Hollywood actors have been changing the way they use their fame to support Palestinian cinema. Solidarity once appeared most visibly on red carpets or in awards speeches, but in recent months it has increasingly taken a more grass roots form.
As Palestinian films navigate limited cinema access and modest marketing budgets, actors have begun hosting screenings with discussions in a co-ordinated effort, using their presence to draw their audiences into cinemas and help the films circulate beyond traditional release models.
The films at the centre of this – All That’s Left of You, The Voice of Hind Rajab and Palestine 36 – have been screening in independent cinemas and cultural venues across the US and Europe. Rather than conventional promotional tours, many of these events have been framed as conversations, with actors introducing the films, offering brief context and, in some cases, moderating discussions with filmmakers or invited guests.
The list of big names has continued to grow as the films tour city by city. Those who have hosted or are set to host screenings include Jessie Buckley, Lena Dunham, Ilana Glazer, Bassem Youssef, Mo Amer and Mahershala Ali for The Voice of Hind Rajab; Tatiana Maslany, Diego Luna, Susan Sarandon, Elliot Page and Imogen Poots for All That’s Left of You; and Mark Ruffalo, Julie Delpy, Mira Nair, Ava DuVernay, Riz Ahmed and Ramy Youssef for Palestine 36. While the scale of involvement differs from screening to screening, the pattern has been consistent across all three films.
“I’m honoured to be in dialogue with this film that was so life-changing for me,” said Dunham, who hosted a screening of The Voice of Hind Rajab in New York on December 28, followed by a conversation with director Kaouther Ben Hania. “It’s odd to say that this film brings me hope because it’s so deeply tragic, but I think artists being able to bear witness and ask others to do the same through their work is what is hopeful.”
There was an earlier phase in these projects’ journeys. Before its festival debut, The Voice of Hind Rajab drew attention when Joaquin Phoenix and Brad Pitt, among others, signed on as producers. This gave visibility and industry credibility to work that might otherwise have struggled to secure international exposure. Actor-hosted screenings can be seen as an extension of that early involvement, shifting from backing at the production stage to helping to get films shown in cinemas and audience-building.
For moviemakers and distributors, this strategy helps the films – all three of which are shortlisted for best international film at the 2026 Academy Awards – to be more widely seen. Palestinian films have long faced structural barriers to wide theatrical release, a challenge that has intensified amid heightened political sensitivities. Special event screenings, often limited to one or two nights and anchored by discussions, offer a way to reach audiences without the financial risk of extended cinema runs or the resources required for traditional marketing campaigns.
The films themselves are also intended to prompt conversation. Ossama Bawardi of Watermelon Pictures, which spearheaded the Talking Palestine 36 initiative alongside director Annemarie Jacir’s Philistine Films, described the intention behind the series.
“We created this programme to open space for deeper, nuanced conversation about Palestine and its history,” Bawardi told Deadline. “Palestine 36 is not just a film – it is a cultural moment. These talks aim to broaden that moment into a sustained dialogue.”
Taken together, the screenings point to a broader shift in how politically engaged films are circulating. Less than a year after the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land faced distribution difficulties, backlash and bans in some territories, actors with significant industry reach are using their visibility to help these films get shown, draw audiences and navigate release outside traditional pathways.
The timing is also notable. The screenings come after a period in which entertainers have faced increasing restrictions on political expression at film festivals, awards ceremonies and other high-profile public platforms. Against that backdrop, hosting a screening or moderating a conversation has become a more direct way to engage.
Whether this model signals a longer-term change remains to be seen. For now, it reflects a moment in which actors are using their influence not through speeches or statements, but by helping politically sensitive films find space in cinemas and on public view.
