narratives.
As filmmakers continue to document both historical and contemporary Palestinian experiences, and as audiences continue to fill theaters despite limited mainstream coverage, the landscape of American media consumption around one of the world's most contentious conflicts appears to be undergoing a fundamental transformation.