Palestine 36, the feature film by Annemarie Jacir '02 currently making waves on the festival circuit, recently secured another victory when it was awarded the top prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The film, which is Palestine’s entry for the Best International Feature category at the Oscars, had its Asian Premiere at the 38th edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival held between October 27 and November 5, 2025, and took home the honor of the Tokyo Grand Prix/The Governor of Tokyo Award along with a cash prize of a whopping $19,500.
Jacir’s film focuses on the 1936 Arab Revolt against British rule in Palestine, and examines the early roots of the Palestine-Israel conflict. The Tokyo Grand Prix adds another major accolade to the film’s growing list of honors, following its rapturous Toronto premiere and lengthy standing ovation, cementing its place as one of the most highly anticipated films to watch this year.
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, who presented the award, said, "Film can transcend language and cultural barriers, and is an incredibly powerful art form with the power to connect people’s hearts. Unfortunately, divisions are occurring all over the world. Natural disasters are also raging. But film has the incredible power to heal people’s hearts."
"This award is really a great, great honor," responded Jacir via a remote feed, "and it means everything to my team and to myself and all of us that have worked very hard. To make this film and fight for this film to come to life. So, sharing it and receiving this honor is a beautiful, beautiful thing."
See the full list of award winners at the Tokyo International Film Festival here.
