"Al-Muwatin Osama" Represents Palestine at the "Oscars"

The Palestinian Ministry of Culture announced its nomination of the film “Citizen Osama,” directed by Ahmad Hassouna, for the Best International Feature Film award at the 99th Academy Awards, the most prestigious artistic honors globally.

In a statement, Culture Minister Imad Hamdan said the film’s nomination represents “Palestine’s presence on one of the most important global cinematic platforms... and of the Palestinian people, who insist on life, creation, and creativity despite war and destruction.”

He added that the film, which will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival this month, was completed under “highly complex” conditions, demonstrating that “Palestinian cinema can transform pain into narrative, siege into hope, and the camera into a witness to truth.”

Hamdan noted that the film was produced as part of the “From Zero Distance” project, launched by Palestinian director and producer Rashid Masharawi after the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023, with the aim of enabling filmmakers in the Gaza Strip to share their experiences and stories from within the reality they live.

The statement mentioned that the film was selected following an evaluation and deliberation session organized by the ministry, noting that 19 Palestinian films have been officially nominated for the competition since 2003.

The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences receives one nomination from the relevant entity or institution in each country worldwide to compete for the Best International Feature Film Oscar, which is reserved for works produced outside the United States with a non-English primary language.

The Academy will announce the initial list of eligible films for the competition in mid-December, followed by the shortlist in January 2027.